In less than 1 hour from time of writing this blog post it is likely that either ‘The Climb’, performed by Joe McElderry (winner of X-Factor 2009), or ‘Killing in the Name’ by Rage Against the Machine will be the UK’s new Christmas number one.
It was certainly hard to believe that the campaign to get RATM to number one would gather any momentum when it first appeared on social networking tool Facebook towards the start of December. But the page has become one of Facebook’s most active pages ever (and has crashed several times as a consequence) and sales of the single ‘Killing in the Name’ has been in the lead by about 10000 copies for most of the week.
However, since hard copies of McDreary’s ‘The Climb’ began to be sold on Wednesday the gap has closed and the race for the top spot is very close indeed. But why does it matter?
Creators of the pro-RATM campaign, Tracy and Jon Morter, put it like this in their Facebook group, ‘Fed up of Simon Cowell's latest karaoke act being Christmas No 1? Us too. So we are going to do something about it’.
If the campaign does succeed in getting RATM to number one for Christmas then many would see it as an epic victory for the UK music charts. A very loud message to today’s music industry that there are a great many people out there who are fed up with music being manufactured and rolled out to a formulaic blue-print void of feeling or, dare I say it, any talent.
A successful fan-powered campaign against such odds should set entertainment powerhouses like SyCo (Cowell’s television production and music publishing house) quaking in their boots. A poignant reminder that they do not own the charts after all. The era of music downloads has made the pop charts much more democratic and open than it has been for a great many years.
Cowell has already shown some amount of unease at the prospect of not being number one. Before the X-Factor winner was announced on 13 December, Cowell attempted an assault on the campaign during a press conference, labeling it as, ‘silly’ and ‘cynical’ and presupposing that the campaign might be directed more at him than with any desire to change music.
Certainly, a great many people have joined the campaign and displayed a great deal of dislike for Cowell, but I think the suggestion itself harbors a great deal of cynicism in it. The public is not stupid and in a democratic society with free speech it will find a way to have its voice heard if it needs too. Sales of RATM are saying quite clearly, that the British public is tired of the insipid dross being rolled into today’s chart, and it is time for change.
Both Cowell and fellow X-Factor judge, Cheryl Cole has publicly said that a RATM win would ‘spoil’ it for Joe McElderry. Cole even went so far as to say that she would be ‘devastated’ if the campaign was successful. In my opinion this surely displays how far they have become so wrapped up in the hype of their own machine; it almost sounds as if they assume any other artist actually selling more records would somehow be cheating.
Surely any kind of battle for the Christmas number one is better for pop fans than none at all? And does it not betray a degree of arrogance to assume the Christmas top slot is now reserved for the X-Factor winner?
Critics have been quick to point out that both Cowell’s SyCo and the Epic label which distributes RATM are owned by Sony BMG, and that, ultimately, the money will still find its way to Cowell as a shareholder of Song BMG. But that’s not really the point. This is not anti-corporate protest.
If RATM is awarded the UK Christmas number one by Reggie Yates’ chart show on Radio One this Sunday 19 December then it will be seen as a huge up yours to the music industry.
Those who are still concerned about the ‘hypocrisy’ of an anarchic message being sold by a conglomerate can take some solace in the following statement (made some time ago indeed) by band member Tom Morello:
‘When you live in a capitalistic society, the currency of the dissemination of information goes through capitalistic channels. Would Noam Chomsky object to his works being sold at Barnes & Noble? No, because that's where people buy their books. We're not interested in preaching to just the converted. It's great to play abandoned squats run by anarchists, but it's also great to be able to reach people with a revolutionary message, people from Granada Hills to Stuttgart.’
And those with an anti-Cowell agenda should be reassured that, whilst Cowell might not need the money Christmas number one will bring him, he does at least need to show that the X-Factor brand can still guarantee and chart topper.
So, whilst there is still 5 minutes left of 19 December 2009, go now and get ‘Killing in the Name’ from iTunes, Play or whatever your preferred digital music vendor is and then give generously to Shelter.
http://www.justgiving.com/ratm4xmas
If there is one thing this battle for the charts is bringing the world, it’s a great deal of money to a very good cause.
(And if you’re one of those who has complained that those campaigning should be putting their efforts towards a real issue, then get over to http://www.libelreform.org/ and make a difference before another writer gets the can for telling the truth)
UPDATE
20 December 2009
Rage Against the Machine take the Christmas Number One 2009
It was more than just a battle for Christmas number one. It was a statement that we are fed up with mass-produced factory standard music (especially music that has spawned from a glorified karaoke contest!).
The silent majority got their voices heard through the democratic singles market that the download chart has finally offered the people.
The music industry feared downloads would reduce sales, but it has only increased them. Now they ought to fear that the public might not buy what it is told to buy.
This is not a victory for RATM. This is a victory for the people.
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