Charts, X factor 2009

Rage Vs X Factor

British music fans might finally have a genuine race for the Christmas number one slot this year. In an attempt to prevent this year’s ‘X Factor’ winner going straight to the top slot, a Facebook campaign to send Rage Against The Machine’s 1993 hit ‘Killing in the Name Of’ has so far swelled to over 450,000 members.

The petition is calling on fans to download the politically charged song from Sunday evening once the last chart before Christmas has been declared. Assuming that the fans who have registered actually buy the Rage Against The Machine track, ‘Killing in the Name Of’ stands a very real chance of occupying the pole position.

Because of the groundswell of support, bookies have installed the track as the favourite to gain the Christmas number two slot, ahead of Susan Boyle, Robbie Williams, Lady GaGa and Leona Lewis.

Even the track does beat the X Factor, it remains unlikely that ‘Killing in the Name Of’ will receive any airplay in its original version. Containing the refrain, “Fuck you, I wont do what you tell me’, the single caused controversy when Radio 1 Bruno Brookes accidentally played the song on his Top 40 rundown in 1993, thus generating a flood of complaints and guffaws of laughter from the band’s fans.

Slade frontman Noddy Holder told Spinner he would strip if the band’s song ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’ topped the charts at Christmas.

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Tags: rage against the machine, X factor 2009