History Music / RageAgainstTheMachine

* AlternativeMetal

* AuthorTract: The liner notes. Zack de la Rocha's lyrics.
* BaldOfAwesome: Tom Morello.

* BrokenRecord: "Killing in the Name", as detailed below.
** Also "Know Your Enemy", which ends with eight repetitions of "All of which are American dreams!"
* CapitalismIsBad: The "machine" you should be raging against.

* BadassBeard: Zack de la Rocha.

* CoverVersion: An entire album of them. ''Renegades'' is a collection of covers. They have also covered [[Music/{{NWA}} "Fuck tha Police"]], [[Music/PublicEnemy "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos"]] and [[Music/BruceSpringsteen "The Ghost of Tom Joad"]] (the latter of which is in ''Renegades'', and for which, incidentally, Morello guested when
Springsteen re-recorded it in ''High Hopes''). At live shows they sometimes play "White Riot" by Music/TheClash.

* CoverVersion: An entire album of them. ''Renegades'' is a collection of covers. They have also covered [[Music/{{NWA}} "Fuck tha Police"]], [[Music/PublicEnemy "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos"]] and [[Music/BruceSpringsteen "The Ghost of Tom Joad"]] (the latter of which is in ''Renegades'', and for which, incidentally, Morello guested when Springsteen re-recorded it in ''High Hopes''). At live shows they sometimes play "White Riot" by Music/TheClash.

In 2016, the band (again sans Zack) joined forces with Music/PublicEnemy's Chuck D and B-Real from Music/CypressHill to form the supergroup Prophets of Rage[[note]]Unlike the case of Audioslave, however, Prophets of Rage did play RATM songs, as well as some Cypress Hill, Public Enemy and original songs.[[/note]]. Its run would conclude three years later similarly to Audioslave, as it announced its disbandment very shortly after RATM confirmed that it would reunite once more for a brief tour in the spring of 2020. They are currently set to return to the stage in 2021, having postponed this tour due to COVID-19.

A seven-year hiatus followed, during which time the band members sans vocalist Zack de la Rocha formed the band Music/{{Audioslave}} with Music/{{Soundgarden}} vocalist Chris Cornell. News that RATM would be reuniting to play Coachella broke at the same time as Audioslave's disbandment; minus a small break in 2009, the band would continue to play live shows until they went back on hiatus in 2011.

* {{Angrish}}: The language most songs are performed in, though it's not like Zack's vocals are that incomprehensible.

In 2016, the band (again sans Zack) joined forces with Music/PublicEnemy's Chuck D and B-Real from Music/CypressHill to form the supergroup Prophets of Rage[[note]]Unlike the case of Audioslave, however, Prophets of Rage did play RATM songs, as well as some Cypress Hill, Public Enemy and original songs.[[/note]]. Its run would conclude three years later similarly to Audioslave, as it announced its disbandment very shortly after RATM confirmed that it would reunite once more for a brief tour in the spring of 2020.

In 2016, the band (again sans Zack) joined forces with Music/PublicEnemy's Chuck D and B-Real from Music/CypressHill to form the supergroup Prophets of Rage[[note]]Unlike the case of Audioslave, however, Prophets of Rage did play RATM songs, as well as some Cypress Hill, Public Enemy and original songs.[[/note]].

Its run would conclude three years later similarly to Audioslave, as it announced its disbandment very shortly after RATM confirmed that it would reunite once more for a brief tour in the spring of 2020.

* ''Renegades'' (2000) [[[CoverVersion Covers]] album].

!! Troping in the Name Of...:

* BigYes: Zack lets out an awesome, raspy ''"YEEEEEEEAAAAHHHH!"'' twice in "Sleep Now in the Fire"; once around the start, and again before the guitar solo. The outro of "Freedom" also has this alternating with Zack screaming the title, though the second time, he yells, "YEEAAHH, RIIIIGHT!"

* IsntItIronic: "No Shelter" was used on the Godzilla soundtrack because Sony noticed that they mention the great lizard by name. What Sony failed to notice is that they call it "pure motherfucking filler" and that the whole song was about slick American advertising disguising real suffering. (The whole line is "Godzilla, pure motherfucking filler/Keep your eyes off the real killer.") Furthermore, "No Shelter" has the line "Make you think what you need is what they sellin'/Make you think that buyin' is rebellin'."
** Also, in the 2009 U.K Xmas No.1 race, when Rage's "Killing In The Name" went up against ''The X Factor'''s Joe's, "The Climb", there was quite a bit of {{irony}} as there was a successful Internet campaign instructing anti-''X Factor'' fans to buy the song. In addition to the above anti-consumerism lyric from "No Shelter", "Killing in the Name" clearly has the lyrics, "Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!"

