Rage Against the Machine

Rage Against the Machine formed in Los Angeles in 1991, bringing together vocalist Zack de la Rocha, guitarist Tom Morello, bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk. Their sound fused heavy metal, rap, punk and funk, carrying anti-authoritarian, anti-capitalist and revolutionary lyrics. Their influence reached the nu metal wave that followed in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

The self-titled debut arrived in 1992, and their slot at Lollapalooza in 1993 helped turn acclaim into commercial success. Evil Empire (1996) and The Battle of Los Angeles (1999) both topped the Billboard 200, and the covers album Renegades followed in 2000, just as the band split over creative differences. They reunited at Coachella in 2007, paused in 2011, and toured again in 2022 before an injury to de la Rocha cut the run short. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023.