By the late '90s, rap-metal would be a tired idea, a genre packed with melodramatic drivel and little musicianship. But Rage Against the Machine had a jump on most of the bands that came to define rap-rock, issuing their first record in 1992 and carving out their own place in the charts with their driving metal and vocalist Zack de la Rocha's snarling, left-bent rhymes.

The group's formation has its genesis in 1991 in L.A., where a number of small bands broke up, its members coalescing into what would become Rage. De la Rocha joined guitarist Tom Morello, drummer Brad Wilk and bassist Tim Bob. They took their inspiration from left-wing protest, filling their songs with angry screeds against fascism, corporate control and the status quo in general. The cover of their self-titled, 1992 debut hints at the revolution inside, featuring an infamous photograph of a Buddhist monk protesting the Vietnam war through an act of self-immolation.

The band's music was polarizing, drawing responses from detractors and fans alike. If it was anything, it was certainly provocative. The success of the record would draw a lot of interest in the band, and their follow-up, 1996's Evil Empire, eagerly anticipated. It entered the Billboard 200 at a peak position of number one, and scored numerous hits with songs like "Bulls on Parade."

In 1999, The Battle of Los Angeles was released, riding a wave of popularity on the hit single "Guerilla Radio." The Battle of Los Angeles would also be a number one on the Billboard 200, and "Guerilla Radio" would reach number six on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. An album of covers that paid tribute to their influences, Renegades, would be released in 2000. Songs from artists as diverse as the Stooges, Minor Threat and Bruce Springsteen were included on the record.