Audioslave was a hard rock super-group that rose from the ashes of Rage Against The Machine after frontman Zack de la Rocha left the band. Unwilling to disband completely and in need of a singer, the three remaining members (guitarist Tom Morello, bassist Tim Commerford, and drummer Brad Wilk) took a suggestion from record producer Rick Rubin and turned to former Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell to fill the void. The recommendation worked out, and after both parties jammed together a few times, Audioslave was born. Their self-titled debut album was released on November 19, 2002 and went on to sell over three million copies, aided by singles such as "Cochise," "Like a Stone," and "Show Me How to Live."

Audioslave's success continued through two more album releases, Out of Exile in 2005 and Revelations in 2006, before Cornell decided to leave the group due to conflicts within the band. At this point, Cornell had also been working on his second solo album, Carry On, which included "You Know My Name," the theme song to the James Bond film Casino Royale.