Although he only arrived six hours before the end of the September 14 Billboard The following week on the US charts, Linkin Park’s comeback single “The Emptiness Machine” debuts at number 24 on the Rock & Alternative Airplay list.
The song – the first from the six-piece band with new singer Emily Armstrong, who sings alongside Mike Shinoda, and new drummer Colin Brittain – garnered 1.1 million impressions from audiences in the week ending September 5, according to Luminate.
That volume comes despite the song’s release on September 5 at 6 p.m. ET, coinciding with the announcement of Armstrong and Brittain joining the band and an upcoming six-date tour and livestream appearance showcasing the band’s newest lineup.
The new era of Linkin Park follows the death of frontman Chester Bennington in 2017. In addition, longtime drummer Rob Bourdon has not rejoined the group.
“The Emptiness Machine” is Linkin Park’s 17th entry on Rock & Alternative Airplay, which began in 2009. That number includes five number-one hits, including two directly before “The Emptiness Machine”: “Lost” in 2023 and “Friendly Fire” earlier this year. “Lost” comes from the 20th anniversary reissue of Linkin Park’s 2003 album Meteorawhile “Friendly Fire” is on this year’s retrospective Paper cuts; both songs feature Bennington’s vocals.
Although “The Emptiness Machine” is currently only represented in the airplay-based chart “Rock & Alternative Airplay”, the song is already at the top of the play-based rankings “Alternative Airplay” (195 plays) and “Mainstream Rock Airplay” (150 plays) and is about to debut in both surveys dated September 21st.
The last song to debut at number one on Alternative Airplay? “What I’ve Done” by Linkin Park in 2007.
“The Emptiness Machine” is the first single from From zeroLinkin Park’s eighth studio album, will be released on November 15th. It is the band’s first since Another lightreleased two months before Bennington’s death. The set opened at number 1 on Billboard‘s Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart in June 2017 and has earned 1 million equivalent album units to date.
All Billboard The September 14 charts will be updated on Tuesday, September 10, on Billboard.com.
