Linkin Park’s “The Emptiness Machine” shoots to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Hard Rock Songs chart dated Sept. 21, ahead of a slew of favorites from the band’s decades-long catalog that spiked after the release of its comeback single and the announcement and launch of its new mini tour.

In the week ending Sept. 12, the first full week of tracking for “The Emptiness Machine” (it was released at 6 p.m. ET on Sept. 5), the song earned 13.4 million official U.S. streams, 9.2 million radio audience impressions and sold 8,000 downloads, according to Luminate.

The count of 13.4 million streams is the second-biggest for any hard rock song since Luminate began tracking U.S. streaming activity and the largest for any newly released hard rock tune. The only frame in which any song went bigger: Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which accumulated 13.9 million streams toward the Billboard charts dated Nov. 24, 2018, amid the release of the Queen biopic of the same name that fall.

In fact, only 10 hard rock songs have reached Billboard’s all-genre Streaming Songs chart since its 2013 inception, with “The Emptiness Machine” becoming the 10th via its No. 19 bow. Four of those are from Linkin Park; in addition to “The Emptiness Machine,” the band appeared with two songs – “Numb” at No. 29 and “In the End” at No. 32 – on the Aug. 12, 2017, ranking following the death of co-frontman Chester Bennington. “Lost” followed with a No. 32 debut in 2023.

Of that 10-song group, only “Lost” and “The Emptiness Machine” were new releases, as the rest either spiked due to news events or viral videos.

“The Emptiness Machine” tops Hot Hard Rock Songs after debuting at No. 7 a week earlier with 1.1 million audience impressions, 690,000 official U.S. streams and 1,000 sold Sept. 5.

The track is the third Linkin Park song to reign on Hot Hard Rock Songs, which began in 2020. “In the End” led for two weeks in 2021, helped by iTunes sale-pricing, and “Lost” ruled for 16 frames, released as part of the 20th anniversary reissue of the Linkin Park album Meteora.

“In the End” is one of four songs from Linkin Park’s catalog to reach Hot Hard Rock Songs and the parent Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart dated Sept. 21 (where older songs are eligible to appear if ranking in the latter list’s top half and with a meaningful reason for their return).

“Numb” leads the group, at Nos. 2 and 12 on Hot Hard Rock Songs and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs, respectively. In the week ending Sept. 12, the song accumulated 6.4 million official U.S. streams and sold 1,000 downloads.

“In the End” is next (Nos. 3 and 15) with 5.9 million streams and 1,000 sold, followed by “One Step Closer” (Nos. 4 and 21, respectively) with 4.2 million streams and “Faint” (Nos. 5 and 25) with 3.6 million streams.

All five songs, plus “What I’ve Done,” make the Hard Rock Streaming Songs chart, with the No. 1 debut of “The Emptiness Machine” marking Linkin Park’s second ruler, following “Lost.”

“In the End” (2001), “Faint” (2003), “Numb” (2003) and “What I’ve Done” (2007) each hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart upon their original runs, while “One Step Closer” peaked at No. 5 in 2001.

The gains extend to Billboard’s albums charts; Linkin Park boasts three appearances on Top Hard Rock Albums, paced by Meteora at No. 1 (17,000 equivalent album units earned) and followed by [Hybrid Theory] (No. 2, 16,000 units) and Papercuts (No. 6, 11,000 units). Those three albums also appear on the all-format Billboard 200, Meteora leading the haul at No. 47.

All in all, Linkin Park’s catalog drew 72.9 million official on-demand U.S. streams in the week ending Sept. 12 – up 91% from 38.2 million in the week ending Sept. 5.

In addition to its reign on Hot Hard Rock Songs and its component Hard Rock Streaming Songs list, “The Emptiness Machine” tops Hard Rock Digital Song Sales and hits No. 1 on Rock & Alternative Airplay, as previously reported.

“The Emptiness Machine” is the lead single from From Zero, Linkin Park’s upcoming eighth studio album and first with new members Emily Armstrong on vocals and Colin Brittain on drums, following the death of Bennington and departure of longtime drummer Rob Bourdon. It’s scheduled for release Nov. 15.

50 Cent isn’t letting up in his trolling of his longtime rival Sean “Diddy” Combs following the music mogul’s federal indictment, which was unsealed on Tuesday morning in New York City (Sept. 17).

