Mike Shinoda believed so
The week the Chester Bennington tribute was held, his bandmate Mike Shinoda placed him on the same level as some of his idols:
"It's funny because he was the type of guy that when you complimented his voice, especially in the early days, he would look away, deny it, or make some self-deprecating comment. While part of him really liked being the center of attention, another part of him wanted to hide.".
Shinoda concludes by talking about comparisons between artists:
“That’s part of Chester’s beauty. And he was inspired by a wide range of artists at different times in his life, people like Dave Gahan, James Hetfield, and Freddie Mercury. Occasionally I would tell him that he was in the same category as them, but he never agreed with me. He never acknowledged that he was at that level, but in recent months, dozens of artists have spoken out publicly or privately to tell us what an inspiration Chester and the band have been. We are very grateful.”.
