7. Linkin Park - "In The End"
When nu metal took over mainstream rock radio in the late 90s, it also inherited the unfortunate title of scapegoat for parents who looked to blame their children's villainous behavior on the music they were listening to. Most commonly, it was acts like Korn and Marilyn Manson who were thrown to the wolves in the media, citing many out-of-context lyrics as indictments against the musicians. But surprisingly, it was the relatively pedestrian rap-rock group Linkin Park that would be condemned in 2001, when 15-year-old Charles Andrew "Andy" Williams shot fifteen of his high school classmates, killing two of them. Williams was moved around often by his family, and he was repeatedly bullied in school. Following the shooting, Williams' friends and family suggested it was this combination, along with some choice lyrics of his favorite nu metal group, that inspired him to go through with it. There were three songs, in particular, that were singled out as catalysts: "Papercut," "One Step Closer," and "In the End." But one of Williams' closest friends narrowed it down even further: "Listen to 'In the End,' track eight on Linkin Park's CD. That was the song that inspired Andy." The media pointed to lyrics "I tried so hard and got so far, but in the end it doesn't really matter" as the jumping off point. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVTXPUF4Oz4 While the band rightfully distanced themselves from any responsibility for the teen's actions, guitarist Brad Delson responded by saying "There's a misconception that angry music is going to make someone angry. I think it's cathartic."