Killing in the Name was released in 1992 as the lead single from Rage Against the Machine's self-titled debut album. Written as a protest against police brutality and institutional racism, its repeated closing chant became one of rock's most famous refrains. The song returned to prominence in 2009 when a fan campaign pushed it to UK Christmas number one. Online, short clips of its riff and chant are now reused far beyond rock contexts, as a shorthand for anger, defiance and refusing to obey.