10 Best Rock Music Album Covers Of The 1990s
1. Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine
On June 11th 1963, Buddhist monk Thích Quảng Đức set himself on fire in a busy Vietnamese street.
His self-immolation was an act of protest against the persecution of his faith by the American-backed South Vietnamese government. He died as a result, but will live on forever through the amazing photograph taken by Malcolm Browne.
Browne's picture of the burning monk captured the world's imagination at the time. Then, nearly 30 years later, it was given a whole new lease of life.
Rap metal band Rage Against the Machine opted to use the photo as the front cover for their self-titled debut release.
If you somehow weren't aware, Rage Against the Machine are a very political band. Their whole deal is promoting anti-government, anti-capitalist messages, so a picture of a monk on fire in protest against American colonialism was an ideal fit for them.
Not only does the picture catch the eye immediately, but it also brought a renewed focus back to the issues Thích Quảng Đức was protesting against.
You could argue that using a moment of this magnitute for marketing purposes is tasteless, but Rage have never been a band who are bothered by what others think of them.