Rage Against The Machine -
There are three things you can rely on in life: Death, taxes and the Christmas Number One being by the new "X-Factor" winner. Yawn. Because Simon Cowell's android pop stars have marched their way to the summit of the festive chart tree for the last four years running. But it seems his spell could be about to end, after a group emerged from the dark corners of the internet in a bid to jeopardise the pop mogul's domination and, in short, tell him where to stick it.
Tens of thousands of people have signed-up to a campaign organised online by Jon Morter, which calls on people to buy Rage Against The Machine's infamous, insurrectionary 1992 track "Killing In The Name" and send that to the top of the singles chart on December 25 instead of whichever contestant wins the 2009 competition. "Fed up of Simon Cowell's latest karaoke act being Christmas Number One? Me too... So who's up for a mass-purchase of the track ‘Killing In The Name'...as a protest to the ‘X-Factor' b******s?", explain the Facebook and Twitter groups.
The most memorable line in arguably Rage's greatest moment is probably "******* you, I won't do what you tell me", which Morter describes as being "very apt". He says the Christmas Number One is a "great tradition", which the "X-Factor" has "taken all the fun out of". Last year, he unsuccessfully pitched Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" against Alexandra Burke's cover of "Hallelujah". But this fight is not over and the battle lines have clearly been drawn once again. To succeed this year music fans would need to buy the single in the week of 13th - 19th of December from either 7Digital, iTunes or Play.com to ensure the track was No.1 on the big day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmT-u0lXmBU
Rage maintain Xmas chart battle lead
Rage Against The Machine have continued their lead over X Factor winner Joe McElderry in the race for Christmas number one.
According to the latest midweek sales figures, 'Killing In The Name' is still 37,000 units ahead of the 'The Climb', which was made available physically yesterday.
More than 80,000 CD sales were not enough for McElderry’s 'The Climb' to overtake Rage Against The Machine. However, the 18-year-old has cut the lead from 65,000 yesterday.
'Killing In The Name', which became the focus of a Facebook campaign to prevent the X Factor winner's single from topping the Christmas singles chart for the fifth consecutive year, has now shifted a total of 253,000 copies so far this week.
Many retailers who do not traditionally stock CD singles, including Asda and Tesco, are expected to help 'The Climb' maintain strong physical sales as the week continues.
Bookmaker William Hill has now slashed the odds of Rage Against The Machine topping the festive charts.
Cheryl Cole slams "mean" RATM campaign
Cheryl Cole has blasted the online campaign to get Rage Against The Machine the Christmas number one.
Despite being named as the bookies' favourite to top the charts this Sunday, X Factor winner Joe McElderry is still trailing the LA rockers in sales.
X Factor judge Cole has now spoken out in support of this year's winner.
She said in a statement: "I would be devastated to see Joe lose out to possibly the best thing that could happen to him in his life. Every aspiring popstar dreams of a number one record.
"It is a beautiful song. He put his heart and soul into every single week of The X Factor and I cannot bare to see him lose out to a mean campaign that has nothing to do with his efforts."
Cole added: "If that song, or should I say campaign, by an American group is our Christmas number one, I'll be gutted for him and our charts."
