Audioslave Enter 1 Billion Video Views Club with 'Like a Stone'

Audioslave Enter 1 Billion Video Views Club with ‘Like a Stone’

2022-10-12

Chris Cornell performing during his final show in Detroit, Michigan, in 2017.

Chris Cornell performing at his final show in May 2017 in Detroit – Story by Anne Erickson, photo by Ken Settle

Audioslave have made rock history by achieving 1 billion video views on YouTube with “Like a Stone”

The longstanding rock track “Like a Stone” from Audioslave has hit the milestone of raking up 1 billion views on YouTube. The song came out in the early 2000s and appeared on the band’s 2002 self-titled debut record.

Audioslave was born 2001 and brought together the members of Rage Against the Machine without frontman Zack de la Rocha, as well as Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell, who at the time had parted ways with Soundgarden.

As for the meaning behind “Like a Stone,” Cornell explained of the song’s messaged in an interview (via The Grunge Scene), “The short version is just some guy sitting in a hotel room contemplating death and where you go and what it means and all the different possibilities of that, and then coming up with an image that he likes. Going with the philosophy of, well maybe when you die, if you’ve been good enough in life, you get to go somewhere that you remember that was really cool.”

Following the release of Audioslave’s self-titled debut, the band also released 2005’s “Out of Exile” and 2007’s “Revelations.” The group parted ways in late 2007 but got back together in January of 2017 at the Anti-Inaugural Ball, where they performed “Like a Stone.” Cornell tragically passed away a few months later.

“Like a Stone,” of course, isn’t the first rock video to hit 1 billion views on YouTube. Other rock songs in that category include Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit;” Guns N’ Roses’ “November Rain” and “Sweet Child O’ Mine;” Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody;” Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters;” Linkin Park’s “Numb” and “In the End'” System of a Down’s “Chop Suey!;” Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life;” and AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck.”

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Anne Erickson

Meet the expert - Author, writer and editor Anne Erickson is a Detroit-based music reporter and radio host. She has written for the USA Today Network, Consequence.net, Blabbermouth.net, Loudwire.com and many more. Anne holds a master's degree from Michigan State University. Contact Anne at anne@audioinkradio.com.