The UK chooses Rage Against The Machine’s Killing In The Name as its favourite Christmas Number One
A campaign was organised after years of X Factor dominance.
Image: Greetsia Tent / Getty
UK music fans have chosen Rage Against The Machine’s Killing In The Name as their all-time favourite Christmas Number One.
A new poll, organised by the UK’s Official Charts in collaboration with Nine Eight books, asked the public to choose their favourite through a series of heats. After the semi-finals, two tracks remained: Killing In The Name, and The Spice Girls’ 2 Become 1.
The poll chose the former, although it was close: 48.7 per cent voted for The Spice Girls, and 51.3 per cent voted for Rage Against The Machine.
Just two songs remain in the battle for the Nation's favourite #XmasNo1 with @nineeightbooks!
📚 https://t.co/msaFjGDh88 🎶1996: 2 Become 1 – @spicegirls
2009: Killing In The Name – @RATMWho will be celebrating an extra merry Christmas?
Vote now ✔️❄️— Official Charts (@officialcharts) December 15, 2021
The track was number one in the UK charts on 20 December 2009. This followed a campaign organised by English DJ John Morter and his wife Tracy, which aimed to topple the reign of The X Factor – a single from the reality TV show had claimed the Christmas Number One spot for four consecutive years. The campaign drew criticism from X Factor perpetrator Simon Cowell, who called it “cynical”, and implied it was aimed directly at him.
John Morter told NME at the time: “We’ve nothing personal against [Cowell] at all, we just do not want yet another Christmas chart-topper from that show again.”
Right now, the race for the Christmas number one is heating up. Leading the charge is a track called Sausage Rolls For Everyone by LadBaby, Ed Sheeran and Elton John. We’ve also been given a dose of Christmas anarchy this year, albeit with a more UK-centric political message. The Kunts’ track Boris Johnson Is A F****** C**t has entered the week’s charts at number five.