Do you think it's true? Do rock bands really deserve those tens of million dollars? It seems like some of todays biggest bands make a majority of their money just by signing a contract agreement alone, not to mention touring and merchandise profits... Could this be why rock artists take 3 and 4 years between albums? It seems that money making kind of takes away from a bands integrity in a way. It's like if bands weren't making imense amounts of money for doing next to nothing, then they would be puting out albums a hell of a lot more often and they would be trying harder to write better songs... I imagine bands from like the sixties and seventies didn't get paid so well, and as a result they made ten times as many great albums as today. Because let's face it everyone--It dosen't take 4 years to write a great album... It's not just Linkin Park. There are lots of bands that take three years or more to put a new album out: Metallica, Evanescence, Tool, NIN, etc...
I think if you looked into the actual reason they take so long you would find that there are valid reasons why they have taken that amount of time.
Check this one out:The Problem with Music. Basically, it goes into detail about how those supposed "millions of dollars" are really broken down, and rants about the evil that is corporate record labels. It's not always how it looks.
"It's like if bands weren't making imense amounts of money for doing next to nothing..." Oh, I think they are doing way more than, "next to nothing." Think for a second about going on tour. They're away from their friends and familys and traveling non-stop for an extended peroid of time. Also, making an album is hard work. You try doing it. Anyway, I don't think that they're making as much money as a lot of people think. It depends on their contract. So, I think that they diserve every penny that they get. Especially the ones who donate extra cash to charities. (Example: Bono from U2) EDIT: Kate, I love that article.
Some rappers are overpaid for the crap they release? "Laffy Taffy"? That makes me weep as a producer. All the bands you listed: Metallica - Member left, personal issues, rehab. Evanescence - Member left. Tool - Maynard does APC inbetween Tool not to mention other collabs. NIN - Drugs and more drugs, rehab.