Rage Against The Machine Back On The Charts Thanks To Protests

The band is once again on the charts and it seems all the recent protests helped put them there.

Rage Against The Machine (RATM) has never been quiet about their political views. The first song I ever heard by them, "Freedom", was inspired by the case of Leonard Peltier ... an American Indian Movement leader allegedly framed by government officials and jailed.

Anyway, their self titled, politically-charged debut album is back on the charts, climbing to #174 on the Billboard top 200. (According to Blabbermouth, it did even better on iTunes, making it to #8 on their top albums list.) This renewed interest in the bands' music is greatly attributed to recent protests and the general political climate of the day. Their anti-authoritarian stance lends itself very well to recent events and it shows in this newfound attention.

Music, in all forms and genres, has typically been the voice of the people. Many don't like mixing music with politics though and a lot of comments about RATM lately have been condemning them for their outspokenness. Personally, what musicians, actors, sports figures, etc say; doesn't matter to me. I may agree, I may disagree but, they have a right to speak their minds just like the rest of us. I only get irritated when they turn their live shows into pulpits. Concerts are about music, not speeches.

To what extent RATM mix the messages in their songs with their spoken words remains to be seen as their tour was moved to next year. June 3rd and 5th, 2021, we'll all find out together.