Not since the days of the Clash has rock seen such political force as in the uncompromising self-titled debut album from Rage Against the Machine (RATM). RATM’s debut burst onto the scene in 1992 during a time when grunge was in full swing. Expanding the hip-hop/metal style of bands such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers , it was the first album to successfully merge the amazingly disparate sounds of rap and heavy metal. Songs like “Bombtrack,” “Take the Power Back,” and “Know Your Enemy” are immediately memorable, surprisingly straightforward slabs of hard rock. Even more impressive is the group’s talent for slowly mounting tension into highlights such as “Settle for Nothing” and “Bullet in the Head,” both of which finally explode with awesome power and rage. The album peaked at #1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart, #45 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and sold more than four million copies worldwide. Many would argue that its importance and influence remains unchallenged and unsurpassed to this day.