* IvyLeagueForEveryone: Tom Morello is a Harvard graduate with a Political Science degree.

* PoliticalRap: Zack De La Rocha's rapping.

* SpellingSong: "Know Your Enemy", "Mic Check". Also arguably "Microphone Fiend", however this is a cover song so it doesn't truly count.
* SpokenWordInMusic: "Settle for Nothing", "Born of a Broken Man". "Wake Up" also has a spoken-word bridge, where Zack explains the FBI's COINTELPRO conspiracy. The words dissolve into nigh-incomprehensibility before the guitars suddenly turn up again and Zack starts screaming "WAKE UP!!!" 8 times.
* SubduedSection: In a couple of songs.

Rage Against the Machine is a RapMetal[=/=]FunkMetal band from Los Angeles, formed in 1991.

The band was on hiatus from 2000 to 2007, during which time the band members sans singer Zack de la Rocha formed the band Music/{{Audioslave}} with Music/{{Soundgarden}} vocalist Chris Cornell. Audioslave disbanded in 2007, and RATM reunited for a show in Coachella festival, and have since toured to some extent.

The band was well known for their ''extremely'' left-wing politics (identifying most closely with anarcho-syndicalism) and the politically-charged lyrics in their songs, and the liner notes usually include contact information to various organizations the band supports. They have also played at large protests, and have several cases of controversial moments: when playing on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' (in an episode hosted by buttoned-down Republican presidential candidate Steve Forbes), they displayed the American flag upside down, until stagehands came and pulled them down. Also, when playing "Killing in the Name" at the infamous Woodstock '99, they burned the American flag onstage.

In 2016, they announced a new album to protest the presidential election of Creator/DonaldTrump. Earlier during the election season, the band (again sans Zack) joined forces with Music/PublicEnemy's Chuck D and B-Real from Music/CypressHill and performed together under the name Prophets of Rage. Unlike the case of Audioslave, however, Prophets of Rage does play RATM songs, as well as some Cypress Hill, Public Enemy and original songs.

Three years later, the band confirmed that they will be reuniting the following year in time for the upcoming presidential elections. A day later, Prophets of Rage confirmed they would disband as a result.

-->-- "Killing in the Name", from their self-titled debut[[note]]The last line is an ad-lib Zack occasionally sings live instead of repeating the second line like he does in the album version.[[/note]]

Rage Against the Machine are a RapMetal[=/=]FunkMetal band from Los Angeles, formed in 1991.

!! Troping in the Name:

Three years later, the band confirmed that they will reuniting the following year in time for the upcoming presidential elections. A day later, Prophets of Rage confirmed they would disband as a result.

Rage Against the Machine was a RapMetal[=/=]FunkMetal band from Los Angeles, formed in 1991.

* TheManIsStickingItToTheMan: An anti-corporate band signed to Epic Records. Tom Morello once justified this by likening it to Noam Chomsky selling his books through Barnes and Noble.

-->-- "Killing in the Name", from their self-titled debut[[note]]The last line is an ad-lib Zack occasionally sings live instead of repeating the second line, as he does in the recorded version.[[/note]]

In 2016, they announced a new album to protest the presidential election of Creator/DonaldTrump. Earlier during the election season, the band (again sans Zack) joined forces with Music/PublicEnemy's Chuck D and B-Real from Music/CypressHill and performed together under the name Prophets of Rage. Unlike the case of Audioslave, however, Prophets of Rage did play RATM songs, as well as some Cypress Hill and Public Enemy songs, and also some original songs.

* AbusiveParents: Zack de la Rocha, after his father's mental breakdown. The latter is referenced in "Born of a Broken Man", off of ''The Battle of Los Angeles''.

