Editing Rage Against the Machine (section)

=== 1995–2000: Mainstream success ===
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| quote = "Different band members have their different interests that they've been pursuing. But principally, the main reason for the delay between records was trying to find the right combination of our very diverse influences that would make a record that we were all happy with and that was great. That was a long process."
| source = [[Tom Morello]] speaking to ''[[Kerrang!]]'' in 1996 about the delays between ''Rage Against the Machine'' and its follow-up, ''[[Evil Empire (album)|Evil Empire]]''.<ref name="MTVNews012296" />
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In late 1994, Rage Against the Machine took a hiatus from touring, sparking rumors that they had broken up.<ref name="MTVNews012296">{{Cite web |last=MTV News Staff |date=January 22, 1996 |title=Evil Empire Due From Rage Against The Machine |url=https://www.mtv.com/news/0lm4en/evil-empire-due-from-rage-against-the-machine |access-date=2023-01-24 |website=MTV |language=en |archive-date=August 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220818151141/https://www.mtv.com/news/0lm4en/evil-empire-due-from-rage-against-the-machine |url-status=dead }}</ref> According to an anonymous source reporting to ''[[MTV News]]'', Rage Against the Machine had recorded 23 tracks with producer [[Brendan O'Brien (record producer)|Brendan O'Brien]] in [[Atlanta]] starting in November 1994, and briefly broke up due to violent infighting in the band, before regrouping for the [[KROQ Weenie Roast]] in June 1995.<ref name="MTVNews012296" /> Morello later said there had been conflicts over their musical direction, which were reconciled.<ref name="MTVNews012296" /><ref name="DeseretNews1996">{{Cite news |last=Vice |first=Jeff |date=September 6, 1996 |title=Rage still likes to use music in struggle for social change |page=W5 |work=[[The Deseret News]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s-wjAAAAIBAJ&dq=rage+against+the+machine+1996&pg=PA39&article_id=6668,3198270 |access-date=January 24, 2023 |archive-date=February 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230215170044/https://books.google.com/books?id=s-wjAAAAIBAJ&dq=rage+against+the+machine+1996&pg=PA39&article_id=6668,3198270 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The band eventually recorded their long-awaited follow-up album, ''[[Evil Empire (album)|Evil Empire]]'', with O'Brien in November and December 1995.<ref name="MTVNews012296" /> Morello said that, as a result of the band's musical tensions, the album incorporated greater [[Hip hop music|hip hop]] influences, describing its sound as a "middle ground between [[Public Enemy]] and [[the Clash]]".<ref name="DeseretNews1996" />

''Evil Empire'' was released on April 16, 1996, and entered the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] chart at number one, selling 249,000 copies in its first week.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Mayfield |first=Geoff |date=November 20, 1999 |title=Between the Bulletins |page=134 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fwgEAAAAMBAJ&dq=rage+against+the+machine+evil+empire+first+week+sales&pg=PA134 |access-date=January 30, 2023 |archive-date=February 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230215170115/https://books.google.com/books?id=fwgEAAAAMBAJ&dq=rage+against+the+machine+evil+empire+first+week+sales&pg=PA134 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=MTV News Staff |date=May 3, 1996 |title=Rage Builds "Evil Empire" |url=https://www.mtv.com/news/hlvq56/rage-builds-evil-empire |access-date=January 24, 2023 |website=MTV |language=en |archive-date=July 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220722113816/https://www.mtv.com/news/hlvq56/rage-builds-evil-empire |url-status=dead }}</ref> It later rose to triple platinum status.<ref name="autogenerated1" /> Rage Against the Machine performed "[[Bulls on Parade]]" on ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' in April 1996. Their planned two-song performance was cut to one song when the band attempted to hang inverted American flags from their amplifiers ("a sign of distress or great danger"),<ref name="SNL" /> in protest of the program's guest host, [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] presidential candidate [[Steve Forbes]].<ref name="SNL" />

In 1997, the band opened for [[U2]] on the [[PopMart Tour]]. Their profits went to organizations<ref name="BBC" /> such as the [[Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees]], Women Alive and the [[Zapatista Army of National Liberation|Zapatista Front for National Liberation]].<ref name="The State" /> Rage began an abortive headlining U.S. tour with [[Wu-Tang Clan]]. Police in several jurisdictions unsuccessfully attempted to have the concerts cancelled, citing amongst, other reasons, the bands' "violent and anti-law enforcement philosophies".<ref name="Cooper" /> After Wu-Tang Clan failed to appear during a concert at Riverport, they were removed from the lineup and replaced with [[the Roots]]. [[Sony Records]] released ''[[Live & Rare (Rage Against the Machine album)|Live & Rare]]'', compiling [[A-side and B-side|B-sides]] and live performances, in Japan in June 1998. A live video, ''[[Rage Against the Machine (video)|Rage Against the Machine]]'', was released later the same year.<ref name="bbc.co.uk" />

In 1999, Rage Against the Machine played at the [[Woodstock 1999|Woodstock '99]] concert. Their third album, ''[[The Battle of Los Angeles (album)|The Battle of Los Angeles]]'', debuted at number one in 1999, selling 450,000 copies in the first week and was certified [[RIAA certification|double-platinum]].<ref name="allmusic" /> That year, the song "[[Wake Up (Rage Against the Machine song)|Wake Up]]" was featured on the soundtrack of the film ''[[The Matrix]]''. The track "[[Calm Like a Bomb]]" was used in the sequel, ''[[The Matrix Reloaded]]'' (2003). In 2000, the band planned to support the [[Beastie Boys]] on the "Rhyme and Reason" tour, but the tour was cancelled when the Beastie Boys drummer, [[Mike D]], suffered a serious injury.<ref name="Rolling Stone" /> In 2003, ''The Battle of Los Angeles'' was ranked number 426 on [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|''Rolling Stone''<nowiki/>'s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://genius.com/Rolling-stone-the-500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-2003-lyrics|title=Rolling Stone – The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (2003)|access-date=September 23, 2019|archive-date=September 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923080427/https://genius.com/Rolling-stone-the-500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-2003-lyrics|url-status=live}}</ref>