Rage Against The Machine Number One on iTunes!

The battle for the Christmas Number One officially kicked off yesterday with X Factor winner Joe McElderry going head-to-head with an internet campaign to get Rage Against The Machine's hit, Killing In The Name, to the festive top spot.

An estimated 17 million people tuned in to ITV 1 last night (Sunday, December 13) to see McElderry beat fellow finalists Olly Murs and Stacey Solomon to win X Factor 2009, making it the most watched final in the show's history.

However, looking at this morning's charts, the future doesn't look bright for the cheeky chappie from South Shields. Digital e-tailers iTunes, Amazon, HMV and Play.com have Rage Against The Machine at Number One with McElderry's cover of Miley Cyrus' recent single, The Climb, in second place. Or in the case of iTunes and HMV, McElderry is at Number Three and Number Four respectively.

The internet campaign to get Rage Against The Machine to the top of the charts at Christmas was started a few weeks ago by Rage fan Jon Morter as a reaction to X Factor mogul Simon Cowell's perceived dominance of the Christmas singles market.

"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 from December 13 as a protest to the X-Factor monotony?," reads a post on the group's Facebook page. As of this morning, they have over 716,000 members.

While many senior music industry figures have told Kerrang! that Rage Against The Machine will inevitably lose out to the X Factor winner come next Sunday's chart, bookmakers William Hill aren't so sure and have slashed the odds on Rage getting to Number One from 100-1 to 3-1.

So, if you haven't done so already, make sure you buy Killing In The Name before next Saturday and let's see if rock music can take on one of pop's biggest monopolies and win!

Tags: Rage Against The Machine

Posted by Dan at 10:28AM | December 14, 2009

Posted by Claire | December 14, 2009 11:52 AM | Reply to this

That's Great news But im sick of hearing about this now.

Posted by Sarah | December 14, 2009 12:03 PM | Reply to this

Justice, at last.

Posted by Girish | December 14, 2009 12:03 PM | Reply to this

That's Great news But im sick of hearing about this now.

Posted by Sarah | December 14, 2009 12:05 PM | Reply to this

thanx for supporting the cause Kerrang. You have been a major help

Posted by g | December 14, 2009 12:29 PM | Reply to this

how can you complain about fighting back against the manufactured shit we hear everyday on the radio? this campaign started only a few weeks ago yet you are complaining about it being talked about too much.... i find it hard to see how you can be into anything remotely alternative

Posted by Superhans | December 14, 2009 1:26 PM | Reply to this

How about instead of re-releasing an old song, why dont they bring out a new one if theyre ever gonna be taken seriously. theyre just as fake and as manufactured as the people on xfactor

Posted by James. | December 14, 2009 1:46 PM | Reply to this

wtf there no.2 now, i am just after gettin the song and joe is no.1 =[ , come on people every1 who reads this go buy it

Posted by luke | December 14, 2009 2:34 PM | Reply to this

They're not re-releasing it you prick. We're buying it to get it to number one, and Rage didn't start the fucking thing! It's not as if they told us to go out and buy it. Get your facts straight before you go around bad-mouthing them. C*nt.

Posted by Patrick | December 14, 2009 2:36 PM | Reply to this

have they deleted the page? it's not loading for me!

Posted by Shane | December 14, 2009 2:42 PM | Reply to this

did facebook remove the page? it's not loading for me!

Posted by Shane | December 14, 2009 2:50 PM | Reply to this

"let's see if rock music can take on one of pop's biggest monopolies and win"

That's nice for rock music, I suppose but for those of us into metal, we're not bothered, simply because it's got nothing to do with us.

Any metaller worth their salt should just go out and buy the new Skeletonwitch or Immortal and ignore Rage and X Factor because let's face it, the only people that care for metal are us. With the posible exception of Terrorizer and ZT, no magazines, no tv stations or any other media give the time of day to metal, so why should metallers give a shit about your little squabbles with Cowell?

Have fun pissing away your money in a sad attempt for publicity.

Posted by Nuclear Assaulted Peanut | December 14, 2009 4:15 PM | Reply to this

seems facebooks deleted the page. Everyone join the new one!!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/RAGE-AGAINST-THE-MACHINE-FOR-CHRISTMAS-NO1/197877130755

GO RAGE!!

