Blink-182's Epic Tribute to Chester Bennington and Chris Cornell in Their Latest Album

Travis Barker, Mark Hoppus, and Tom Delonge of Blink-182 with insets of Chester Bennington and Chris Cornell. Getty Images (3)

Blink-182 honored the memory of Chris Cornell and Chester Bennington, who passed away six years ago, on their latest album. The band members Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge, and Travis Barker reunited to release One More Time… on October 20. The song "More Than You Know," the sixth track on the album, subtly acknowledges both the Linkin Park and Soundgarden/Audioslave singers. DeLonge, 47, sings on the chorus, "I feel a sense of unfortunate destiny, I've been emotionally numb and sinking like a stone. I may not feel physical pain, but my emotional turmoil surpasses your comprehension."

The song "Numb" from Linkin Park's 2003 album, Meteora, is well-known among fans and served as the closing track. It achieved significant success, peaking at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Similarly, "Like a Stone" is Audioslave's most recognizable and successful song, reaching the top of the U.S. Alternative charts in 2003 (reaching No. 31 on the Hot 100). After Soundgarden's breakup in 1997, Cornell led the alternative rock supergroup. Tragically, both Cornell, aged 52, and Bennington, aged 41, died by suicide in 2017. Cornell was found deceased in his Detroit hotel room after a Soundgarden concert in May, while Bennington was discovered in his home in Palos Verdes Estates, California, two months later.

Scheduled to perform two shows together that summer under the name "Welcome to Blinkin Park," Linkin Park and Blink-182 were faced with a tragic event when news broke of Chester Bennington's untimely death. Reacting to the loss, Blink-182 expressed their devastation through a statement shared on social media. The band acknowledged Bennington as a dear friend and extraordinary musician, stating that the idea of performing "blinkin park" without his remarkable talent and voice was inconceivable. They extended their heartfelt sympathies to his family, fellow band members, close friends, and devoted fans.

Blink-182's Hoppus, aged 51, Barker, aged 47, along with then-member Matt Skiba, took part in the Chester Bennington Memorial concert in October 2017. The band joined forces with the surviving members of Linkin Park to perform a rendition of "What I've Done." Additionally, in tribute to Bennington, Blink-182 also performed "I Miss You." The event also featured appearances by members from Korn, System of a Down, Avenged Sevenfold, and Sum-41.

"One More Time..." is Blink-182's 10th studio album and marks the reunion of Hoppus, DeLonge, and Barker after over a decade. Their last collaboration was on 2011's "Neighborhoods" before DeLonge departed from the group in 2014. Skiba, aged 47, from Alkaline Trio, filled in for DeLonge until his return in October 2022.

Prior to the album's launch, the band gathered with Apple Music's Zane Lowe to engage in a conversation about their reunion. Barker highlighted how the title track, "One More Time," delves into the question of why it often requires such catastrophic events, such as his plane crash in 2008 or Hoppus' struggle with large B-cell lymphoma in 2021, for the band to come together again.