Tom Morello’s five favourite albums

Posted On February 4, 2026February 4, 2026

It’s an unfortunate curse for Tom Morello that when the world gets worse, he becomes more relevant.

Like the Batman of rap-rock, he puts the world to rights in dire times. Over the past few decades, the innovative guitarist best known for his tenure with Rage Against the Machine, has branched out into a variety of musical styles and genres. But along the way, he has always retained the same steady intent. 

Having formed collaborative friendships with the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Vedder, Ben Harper, and Ollie Sykes, Morello’s understanding of rock history has grown from strength to strength. Along the way, he has also become further assured of its importance. As he put it himself, “A song is a way of creating a little bit of a world you’d like to one day see.”

So, he has often been one of the first to celebrate the art form. Morello was introduced to rock music mainly through classic hard rock groups like Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Kiss and Alice Cooper. In the early 1980s, he formed his first serious band, the Electric Sheep, in which future Tool guitarist Adam Jones joined him on bass. And he hungered to be a proud member of the community from then on.

Throughout the 1980s, towards his proud moment under the Rage banner, Morello adhered to a distinctively heavy guitar style with metallic headbanging riffs aplenty. This aggressive sound perfectly framed the politically oriented subject matter by which he and his early bandmates and collaborators became identified. 

Keeping heavy rock at heart, Morello has broadened his horizons over the past few decades to welcome a host of influences, old and new. This eclecticism can be seen across Morello’s five favourite album selections below, initially submitted for a 2021 feature with Spin. Each of these records reflects the powerful mix of sounds and philosophies that he looks to reflect in his own work.

Like a good reviewer, the magic of Morello’s music and its core tenets is that he can hold two opposing ideas in mind at all times. That makes his list a riveting assortment and a fascinating insight into the inspirations that have swirled in the welter of his own fierce output.

Tom Morello’s five favourite albums:

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