Rage Against The Machine-UK Christmas #1

http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/realityrocks/298664/rage-against-the-machine-beat-the-x-factor-simon-cowellmiley-cyrus/

Quote :

The "Christmas number one"--the song that tops the charts at the end of the calendar year--is a big deal in Britain, and for the last few years it's been all but guaranteed that the honor will go to the most recent X Factor winner's debut single. (Last year's X Factor champ, Alexandra Burke, in fact had one of the biggest U.K. Christmas number ones of all time.) But this year, 2009 X Factor winner Joe McElderry (and X Factor honcho Simon Cowell) will have to settle for spot number two--as Joe's single, a cover of Miley Cyrus's "The Climb," has been trumped by a 17-year-old Rage Against The Machine song. It all started with a grassroots Facebook campaign, "Rage Against The X Factor," organized by RATM fan Jon Morter in a protest effort to stop Simon Cowell's empire from dominating the music industry--since Simon is the main X Factor judge, and X Factor winner McElderry just signed to Simon's SyCo record label. Eventually some big-name rockers--including the Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl, Sir Paul McCartney, and Rage's own Tom Morello--pledged their support to the campaign, the goal of which was to make RATM's 1992 political anthem "Killing In The Name" Britain's Christmas number one, instead of the expected X Factor single.

And, incredibly, this campaign WORKED.

Yes, the official numbers are in, and "Killing In The Name" has topped the U.K. singles chart with 500,000 copies sold, compared to number two entry Joe McElderry's sales of 450,000. For the first time in five years, an X Factor champion has not snagged Britain's coveted Christmas number one spot, thanks to Morter's Facebook campaign.

Upon hearing this crazy news, Rage Against The Machine (who recently vowed that they would play a 2010 "victory party to end all victory parties" free concert in Britain if "Killing" beat "The Climb") posted a statement on the band's official Christmas campaign website, ratm4xmas.co.uk, saying: "WE DID IT! RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE IS XMAS NUMBER ONE. We've shown that we can make a difference and that you don't have a right to Number One just because Simon Cowell says so, especially with a bad cover! Finally I would like to say thank you to all of you, we've raised £64,726.00 for [homeless charity] Shelter at the time of writing this, the difference that this will make to peoples lives is truly amazing. We gotta take the power back - Rage Against The Machine - Merry Christmas."

As for Joe McElderry, he's probably not too pleased to lose to "Killing In The Name." Joe recently told British newspaper The Sun that he hated the RATM song, saying: "They can't be serious! I had no idea what it sounded like. It's dreadful and I hate it. How could anyone enjoy this? Can you imagine the grandmas hearing this over Christmas lunch? I wouldn't buy it. It's a nought out of 10 from me. Simon Cowell wouldn't like it. They wouldn't get through to Boot Camp on The X Factor--they're just shouting."

McElderry added in that Sun interview: "I think people are jumping on this to have a go at Simon and The X Factor rather than me. But Simon gives people a shot...I will be really disappointed if [my single] doesn't go to number one after all the effort I've put in to this and winning the show."

However, today McElderry graciously told press: "Fair play to the guys who have organized the Facebook campaign--it's been exciting to be part of a much-hyped battle and they definitely deserve congratulations. This time last year I never thought for one minute that I'd win The X Factor, never mind about having a debut single out, so I'm just delighted to be in the charts."

Meanwhile, "Rage Against The X Factor" spearheader Morter is still in shock over his little Facebook campaign's history-making success. He told NME: "It's crazy, I can't believe it...It's been absolutely mad, this whole thing. To be Christmas number one is insane, isn't it? It just goes to show if you use social networking in the right way, you can do it."

Take that, Cowell!

I already hate this McElderry loser. Anyone who thinks a cover of some god-awful Miley Cyrus song has priority over Rage needs to have their brain examined.

The best part: They donated all the profits to homeless shelters. I love RATM.

Killing in the name of is one of RATM's BEST songs!!!! Great to see it at # 1 after all these years AND it beat Mr American Idol's chosen song!!!!!!

To Simon, it's a big "F U I won't do what you told me"

RATM's S/T is going on the playlist tomorrow (GREAT ALBUM!!!)

I have no use for Rage Against the Machine, but I thought this whole grass-roots idea was cool as hell.

Maybe we oughta start a similar movement on this side of the ocean next year towards the end of "American Idol."

But what song/band will we use?

Required Fields wrote:

But what song/band will we use?

Creeping Death?

Schbopo wrote:

Required Fields wrote:

But what song/band will we use?

Creeping Death?

So let it be written!

Black Coffee wrote:

Schbopo wrote:

Required Fields wrote:

But what song/band will we use?

Creeping Death?

So let it be written!

So let it be done!


To the band mentioned, I can't stand RATM. Something about their music just makes me cringe. I don't know if it's the "rapped" style of vocals, the actual SOUND of his voice, or what. That and the guitar tone always sounded "washed out" to me. Like there wasn't enough "UMPH" in it.

*dances* I knew they would win!! I love RATM and they are such amazing people. Smurf Simon Cowell!

I love Killing In The Name!

tohostudios wrote:

I love Killing In The Name!

Some of those the work forces are the same that wore crosses

thejokeriv wrote:

Killing in the name of is one of RATM's BEST songs!!!! Great to see it at # 1 after all these years AND it beat Mr American Idol's chosen song!!!!!!

To Simon, it's a big "F U I won't do what you told me"

RATM's S/T is going on the playlist tomorrow (GREAT ALBUM!!!)

ALWAYS LOVED RATM!

Not much of a Rage fan, but I'm for anything that knocks "pop" music to the wayside and gives a finger to Simon Cowell's hit-factory. Good for them.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Not much of a Rage fan, but I'm for anything that knocks "pop" music to the wayside and gives a finger to Simon Cowell's hit-factory. Good for them.

I'm with you on that one. Chalk one up for rock n' roll!

This is why us British kids rock.

Smindas wrote:

This is why us British kids rock.

Now if you could just do somthing about Sharon Osbourne and stop spelling color with a "u", you'd be alright.

^^ But the "u" is meant to be there You just leave it out 'cos it's easier for you.

'Colour' is of French origin I believe, so it makes sense to have the 'u' there. It's a nod to its own etymology. I do apologise for Sharon Osbourne though.

This is cool on so many levels!!!

i like the fact, that rage is still doing it for the charities.. shows that they mean what they say. (or said).

I saw this as a part of Verizon news earlier. Thought it was pretty weird. Why is it such a big deal to have the #1 song for Christmas?

Metal Misfit wrote:

I saw this as a part of Verizon news earlier. Thought it was pretty weird. Why is it such a big deal to have the #1 song for Christmas?

Cuz' it's f*cking RAGE, MAN!!!!

FU Simon the UK won't do what you told them!!!!!

Rap metal...Interesting

I think their best album is their first one I used to listen to them alot back in the late 90s

Schbopo wrote:

Metal Misfit wrote:

I saw this as a part of Verizon news earlier. Thought it was pretty weird. Why is it such a big deal to have the #1 song for Christmas?

Cuz' it's f*cking RAGE, MAN!!!!

And usually we have utter garbage at #1 all year round espcially at christmas.