Rock anthem outselling X Factor winner Joe McElderry (Who?)

[Fuzzy Bob]

Rock anthem outselling X Factor winner Joe McElderry

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8413557.stm

The band headlined last year's Reading and Leeds festivals

Rock band Rage Against The Machine is ahead of X Factor winner Joe McElderry in the race for the Christmas number one, early sales figures suggest.
A Facebook group aiming to get the band's 1992 hit Killing In The Name to the top of the festive chart has attracted more than 750,000 members.
But McElderry's debut The Climb, out on CD on Wednesday, is expected to catch up by the weekend.
The Official Charts Company (OCC) said it is "a very exciting battle".
Campaign criticism
It is understood that there is a 10% margin in sales between the two singles after Sunday and Monday.
McElderry's song was only released digitally after his victory in the X Factor final at midnight on Sunday, giving it less time to rack up sales for this week's chart than Rage Against The Machine.
X Factor judge Simon Cowell has criticised the internet campaign, calling it "stupid".
Prior to the final of the ITV talent show, he said: "I think the campaign's aimed directly at me."
The Facebook page includes a link to homeless charity site Shelter, which has raised nearly £30,000 in donations.
Rage Against The Machine, meanwhile, are signed to Epic Records, which is part of Sony BMG, the same label as McElderry.
Ladbrokes has re-opened its betting for the number one Christmas single just 24 hours after closing it.
Ladbrokes spokesman, Nick Weinberg, said: "Earlier this week it looked a done deal. Now Joe appears to be facing an almighty battle for top spot.
"This Christmas could be the first time in a long while that we see a genuine competition."
McElderry is at 1/3 with Rage Against the Machine at 2/1.
The OCC's Martin Talbot said "two different records have captured the nation's imagination".
"According to our initial sales estimates, there is no doubt that this tussle is far from over," he added.

[melvbot]

I bought a copy, be quite a laugh to have RATM at no.1 for Crimbo.

[Fuzzy Bob]

RATM where on BBC Radio 5 Live a few days ago playing live on the breakfast show (All money from the re-release going to SHELTER UK) and told not to swear. Guess what happened? "Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!" BBC You're dumb

[Marmite the Dog]

X Factor judge Simon Cowell has criticised the internet campaign, calling it "stupid".

No more stupid than his shit that he inflicts upon the general public.

At least RATM ROCK!

[Fuzzy Bob]

Rage Against the Machine beat X Factor winner in charts


The Rage song was originally released in 1992

Rock band Rage Against The Machine has won the most competitive battle in years for the Christmas number one.
The band's single, Killing In The Name, sold 500,000 downloads beating X Factor winner Joe McElderry's The Climb by 50,000 copies to clinch the top spot.
Their success followed a Facebook campaign designed to prevent another X Factor number one.
One retailer said it was a "truly remarkable outcome - possibly the greatest chart upset ever".
McElderry, 18, praised the campaign, adding: "It's been exciting to be part of a much-hyped battle and they definitely deserve congratulations."
Thanking all the fans who bought his single, he said: "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.
"It's been such an incredible couple of months and I got the best Christmas gift I could ever have asked for in winning The X Factor."
CHART ANALYSIS

Colin Paterson, BBC News Entertainment correspondent
It is simply one of the biggest shocks in chart history.
The common belief was that the race for Christmas number one had been destroyed by the X Factor.
For the last four years the winning act has been top of the festive charts by a landslide. Bookmakers only took bets on who would be number two.
This year the corporate might of Simon Cowell has been defeated by a husband and wife's Facebook campaign.
The result is 'Killing In The Name', which most parents would be pretty reluctant to play to their children. It contains 17 uses of the F-word.
This chart shock is right up there with Spiller's 'Groovejet' derailing the start of Victoria Beckham's non-Spice Career in 2000 or crooner Engelbert Humperdink ending The Beatles' run of 11 number ones in a row
Two other points - this could become an annual event - the public deciding on a track with which to take on the X Factor winner.
Secondly there is still every chance Joe will reach number one next week.
The Rage Against Machine campaign was designed for one week only so Joe could get the top spot, saving him the indignity of being the first ever X Factor winner not to hit number one with their debut single.

Despite earlier in the week calling the campaign "stupid", X Factor judge Simon Cowell offered his congratulations to the couple behind it, Jon and Tracy Morter.
He said: "I am gutted for Joe because a number one single meant a lot to him but I have to congratulate Jon and Tracy, who started the Facebook campaign.
"I called Jon on Saturday to congratulate the two of them that, win or lose, they turned this into a very exciting race for the Christmas number one.
"I am proud of Joe - he worked really hard this week, but he has a great year ahead of him."
The Los Angeles rock band's hit also set two records: it is the first single to reach the top of the charts on download sales alone and has achieved the biggest download sales total in a first week ever in the UK charts.
McElderry's song was only released digitally after his victory in the X Factor, giving it less time to rack up sales than Rage Against The Machine.
On Friday the band's lead was just 9,000 copies, but sales then soared by 200,000 to secure victory.
Official Charts Company managing director Martin Talbot said: "Congratulations to Rage Against The Machine on their number one - as we have seen in recent years, overhauling any X Factor winner in the race for the Christmas number one is no mean achievement.
"The popular support we have seen for the record this week has been truly amazing - and handed them two all-time records."
He added the bad weather may have prevented McElderry fans getting to the shops to buy his CD, which was released on Wednesday.
Rage Against The Machine are signed to Epic Records, which is part of Sony BMG, the same label as McElderry.
'Greatest chart upset ever'
The past four Christmas number ones have all been by X Factor winners; Alexandra Burke's version of Hallelujah last year was one of the biggest selling festive singles ever.
Eighteen-year-old McElderry won X Factor last Sunday

Guitarist Tom Morello said it had "tapped into the silent majority of the people in the UK who are tired of being spoon-fed one schmaltzy ballad after another".
He added that all proceeds from the single would go to homeless charity Shelter.
Gennaro Castaldo, from high street retailer HMV, said it was a "truly remarkable outcome - possibly the greatest chart upset ever".
"Everyone thought the momentum was with Joe going into the weekend, but, clearly, off the radar a whole load of people were downloading the Rage track right up to the last minute as they sensed they might pull off a shock.
"It's not so much that Joe lost the race - sales of his single have matched those of recent X Factor winners, and he shouldn't take this personally; this is all about the stunning impact of the Rage Against The Machine internet campaign in galvanising music fans to protest against the dominance of the reality show in recent years."


The expletive-laden song is a "powerful protest", he said, adding: "Rage Against The Machine may not be the ideal expression of the Christmas spirit - and many people will have preferred a more appropriate song to top the festive charts, but their anti-corporate message proved a perfect vehicle through which to register such a powerful protest."
The last big Christmas battle on a similar scale was between the Spice Girls' Goodbye and South Park character Chef's Chocolate Salty Balls in 1998. The Spice Girls won with 380,000 to their rival's 375,000.
Despite losing out on the single top spot, Cowell kept a hold on the album chart, with Susan Boyle's I Dreamed A Dream remaining at number one for a fourth week.

[Marmite the Dog]

Will they play on Top of the Pops?

Does Top of the Pops still air?

[jizzybloke]

Does Top of the Pops still air?

Not any more but there is a Christmas special, don't know if RATM will be on it though?

[Ukan Kizmiaz]

ho hum

RATM = Joe Elderberry, same same corporate tripe

[genghis61]

[Marmite the Dog]

RATM = Joe Elderberry, same same corporate tripe

Oh dear.