10 Most Controversial Songs In Rock History

10. Sleep Now in the Fire - Rage Against the Machine

Honestly, you could probably throw a dart at over half of Rage Against the Machine's catalog and come out with some sort of controversial song. Hell, the one emblematic song that everyone knows this band for boasts one of its main hook lines as "F*ck you, I won't do what you tell me." As much as these guys aren't known to pull their punches, Sleep Now in the Fire occupies a bit of a different space in their discography.

Taken from The Battle of Los Angeles, the controversy surrounding this song has more to do with its music video than anything else. While the actual tune is a scathing indictment of the capitalistic mindset of big business, the decision to film right outside the New York Stock Exchange was probably the biggest way to get the people on Wall Street to pay attention. Produced by Michael Moore, the entire video feels like you're watching guerilla footage of a riot, which very nearly happened when Rage was called off by police.

In the mayhem trying to get them off of the premises, Rage ended up going into the New York Stock Exchange and managed to get them to shut their doors for a little while that day as everyone dispersed. Regardless of which political affiliation you belong to, you can't deny that Rage is at the very least committed to their cause.