Rage Against the Cowell Machine
A Facebook group dedicated to keeping Simon Cowell's X-Factor winner off the Christmas Number One spot has gained nearly 450,000 followers.
Rage Against The Machine for Christmas No.1 is encouraging rock fans to buy the classic track Killing In The Name as a download single from December 13, in a bid to stop the talent show winner from heading the chart on December 25.
But if it's to succeed, over 600,000 downloads are likely to be needed - and each account is only counted once so multiple purchases won't help.
The anti-establishment 1992 track, RATM's first single, features the celebrated lyric: "F**k you I won't do what you tell me", and the Facebook group have adjusted it to read: "F**k you I won't buy what you sell me".
Tracy Morter, who administrates the group, say: "Fed up of Simon Cowell's latest karaoke act being Christmas No.1? Me too - so who's up for a mass-purchase of Killing In the Name as a protest to the X-Factor monotony?
"Don't buy it yet - buy it from December 13 to make sure it gets in the chart."
Chris MacDonald, who helped found the group, says: "People are getting sick of the X-Factor dominating the Christmas charts. we used to look forward to not knowing who would get it. This will give the Christmas chart some meaning again - it's boring now.
"We're hitting 5000-6000 new members an hour and we're full-on committed to it."
The campaign has been backed by a stack of big names including John Lydon, Phill Jupitus and Bill Bailey.
Bookies have cut the odds of RATM winning the race from 7/1 to 7/2. Helen Jacob of Sky Bet says: "The X-Factor has ruined Christmas number one betting by turning it into a one-horse race. It would be great to see Rage Against the Machine spoiling Cowell's Christmas."
To join the campaign visit the Facebook group - and remember, don't buy the download until December 13 or it won't count towards the chart placement. The Christmas number one will be announced on December 21.
Meanwhile, classic rock fans were also angry that Cowell was planning to use the Journey track don't Stop Believin' as the franchise's Christmas single, to be sung by whoever wins the show. A Facebook group called Let's Get Journery to Xmas No.1, Sod the X-Factor has gathered nearly 80,000 followers. But it now seems that Cowell has moved away from the track, and is rumoured to be preparing a Miley Cyrus cover instead.
He was most recently in the press for not allowing X-Factor contestant Olly Murs to postpone a reahearsal so he could attend his brother's wedding. It's not known whether his decision was influenced by the wrath of nearly half a million fans of well-crafted rock art.
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FREDDIE
13/12/09 at 07:59
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