Rage Against The Machine vs X Factor : Xmas Number One Update
Monday, 14 December 2009
Written by Jon Stickler
The race for Christmas Number One has now officially begun with downloads of Rage Against the Machine’s ‘Killing in the Name’ now eligible for next Sunday’s Christmas chart. Only time will tell whether Rage have a chance of beating the X Factor winner’s single, after an internet campaign on social networking site, Facebook, urged music lovers to download the protest anthem in reaction to Simon Cowell’s year-in-year-out rubbish dominating the festive charts.
The campaign leads with the words, "fed up of Simon Cowell's latest karaoke act being Christmas No 1? Me too... So who's up for a mass-purchase of the track 'KILLING IN THE NAME' from December 13th (DON'T BUY IT YET!) as a protest to the X Factor monotony?" At the point of writing this the campaign has attracted over 692,000 people, all claiming to buy a copy of Zack de la Rocha and Co’s ‘Killing In the Name’ before 23:59pm on December 19th. Amongst people supporting the move are celebrities John Lydon, Bill Bailey and Lenny Henry.
The track has had a near twentyfour hour head start over the X Factor winner’s cover of what will be vomit-inducing ‘The Climb’ by Miley Cyrus. The track, which was ready to download immediately after last night’s final, goes on sale physically today however Cowell and X Factor wont have a an easy ride this year as bookmakers have now slashed the odds with the 1992 rock anthem currently second favorite to claim the Christmas top spot.
Initially bookmakers William Hill saw little threat from the rap-metal classic, listing its chances at 100/1. However, this has now been drastically reduced listing 'Killing In The Name' at 10/3, second favorites behind the X Factor at 1/5. Spokesperson for William Hill, Rupert Adams, said: "The X Factor has had a monopoly over the Christmas number one but there is a real buzz about 'Rage Against The Machine' and we might just have the biggest upset in Christmas chart History!"
Now it would seem it would take a lot to rattle Simon Cowell but having heard of the campaign, at a press conference yesterday he acknowledged that the scheme was “stupid” of the public as it was directed at him rather than the music on the show. "If there's a campaign, and I think the campaign's aimed directly at me, it's stupid. Me having a No 1 record at Christmas is not going to change my life particularly," Cowell said. "I think it's quite a cynical campaign geared at me that is actually going to spoil the party for these three." Such comments have no doubt fuelled the fire further!
Jon Morter, who started the campaign with his wife Tracey, has spoken about the reasons behind the move. "It's a rallying cry," he told the NME. "It’s been taken on by thousands in the group as defiance to Simon Cowell's 'music machine'. Some certainly do see it as a direct response to him personally. If that's what they take out of that song, then that's fine for them. We've nothing personal against him at all, we just do not want yet another Christmas chart-topper from that show again."
Rage Against The Machine were amongst the most notorious groups of their generation. The band mixed hardcore punk to metal with some hip hop influences over the top, some would say accidentally inventing the rap metal genre. The band's attitude on world politics marked them out as rebels. Name dropping civil rights activists, left wing politicians and more in their lyrics and their sleeve notes Rage Against The Machine were part of many people's political education. The band, although now inactive, remains a furious outspoken voice.
Last year a similar internet campaign saw fans trying to get Jeff Buckley's version of Hallelujah to No 1 instead of last year X Factor winner Alexandra Burke's version. Buckley's version made it to No 2, but Leonard Cohen's original, however, only made it to No 36.
As some proceeds of the X Factor song are going to charity, those pledging their support to the Rage Against The Machine campaign can make a donation to Shelter, a charity helping the homeless.
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Now it would seem it would take a lot to rattle Simon Cowell but having heard of the campaign, at a press conference yesterday he acknowledged that the scheme was “stupid” of the public as it was directed at him rather than the music on the show. "If there's a campaign, and I think the campaign's aimed directly at me, it's stupid. Me having a No 1 record at Christmas is not going to change my life particularly," Cowell said. "I think it's quite a cynical campaign geared at me that is actually going to spoil the party for these three." Such comments have no doubt fuelled the fire further!
