Rage Against the Machine’s album “Evil Empire” is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Released on April 16, 1996, this rap-metal classic followed their self-titled debut in 1992. “Evil Empire” quickly gained popularity, debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200.
The lead single, “Bulls on Parade,” showcases the band’s signature style. Zack de la Rocha’s powerful lyrics critique hypocrisy, while Tom Morello delivers a memorable guitar riff and solo. The album also features the Grammy-winning track “Tire Me” and the single “People of the Sun.” It has been certified triple-Platinum by the RIAA.
In the lead-up to the anniversary, Morello has shared some memorable moments from that time. He recalled their only performance on “Saturday Night Live,” which was chaotic. A fight broke out between their crew and SNL stagehands over upside-down American flags on their amps. Morello said, “Timmy C then attacked host Steve Forbes’ family in the dressing room with a wadded-up flag. Secret Service flooded the hallways. SNL cut our second song and kicked us out onto the sidewalk.”
After “Evil Empire,” Rage released one more album, “The Battle of Los Angeles,” in 1999 before disbanding in 2000. They reunited from 2007 to 2011 and again from 2019 to 2024.
