Update on Rage Against the Machine vs Joe McElderry "X-Factor" Battle

The battle between Rage Against the Machine and X-Factor winner Joe McElderry for the UK Christmas number 1 is neck and neck.  

Rage Against the Machine's "Killing in the Name of" is currently in the lead but the bookies have McElderry's "The Climb" as the favourite with odds of 2/7 compared to RATM's 9/4.  

Here are some interesting quotes regarding the battle so far.  

Zack De La Rocha (Rage Against the Machine Frontman) - "Simon is an interesting character. He seems to have profited greatly off humiliating people on live television and has a unique position of capturing the attention of people on television, but also the airwaves. We see this [campaign] as a necessary break of that control.  People are tired of being spoon fed one schmaltzy ballad after another.  They want to take back their own charts. We're honoured they've chosen our song to be the rebel anthem to topple The X Factor monopoly."

Simon Cowell - "Why not let the kid [Joe McElderry] have his moment? It's all very Scrooge. It's miserable to put down young talent. We should celebrate it. I am! I've had a glass of champagne or two."

Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine Guitarist) - "People aren't buying 'Killing In The Name' to protest a record coming out on a major company. We wrote 'Killing In The Name' in a small industrial slum in Los Angeles. The X Factor song is written by a cabal of overpaid songwriters to shove the schmaltzy business down your throats. So there is two very different choices.  The thing the listeners need to know is, it's a really close race and its a real liberating musical revolution and we're honoured to be a part of it."

Joe McElderry (X-Factor winner) - "I haven't heard it [Killing in the Name of]. I need to listen to it. I have not heard it yet but I'll have to have a listen. Obviously I would love, love, love a Number One but it's out of my hands. I can only go and promote the single and that's all I can do. If I could get a Number One it would be amazing. I'm just gonna work hard and try my best, that's all I can do. Good luck to them [Rage Against The Machine] as well."

Dave Grohl - "There's some music that I question its intention.  When people rise up and decide, 'Hey man, I'm sick of this, let's derail this other thing for something real' I'm all for it. I think that maybe what's happening now with the Rage Against The Machine thing, is people are really craving the warts and all, and that song is just an incredible song, and it's meaningful. Maybe they're craving something that actually means something?"

Rage Against the Machine also performed "Killing in the Name of" yesterday on BBC Radio.  Despite assuring the BBC that they wouldn't swear during the performance, the band slipped into the full "Fuck you I won't do what you tell me" a fair few times before being faded out.  The performance can be seen here. 

Tagged as : Rage Against The Machine | Joe McElderry | X-Factor | Simon Cowell | news |