Rage Against the Machine, sometimes known as RATM or just Rage, is a Los Angeles, California-based American rock group. The band, which was founded in 1991, consists of drummer Brad Wilk, guitarist Tom Morello, bassist Tim Commerford, and backing vocalist Zack de la Rocha. The group is renowned for their revolutionary socialist political ideals, as well as for fusing heavy metal and rap music with punk rock and funk influences. They have sold more than 16 million records globally as of 2010.
After performing at the 1993 Lollapalooza festival and receiving positive reviews for their self-titled first album, Rage Against the Machine found mainstream success. In 2003, Rolling Stone ranked the album 368 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The band’s subsequent two albums, Evil Empire (1996) and The Battle of Los Angeles (1999), which reached the top of the Billboard 200 chart, were commercially successful.
Rage Against the Machine rose to fame during their first nine years together and had a significant impact on the nu metal movement that emerged in the late 1990s and early 2000s. They were also voted No. 33 on VH1’s list of the 100 greatest hard rock musicians.
