In what is considered a huge upset, "Killing in the Name," by Rage Against The Machine, claimed the #1 position on the UK singles chart this week, claiming the title of the 2009 Christmas #1. The song's debut at #1 means that "X-Factor" winner Joe McElderry's debut single, "The Climb," has to settle for the #2 runner position. "Killing in the Name" sold more than half a million copies, beating McElderry by 50,000 units. Industry experts are calling it "possibly the greatest chart upset ever". McElderry took the news graciously, writing on his Twitter page: "Hey guys thank you to everybody that bought the single and supported me! Well done to RATM for a interesting chart battle". Like all previous winners, when McElderry won "X-Factor" last weekend, he was almost assurred of having the Christmas #1. However, an Essex couple launched the "Rage against the Machine for Christmas #1" Facebook site campaign as a protest against "X Factor" chief Simon Cowell's dominance of the festive charts for the past 4 years. They launched the protest with the words: 'Fed up of Simon Cowell's latest karaoke act being Christmas #1? Me too ... So who's up for a mass-purchase of the track 'Killing In The Name' as a protest to the X Factor monotony?". The couple were said to be stunned when the campaign's popularity snowballed. The campaign gathered so much momentum that McElderry's record label Sony/BMG desperately slashed the price of "The Climb" by 63%, to 29p, to try to redress the balance, but to no avail. One UK music writer said: "The British public has always felt a strong affinity to the Christmas #1, enjoying its unpredictability and ability to throw up unlikely chart toppers. The "X Factor" may make for great TV entertainment, but, clearly, quite a lot of people have begun to resent its stranglehold over the charts and our popular culture, and have finally harnessed the power of social media to reclaim the charts back for everyone". Rage Against The Machine said that the band would be donating the unexpected royalties to the homeless charity Shelter.
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