The G-Unit boss has been on a media tour in support of his new book The Accomplice, but he still made some time to take a jab at Diddy surrounding the details of his sprawling sex trafficking indictment on Tuesday.

50 posted a photo with Drew Barrymore to promote his appearance on her show, but didn’t waste any time sneaking in a shot at Diddy, hinting at the indictment’s report that federal agents allegedly seized over 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant from his Miami and Los Angeles homes as evidence during a federal raid in March.

“Here I am keeping good company with @DrewBarrymoreTV and I don’t have 1,000 bottles of lube at the house,” he wrote alongside his photo with the actress.

One fan replied: “I was waiting on 50 to chime in and here it is.” Another added: “I know you got more coming for us today bro.”

The 1,000 bottles of lube 50 is referencing came from the Sept. 12 indictment, which was unveiled during Tuesday’s presser by U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, who claimed the bottles confiscated from Sean Combs’ possession were used in the alleged sexual “freak offs.”

Williams also claimed that Combs’ staff would stock hotel rooms with lubricant and baby oil for the “freak offs.” Electronic devices were seized containing evidence of the “freak offs” with multiple victims.

Diddy was reportedly arrested at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Midtown Manhattan on Monday night. Combs faces charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution, per the indictment obtained by Billboard. The conspiracy charge also came with allegations of forced labor, kidnapping, arson and bribery from 2008 through the present day.

“For decades, Sean Combs … abused, threatened and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation and conceal his conduct,” the indictment reads. “To do so, Combs relied on the employees, resources and the influence of his multi-faceted business empire that he led and controlled.”

If convicted on the charges, Combs will be facing a minimum sentence of 15 years jail time, while the charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison. Diddy is expected to appear in court on Tuesday.

Grammy winner and Americana luminary Allison Russell is set to make her Broadway debut in the eight-time Tony Award-winning musical Hadestown.

Beginning on Nov. 12, Russell will perform as the Greek goddess Persephone in the lauded musical. Hadestown is based on the 2010 concept album adapting the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice by folk singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell, who then went on to create the show’s music, lyrics and book.

On her Instagram, Russell celebrated her upcoming debut, while recalling her first time seeing Mitchell perform the show’s song “Why We Build The Wall” in Santa Barbara, California in 2008.

“I was transfixed,” Russell wrote. “When Anaïs told me later that night that she was working on a ‘folk opera’ based on the myth of Orpheus & Eurydice all my hairs stood on end — I had a premonition that it would be become a piece that would outlive us all…”

After Mitchell released Hadestown in 2010, the project was later turned into a stage musical and made its U.S. debut in 2016. Three years later, the musical opened on Broadway and won eight Tony Awards that same year, including best musical.

“It has been a keen and continuous joy to have a front row seat to the evolution of this great opus — from the 2010 album to Off Broadway to the Edmonton Theatre to the London Theatre and finally to Broadway and the Walter Kerr Theatre,” Russell wrote. “Anaïs has been and is a lodestar artist, writer and friend to me since that night in 2008 … impossible for me to fully convey how deeply meaningful, resonant, uplifting, full circle and THRILLING it is to be making my Broadway debut, starring in the role of Persephone (a Goddess and archetype I have explored in both poetry and song myself since childhood) in this generational masterpiece and my favourite musical.”

Russell also added that she is “proud to be joining the sisterhood of artists who’ve embodied Persephone, proud to be joining this extraordinary ensemble, proud to become a part of this living, growing legacy. This is a World I’ve dreamt of and one I get to live in now. I am excited and grateful beyond measure to be joining @hadestown! See you way down under the ground.”

For Russell, early 2025 is slated to be filled with performances. The singer-songwriter, who has been supporting Hozier’s Unreal Unearth Tour this year, is also slated for a brief run of tour dates in Australia in April 2025, and will then embark on her rescheduled All Returners Tour later than month, with the tour launching April 30 in South Burlington, Vt. and including shows in New York, San Francisco and Nashville.

At this week’s Americana Music Awards — set for Wednesday, Sept. 18 in Nashville — Russell is also nominated for the evening’s artist of the year trophy, alongside Tyler Childers, Charley Crockett, Sierra Ferrell and Noah Kahan.

See Russell’s announcement post below: