Rage Against The Machine

While a select few hard rock bands incorporated rap into their sound (Anthrax, Faith No More, etc.), it was Rage Against The Machine that perfected and popularised the rap-metal genre in the 1990s. Unlike the aforementioned bands, the Los Angeles-based RATM was overtly political--especially in singer Zack De La Rocha's irate lyrics and vocal delivery. When De La Rocha split at the turn of the century, the rest of the band formed Audioslave with erstwhile Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell.

• rock
• pop