Rage Against The Machine: From Protest Rock to Audioslave
Rage Against The Machine formed in 1991 and released their hugely successful self-titled debut the following year.
The band consisted of guitarist Tom Morello, vocalist Zack De La Rocha, bassist Tim Commerford, and drummer Brad Wilk. Following their explosive debut, they released two more albums of original material, cementing their reputation for fusing aggressive rock with radical political messages.
In 2000, ten years after forming, Zack De La Rocha left to pursue a solo career. For most bands, that would have spelled the end—when the frontman goes, the rest often fade into obscurity. But not this time.
Instead, the remaining members joined forces with Chris Cornell of Soundgarden to form the powerhouse supergroup Audioslave—my favourite rock band.
But let’s stay on topic—here are the three best Rage Against The Machine tunes you could learn today:
Back on their debut, Bullet In The Head was released as the second single. It’s a searing critique of how media is used by governments to manipulate the public. Interestingly, the version on the album is taken directly from their demo—it was that powerful from the start.
Their first single, Killing In The Name, has become RATM’s signature tune. Originally peaking at #25 in 1993, it later topped the U.K. charts in 2009 as a surprise Christmas #1—part of a grassroots campaign to block the X Factor winner from claiming the top spot.
Tom Morello famously came up with the track’s iconic riff during a guitar lesson, while demonstrating drop D tuning to a student.
Another standout track is Know Your Enemy, which takes direct aim at the American government. The song ends with a scathing summary: “Compromise. Conformity. Assimilation. Submission. Ignorance. Hypocrisy. Brutality. The Elite. All of which are American dreams!” It’s arguably the most powerful lyric on the album.
Rage Against The Machine Tunes | Related Pages
Bullet In The Head | Chords + TAB
Learn how to play Bullet In The Head by Rage Against The Machine using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| E7 | E7 |
This time the bullet cold rocked ya. A yellow ribbon instead of a swastika…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Bullet In The Head – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Killing In The Name | Chords + TAB
Learn how to play Killing In The Name by Rage Against The Machine using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
||: D7#9 (muted verse riff) F5 E5 :||
Some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Killing In The Name – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Know Your Enemy | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Know Your Enemy by Rage Against The Machine using chords, lyrics, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| F#7(omit3) A5 F#7(omit3) | F#7(omit3) C5 B5 A5 |
Know your enemy! Come on…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Know Your Enemy – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Rage Against The Machine on the web
