Christmas is nearly here, and it’s time once again to look with horror at the likely Christmas number one. It is of course very likely that some Cowell automaton will be singing a cover of some sort to the delight of grannies and chavs and the general disinterest of everybody else.
However there is a grass roots campaign on Facebook and twitter to get angry teenager shout along favourite – Killing in the Name by Rage Against The Machine into the number one position with some synchronized buying.
While it is likely doomed to failure, it is at least a fun idea – a nice effort to stick it to the man and have some shouty guitar music (albeit 17 year old shouty guitar music) in place of insipid pop.
Weirdly, there are some against it, most notably Andrew Collins of podcast and radio fame.
#ratm4xmas Do not buy Rage Against The Machine in a deluded attempt to “stand up to corporate consumerism”. You’re still BUYING something!
He sounds a bit bitter to be honest. It’s just a bit of fun. Those who have any idea of the workings of the music industry know that the system is monolithic, your money would still go tho those in charge no matter what you buy and a far better thing to do would be buy something decent direct from a band you like.
If you don’t understand the system, then it’s just fun to buy something with the word ‘Fuck’ in it. HURR.
The whole idea of buying RATM is like flicking the Vs at a policeman. It’s symbolic. It’s futile. And it’s likely to make you giggle like a twat.
16 Comments
Have to say I love the idea. Choosing where you spend your money is a great way to get a message across. Look forwarding to tuning into Rage after the Queens speech
Aces!
Same here it’s a better idea than having to listen to xfactor all christmas.
Check it out your self.
http://bit.ly/inthename
Hahaha 17 yr old shouty music? when it’s fully grown men making it? ook.
IT’S NOT ABOUT THE MONEY!!! why can’t Andrew Collins-idiotface understand that?? As far as I know a big chunk of the profits will go to Sony whether the X-Factor winner or Rage get the number one spot. That’s of no consequence. It’s about having something other than manufatured crap as our Christmas number one. I personally will be buying 5 copies of Killing in the Name but I still think its a shame that we have to do something as drastic as tactical synchronized buying to prevent predictable crap reigning over our Great British Christmas
Liam – the song is 17 years old.
the song is shit as well. fucking RATM…
*goes back to counting farthings and mumbling ‘humbug’…*
I can’t speak for the motivations of everyone else but I’ll briefly say why I will be buying RATM on 13th December. For me it’s not about the fact that they’re signed to Sony or that I want some sort of anarchy to reign and we all revolt and place Simon Cowell’s severed head on a pike atop London Bridge; for me it’s the sentiment of what the song represents.
Music, and specifically great songs, are in the public domain but they’re also very personal. Every song can mean something slightly different to each one of us. ‘Kiling in the Name’ speaks to me of my dissatisfaction with the inequality around me, of the power of those with money, of feeling that at times we live more in a plutocratic oligarchy than a real democracy where the people have any influence.
Is this Simon Cowell’s fault? Is this X-Factor’s fault? No. Of course not. But this represents just one minor opportunity to take a backhanded swipe at the seemingly endless cavalcade of this type of cynical marketing and exploitation by people who have been warping the music charts in their favour long before the RATM campaign.
Will it make any difference in the long run if it’s successful and RATM are Christmas number 1? I suspect not. But I will smile at the ability of a grassroots movement to galavanise the people and remind those in lofty positions of power (to paraphrase) ‘I won’t always do what you tell me’.
“stand up to corporate consumerism”
its not about that you missed the point completely
shame your confusing the issue….its what people who think theyre smarter than they are do ….as they think they know it all
Woah! Did you see that?! That was the point of what the group is about, and you missed it by a mile! Well done…try research, it works wonders.
Think you’ve completely missed the point here. It’s as futile as you make it out to be you apathetic chump. If you’re going to take it upon yourself to report something to the online community, take a stance either way. Have you seen how quickly this group is gathering members? This is a Class A example of how enough people uniting against institutionalised popular culture can throw a spanner in the works of the corporate machine that forces us to listen to the same homogenous tripe year in year out. By supporting this initiative there is actually a chance of making our point very clearly heard. You should be actively encouraging people to take charge and get involved in this. There is a bit more to it than ‘giggling like a twat’ in fact the only twat around here is you mate.
Top tip for non x factor christmas no 1 single is THE BAT STRIKES BACK, this song has been written by them, produced and distributed by them, and is on their own label. It was recorded in the writers back room, with no record co involvement, available on Amazon direct now. Written and performed by DEAN TORKINGTON AND J B HEALLESS. William Hills are offering a great bet on this at 66/1. Hes a BIKER.
Jimmy: Fuck off.
“This is a Class A example of how enough people uniting against institutionalised popular culture can throw a spanner in the works of the corporate machine that forces us to listen to the same homogenous tripe year in year out.”
You do know that RATM are on a major label – right? You’re still feeding your corperate machine.
I am apathetic by the way. I don’t really give a toss about the charts. Do you? Does it really matter?
Calm down. It’s just a song with the word fuck in it.
I agree with the sentiment (that’s Von’s sentiment that it would be a bit of a laugh, not Jimmy’s sentiment that the corporate world would fall to it’s knees), but it feels a bit like ‘Mad World’ mark II.
It was brilliant having the mopiest ever Christmas number 1.
I dunno, you bloody kids with your sweary words and mass produced rebellion. Everyone knows that there’s only one recording artist you need to buy this Christmas – Cliff!!!!
apparently it’s on the same label as the X Factor track, according to popbitch there’s a
conspiracy theory that Cowell has bought the publishing rights and is behind the campaign…