Artist:Audioslave
Song:Like a Stone
Album:Audioslave
When Rage Against the Machine's lead singer Zach de la Rocha left in 2000, the rest of the band decided to remain together and find a new lead singer. They tried out several including B-Real of Cypress Hill. But they decided they didn't want a rapper or someone who was similar to de la Rocha. Producer Rick Rubin suggested they talk to Soundgarden lead singer Chris Cornell. After Soundgarden split up in 1997, Cornell released a 1999 solo album and he was working on his next album. Rubin thought that with the right singer, Rage Against the Machine could be a better band kind of like when The Yardbirds became Led Zeppelin. The rehearsals went really well so they decided to form the band. They ultimately decided not to keep the name Rage Against the Machine and call themselves Audioslave. Also Rage Against the Machine were on Interscope and Cornell was on Epic. The labels decided to alternate releases. Rubin produced the 2002 album Audioslave. The songs are mostly songs that Cornell was planning to record solo. The marketing was to sell Audioslave as a new "supergroup". By my definition, Audioslave was not a supergroup. They were just Rage Against the Machine with a new singer, certainly a big name singer but that was the only change. Usually a supergroup is guys from different bands coming together. But the marketing strategy was very successful as the album was certified 3XPlatinum. Like a Stone reached #31 on the Billboard Hot 100. And it topped the Alternative and Mainstream Rock charts. Audioslave didn't need a hit single anyway. The album is available as a budget CD. Audioslave released two more albums and then Cornell left in 2007 to resume his solo career. There may have been some conflict between Cornell and the rest of the band. But I get the impression that Cornell never wanted Audioslave to be a long term project. The rest of the band may have thought otherwise. Rage Against the Machine reformed with De La Rocha in 2007 and they have toured occasionally. Audioslave reunited in 2017. But then Cornell died so that was the end. Here's the video for Like a Stone by Audioslave.
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