Posted by charlotte | December 14, 2009 4:47 PM | Reply to this

This is an absolutely pathetic campaign. It's just ridiculous and totally not fair on the current winner who is the actuall target; even though you might think Simon Cowell is the target. Is he hell! He's still got the money raking in. Oh, and you might wanna update because Joe McElderry is number 1 on iTunes now! And before you ask, I am a overall rock music fan, who reads Kerrang! every week on subscription.

Posted by Mel | December 14, 2009 4:48 PM | Reply to this

You're also a massive dickhead!
Fuck X-factor, and fuck you Melony!
On subscription? My mate subscribed some loser to a gay porn site! Does that mean he likes it? I-D-I-O-T!

Posted by Matt Fern | December 14, 2009 5:10 PM | Reply to this

I do like x factor and all dont get me wrong its good to watch but really it's stupid, someone crap wins, they go to number one and thats it.
I actually think it's pretty cool what rage have done because i'd rather them be number one than that awful song :)

Posted by Lauren | December 14, 2009 5:20 PM | Reply to this

To the guy who was on about metal..u missed of metal hammer :) andi care about metal too but rock is like our brother in music so id prefer RATM at no.1 then x factor...so gl RATM :D

Posted by Aron pointon | December 14, 2009 5:25 PM | Reply to this

lets get off our arses and do something about it, download a copy of killing in the name you can get it from many places tunetribe for 49p a liitle amount to spend knowing we could be making history.

Posted by shane | December 14, 2009 6:17 PM | Reply to this

you could, but it has to be from 7Digital / iTunes / Play.com to count towards the Top 40, otherwise its just a song download.

Posted by charlotte | December 14, 2009 7:48 PM | Reply to this

Rage Against Cowell's Formulatic Pop Machine

Posted by heidileighsutterby | December 14, 2009 8:01 PM | Reply to this

Has anyone from Rage said anything about this?

Posted by Gthang | December 14, 2009 8:40 PM | Reply to this

or amazon

Posted by seb | December 14, 2009 9:08 PM | Reply to this

Wow... i really don't see why you guys care so much... i mean who cares about x factor? it's just a show, there are so many more serious things going on in the world... so just chill people.

Posted by Blah | December 14, 2009 9:15 PM | Reply to this

but the only poroblem is ive already got the song and im not amad ratm fan. still the idea of ratm having a number 1 is just to good to miss

Posted by jt | December 14, 2009 9:25 PM | Reply to this

First of all im not complaining all i said was iam tired of hearing about the xfactor and rage against the machine not that i am defending anyone you idiot .by the way if you mean im not into alternative music then your wrong i listen alot of rock/goth/metal/punk/industrial music

Posted by Sarah | December 14, 2009 9:26 PM | Reply to this

i am not a RATM fan but i would gladly see them be no.1 than someone who one the X-Factor coz RATM like every Rock Band actully had to work to be were they are today unlike these people who win talent shows and have everything on a plate for them. in other words their Fake

Posted by jonny | December 14, 2009 9:52 PM | Reply to this

i am not a RATM fan but i would gladly see them be no.1 than someone who won the X-Factor coz RATM like every Rock Band actully had to work to be were they are today unlike these people who win talent shows and have everything on a plate for them. in other words their Fake

Posted by jonny | December 14, 2009 9:52 PM | Reply to this

Agree 100%.

Posted by Gorgar | December 14, 2009 11:34 PM | Reply to this

Joe deserves that number 1 and we all know it. The kid worked hard and sang amazing. I think is mean that you would take that number 1 away from him just to annoy simon which it wont.

It's not simon your going to be upseting, Its joe. The kid is 18 and has worked so hard to win that show he is such an amazing singer.

those of you that say stuff like " bands work hard to be were they are today" ...do you think winning the x-factor is easy? and im pretty sure if these band were given the opertunities these contestants have, they would take them no questions asked because you do whatever you can to achive you dreams and that is what x-factor does, it lets people achive there dreams. It shouldent matter how they do it.

We all know Joe is an amazing singer and deserves this.

He will be number 1

Posted by jon | December 14, 2009 11:57 PM | Reply to this

I agree wth the person above.