* {{Angrish}}: The language most songs are performed in.
* AtomicFBomb: de la Rocha's iconic "'''''MOTHERFUCKER!!!'''''" at the end of "Killing in the Name"

** Also "Know Your Enemy", which ends with eight instances of "All of which are American dreams!"

* NotTheIntendedUse: Tom Morello's claim to fame as a guitar player is in how he occasionally elicits very unexpected sounds from his electric guitars; most famously the turntable-like sounds on "Bulls on Parade", which he does by rubbing the strings with one hand and alternating turned-up and muted pickups with the other. The instrumental on "Testify" has him using the ''amplifier jack'' and hitting the guitar bridge with it. He once spoke in an interview of arriving at the Fender factory to take possession of a custom guitar he'd ordered and seeing another similar one being brought back; when informed that it had defective electronics that caused unwanted noises, he bought it as well.

* PerformanceVideo: Several include snippets, but "Sleep Now in the Fire" deserves an honorary mention, with the band playing on the steps of Federal Hall. Without a permit. It's directed by Creator/MichaelMoore.

* SpokenWordInMusic: "Settle for Nothing", "Born of a Broken Man". "Wake Up" also has a spoken-word bridge, where Zack explains the FBI's COINTELPRO conspiracy. The words dissolve into nigh-incomprehensibility before the guitars suddenly turn up again and Zack starts screaming "WAKE UP!!!"

* AtomicFBomb: de la Rocha's iconic "'''''MOTHERFUCKER!!!'''''" at the end of "Killing in the Name

-->'''''[[AtomicFBomb MOTHERFUCKER]]!'''''

* ConspiracyTheorist: The "machine" you should be raging against. They do specifically refer to the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X.

* NotTheIntendedUse: Tom Morello's claim to fame as a guitar player is in how he occasionally elicits very unexpected sounds from his electric guitars; most famously the turntable-like sounds on "Bulls on Parade", which he does by rubbing the strings with one hand and alternating turned-up and muted pickups with the other. The instrumental on "Testify" has him using the ''amplifier jack'' and hitting the guitar bridge with it!

* SanitySlippageSong: Possibly "Settle for Nothing", judging by the lyrics. "Born of a Broken Man" is also based on Zack's father's SanitySlippage.

'''Rage Against the Machine''' was a RapMetal[=/=]FunkMetal band from Los Angeles, formed in 1991.

In 2016, they announced a new album to protest the presidential election of Creator/DonaldTrump. Earlier during the election season, the band (again except for Zack) joined forces with Music/PublicEnemy's Chuck D and B-Real from Music/CypressHill and performed together under the name Prophets of Rage. Unlike the case of Audioslave, however, Prophets of Rage did play RATM songs, as well as some Cypress Hill and Public Enemy songs, and also some original songs.

The band was well known for the political activism in their songs, and the liner notes usually include contact information to various organizations the band supports. They have also played at large protests, and have several cases of controversial moments: when playing on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' (in an episode hosted by buttoned-down Republican presidential candidate Steve Forbes), they displayed the American flag upside down, until stagehands came and pulled them down. Also, when playing "Killing in the Name" at the infamous Woodstock '99, they burned the American flag onstage.

-->-- "Killing in the Name", from their self-titled debut [[note]] The last line is an ad-lib Zack occasionally sings live instead of repeating the second line, as he does in the recorded version. [[/note]]

'''Rage Against the Machine''' was a RapMetal / FunkMetal band from Los Angeles, formed in 1991.

In 2016, they announced a new album to protest the presidential election of Creator/DonaldTrump.

* TheBandMinusTheFace: Music/{{Audioslave}}. Kind of.

* BigYes: Zack lets out an awesome, raspy ''"YEEEEEEEAAAAHHHH!"'' twice in "Sleep Now in the Fire"; once around the start, and again before the guitar solo.

* CoolOldLady: Tom Morello's mother. She's basically the anti-Tipper Gore, starting an organization called "Parents for Rock and Rap". One of the band's live [=DVDs=] even features her introducing her son's band as "the best band in the fucking universe"!

* IsntItIronic: "No Shelter" was used on the Godzilla soundtrack because Sony noticed that they mention the great lizard by name. What Sony failed to notice is that they call it "pure motherfucking filler" (''immediately'' after mentioning Godzilla, no less!) and that the whole song was about slick American advertising disguising real suffering. Furthermore, "No Shelter" has the line "Make you think what you need is what they sellin' / Make you think that buyin' is rebellin'"

* ''Renegades'' (2000) [[[CoverVersion Covers]] album]].

* ''Renegades'' (2000), a collection of [[CoveredUp cover versions]] of other bands' songs.