Scene - Blogs - Rage against the X Factor

Rage against the 'X Factor'
Published: 12/21/2009 1:44 PM
Last Modified: 12/21/2009 4:35 PM

American rock act Rage Against the Machine recently lead a grassroots campaign against "American Idol" and U.K. "X Factor" creator Simon Cowell.

... And the band won.

The early '90s single, "Killing in the Name" was chosen by a fan-lead Facebook campaign page in order to protest and halt a run of consecutive chart-topping wins for the U.K.-based Simon Cowell-produced reality competition show.

Rage's tune beat Joe McElderry’s “The Climb” to become the U.K.’s Christmas Number One single by more than 50,000 downloads, reports the BBC online.

In a statement released Monday, the band wrote, "Rage Against the Machine is honored to have been drafted by this historic grassroots campaign to make our song ‘Killing in the Name’ the No. 1 song on the UK Christmas Week pop chart."

"Killing in the Name," first released in 1992, sold more than 500,000 copies in the week leading up to the end of business yesterday to beat X Factor winner McElderry to the top of the chart, the Official Charts Company announced today.

Released in 1992 as a protest to the race riots that year in Los Angeles, today, the tune also represents the fight against what guitarist Tom Morello calls a musical "abyss of bland mediocrity."

"This is a huge victory by and for fans of real music and we extend our heartfelt thanks to every fan and freedom fighter who helped make our anthem of defiance and rebellion the 'Anarchy Christmas Miracle of 2009,'" wrote the band.

Rage has said that it would give all the royalties from the “Killing” downloading rampage to Shelter, an English charity that aids the homeless and campaigns against substandard housing.

(Warning: Explicit lyrics)

And, "... As promised we will play a free concert in the UK in celebration of this incredible upset victory over the heavily favored X-Factor single. We are also pleased that so much money has been raised for homeless charity Shelter and are happy to donate as well to aid this important cause."

Cowell also offered congratulations to the couple who put together the grassroots Facebook campaign, Jon and Tracy Morter.

Early this morning on guitarist Tom Morello wrote on his Twitter micro-blogging site, "Quite a day! Thanks again for making Rage part of this historic campaign. Changing the charts or the world: together we can’t be stopped.”

The download time period ended Saturday at midnight. By Friday, the band lead by a scant 9,000 downloads. On Friday and Saturday, it sold more than 200,000 more copies in a digital flash mob in part supported by ex-Beatle Paul McCartney.

Said one retailer to the BBC: It was a "truly remarkable outcome - possibly the greatest chart upset ever."

Said lead singer Zack De La Rocha to the BBC, it was an "incredible organic grassroots campaign. ... It says more about the spontaneous action taken by young people throughout the UK to topple this very sterile pop monopoly."

The BBC has posted an analysis of the Rage protest tune, which was originally penned after California race riots in 1992. Although the headline is outdated, the story isn't. Read more at BBC online,

BBC.com.

Merry, merry, merry Christmas.

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Barrelhouse: A colloquialism describing the low saloons at the turn of the century (19th) that served whiskey straight out of the barrel. It's also a reference to the type of music played in those venues. Ex: Barrelhouse music.

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About me: I'm Okie born and raised, and have lived all over the state: Oklahoma City, Enid, Moore, Norman, Edmond and Tulsa. I am a music geek, writer, graphic designer and amateur photographer and videographer who's followed the Tulsa and regional music scene since I moved to Green Country more than 10 years ago. I've been enmeshed in Tulsa's varied and vibrant musical night life, what some of us affectionately call a modernized throwback to the Barrelhouse scene, since that time. I fell in love with it. I fell hard.

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Past Articles By Jennifer Chancellor

2/17/2013		Tulsan Johnny Polygon a rapper who delights in hometown crowd
2/15/2013		The Who brings nostalgia, ingenuity to BOK Center
2/15/2013		Lady Gaga tour is canceled
2/15/2013		Audio Adrenaline concert moves to April 7
2/14/2013		The Who brings 'other' rock opera to Tulsa's BOK Center
2/14/2013		Okies nominated for several top ACM awards
2/14/2013		Epic moments of rock 'n' roll history in Tulsa
2/14/2013		The Who talks about 'Quadrophenia' rock opera ahead of BOK show Thursday
2/14/2013		Shawnee songstress Samantha Crain to play Tulsa CD release show Friday
2/14/2013		Rick Springfield to play River Spirit Event Center on Saturday
2/14/2013		Local music roundup: Vaudvillian sideshows? Nerd nights? Live music? Parties? Yes, yes, yes and yes.
2/14/2013		Eli Young band coming to Brady Theater for first time

Jennifer Chancellor's Blog Archive:

2/2013	1/2013	12/2012	11/2012	10/2012	9/2012
8/2012	7/2012	6/2012	5/2012	4/2012	3/2012
2/2012	1/2012	12/2011	11/2011	10/2011	9/2011
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2/2010	1/2010	12/2009	11/2009	10/2009	9/2009
8/2009	7/2009	6/2009	5/2009	4/2009	3/2009
2/2009	1/2009	12/2008	11/2008	10/2008	9/2008
8/2008	7/2008	6/2008	5/2008	4/2008	3/2008
2/2008	1/2008	12/2007	11/2007	10/2007	9/2007

Jennifer Chancellor
BarrelhouseBeat

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