I dont think its right to take it out on joe because he clearly deserves it. He won because he is the best and i hope he does realy well. He is a realy good singer.
He should be number 1

Posted by robbert | December 15, 2009 12:12 AM | Reply to this

um, joe won the x factor. if he isnt content with that then he is ungrateful. he shouldnt automatically take the number 1 spot just because he won the x factor.
most of the x factor xmas number 1s wouldnt be number 1s if the werent the x factor, if they were just songs by random artists, people just wouldnt buy them because theyre not that good and mostly covers. its just the hype.
Rage for number 1! got my copy today.

Posted by Satsuma | December 15, 2009 12:47 AM | Reply to this

er, joe won the x factor. he's gonna make loads of money and songs no matter if he is xmas number 1 or not. if he is disappointed he's not #1 at xmas, hes a fool. he should be glad he won.

Posted by Satsuma | December 15, 2009 12:51 AM | Reply to this

worked hard my ass! bands who write there own songs, learn their instruments and tour the country in dead beat pubs work hard. this guy reads lyrics from cover songs and doesnt even sound good and is given instant fame because of mindless vermin who watch it. Xfactor is an insult to music!

Posted by Ste | December 15, 2009 1:15 AM | Reply to this

The suckage is strong with this one.

Posted by Darth Vader | December 15, 2009 1:17 AM | Reply to this

Hmm, I sense through the Force that this is Jon from a few minutes earlier. Obi-Wan cannot help you as you suck too much.

Posted by Darth Vader | December 15, 2009 1:20 AM | Reply to this

So just cos sumone wins x factor they should be number 1 at xmas???? I dont think so, its just a money making ploy. Im not saying the contestants dont work hard but they havent sent years writing/playing their own material and hawking themselves round pubs/clubs and record companies and if the winner is any good they will stand n their own two feet and be successful without a xmas number one. Too many of te previous winners fade and die which shows they werent worthy in te first place

Posted by stevo | December 15, 2009 1:43 AM | Reply to this

yeah lets do they dudes ...
i hate xfactor toatal a load of balls if you ask me:) and the climb WTF ?! not evan a xmas song , but they kerrang rock 40 wont have joe in 'cause hes wank ! and we will have killing in the name:) YAY :)

Posted by lauren | December 15, 2009 10:25 AM | Reply to this

Posted by lauren | December 15, 2009 10:26 AM | Reply to this

RATM are #1 on HMV, #1 & #3 on both Amazon and Play and 2nd on Itunes!!

Posted by Patrick | December 15, 2009 10:42 AM | Reply to this

I hope that RATM is number one, dont think joe should have won, if it was danyl tthen what would have been different. Go RATM!! ILOVEYOU!!

Posted by Yeah | December 15, 2009 5:21 PM | Reply to this

I hope that RATM is number one, dont think joe should have won, if it was danyl tthen what would have been different. Go RATM!! ILOVEYOU!!

Posted by Yeah | December 15, 2009 5:21 PM | Reply to this

As far as I can see Patrik you are the cock here. Do you love rage agianst the mashine? Do you want to have sex with them. you are a batty boy

Posted by toejam | December 15, 2009 10:27 PM | Reply to this

As far as I can see Patrik you are the cock here. Do you love rage agianst the mashine? Do you want to have sex with them. you are a batty boy

Posted by toejam | December 15, 2009 10:28 PM | Reply to this

As far as I can see Patrik you are the cock here. Do you love rage agianst the mashine? Do you want to have sex with them. you are a batty boy

Posted by toejam | December 15, 2009 10:30 PM | Reply to this

Real mature, man. Real mature. Patrick was just stating the obvious facts - it's not a re-release. People are just buying it to prevent X-Factor taking the number 1 this Christmas. 'Nuff said.

Posted by Wick | December 16, 2009 12:51 AM | Reply to this

haha ur the typical metaller who thinks hes all epicly metal, who even tries to rebel against people rebelling, put on some nice clothes and put simon in the dirt

Posted by andeerttty | December 16, 2009 6:46 PM | Reply to this

Go on ratm. Wouldnt it be fun to see them at the top, instead of some gay ballad singer that was never famous 3 months ago. RATM are legeds and they deserve this. Everyone buy their album - 29p off amazon - and support rage!! Or I suppose you'll just be happy to see Miley Cyrus's song at the top of the charts. Yet again, a crappy pop song. Lets change it for once!! At least if Joe DOES get to number 1, Rage will be at number 2 or 3 won't they?? C'mon dudes. You cant call yourself mettalers if you dont support this. xx

Posted by Tom | December 18, 2009 5:41 PM | Reply to this