10 Rock Albums That Were Ahead Of Their Time

In the early 90's, the typical sounds on rock radio were far from the heavier offerings of decades past. Even though bands like Metallica were seeing success on the strength of their radio-friendly singles, the coming onslaught of grunge bands left many hard rockers confused as to where to go next. Rather than cower to the alternative sound, Rage Against the Machine powered their way onto the rock charts through sheer sonic force.

With their combination of funk, rap, and hard rock, Rage Against the Machine were a real oddity amid the Pearl Jams of the world. While there had been moments of rap and rock hybrids in the past like Faith No More, these guys were the first to make that combo feel less like a novelty in the public eye. These were not just jock jams...these were the sounds of revolution pouring across your speakers.

Just a few years later, Rage's sound inspired much heavier acts like Korn to try their hand at writing their own tunes, which led to the nu metal movement that we know (...and love?) to this day. Nu metal did help shape the hard rock world going forward, but innovation only starts when you have the right riffs and a lot of rage.