Rage Against The Machine Christmas Number 1

[loopy]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8423340.stm

Just wondering what peoples thoughts on this is? I like seeing Simon Cowell and his pop factory getting a knee in the groin .

Can't wait to here this on future compilation albums and in supermarkets over Xmas

[daddy_tom]

i dont mind either way, RATM ist very christmassy but neither is the climb. although i would like to see RATM win purely because they are a band and not just some singer who won a competition

[fluff]

I think its a loss all round really.

As much a fan I am of RATM and as much as I hate the X Factor, could we not have found some good current music to support, something more independent?

ANyway, I care veryy little about the chart and haven't bought a single since...um, I really can't remember.

[alex 04]

nice to see x factor not get no1 at last just cos they win the show does not mean they should get xmas no1

[loopy]

I think its a loss all round really.

As much a fan I am of RATM and as much as I hate the X Factor, could we not have found some good current music to support, something more independent?

ANyway, I care veryy little about the chart and haven't bought a single since...um, I really can't remember.

The thing is, there's so much good current music (really there is), but it's in so many different styles/genres, everyone likes their own particular little thing. Don't think they would of come together as much as they did if it was someone no one had heard of. They did try it with a more independent and depressing song a year or 2 back, can't remember what it was. But it didn't make it.

As for the singles chart, I agree, its pretty much meaningless these days, the only people who by singles are.... teenagers I guess? Everyone else gets albums. This is the first single I've brought in 12-13 years? And that was only to stick a finger in Lord Cowells eye .

[sarah_ab]

I read about this on CNN news on my phone... still have no idea what is so special about having the number one song on christmas day...

but then again i dont really listen to the radio or such.

[loopy]

I read about this on CNN news on my phone... still have no idea what is so special about having the number one song on christmas day...

but then again i dont really listen to the radio or such.

Christmas Number 1's have always been special in the UK, it always turns into a chart battle, people would release their best work in time for it. Historically its always sold more then any other number 1 through out the year. Of course historically it would be between artists of at least some musical ability .

I don't listen to the radio much (well radio 1 on a friday night, they have some great dj's on ) and the singles chart stopped being relevant to me back when I was 13. I think all the people like me, who likes music and not the generic pop crap that's pumped out by the likes of cowell have had enough, and getting RATM to number 1 is a pretty big statement of that fact.

[timmyc]

I love Tom Morello's solo stuff, can't listen to RATM, I know I'm old

[full nappy]

i heard it on the radio yesterday and i thought it was what i fill the back of my nappy with. am i right in thinking it was in grand theft auto: san andreas?? think it played if you took a girl out to a place she did'nt like. could be wrong, anyways its still crap.

[loopy]

For you Yanks wondering why the xmas number 1 is a big thing in the UK, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8424268.stm Good artical about it. And a list of some of the major battles over the years

[M 90]

Rage Against the Machine was a band that deserved every bit of attention they got. Mainly for Zack De La Rocha's lyrics. Any lyrics exposing the corruption, mass manipulation and flat out "rage" towrads the criminals who have (and currently) in one way or another run this nation has a fan from me. The music was pretty catchy too I might add. It's just to bad that it seems most people took their lyrics as "simple minded teenage rebellion" when it was actually "current event gospel". Those lyrics are probably more relevant today then back in the 90's, the same shit was happening its just that now a days the "powers that be" have gotten more greedy and pretty terrible at covering their tracks.

Still don't get why Tom Morello is a self-proclaimed Commie though.

Good to see them back in the spot light.

[tommee]

I look forward to telling my grandchildren about the part I played in the battle against Simon Cowell.

[squashNstretch]

Personally, I love it. At it's face it's a big "F- You" to 'the man'. I love RATM... The thing that sold me on it was thier live performacnce on BBC. They were told not to swear, then they went right on ahead with an emphatic "F you I wont do what ya tell me!". So poetic.

The thing that makes me laugh is that both artists are under Sony's label, so sticking it to the man still sticks $$$ in Sony's pocket. It wouldn't have worked with an indy band, as no-one would have been able to agree on what song. This would have possibly made it though: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujZsFOGT-Ko

sNs

[M 90]

Personally, I love it. At it's face it's a big "F- You" to 'the man'. I love RATM... The thing that sold me on it was thier live performacnce on BBC. They were told not to swear, then they went right on ahead with an emphatic "F you I wont do what ya tell me!". So poetic.

The thing that makes me laugh is that both artists are under Sony's label, so sticking it to the man still sticks $$$ in Sony's pocket. It wouldn't have worked with an indy band, as no-one would have been able to agree on what song. This would have possibly made it though: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujZsFOGT-Ko

sNs

, and good point about Rage and this Joe Mceldry being on the same label. But you know its really the "catch 22" of the music indusrty, if you are an anti-establishment band and you want the biggest platform to speak from you pretty much got to sell out to apart of the establishment to do so. So I don't see it as a bad thing but it isn't necessarily a good thing either. I just know that if Rage would have never signed to a major label I probably would have ran across them eventually through underground buzz. But being that the majority of the population out there doesn't feel music nearly as deep as I do they are not going to search for an alternative to the garbage that's being constantly shoved down their throat's through every media outlet and sold as the hot new thing. Also if Rage would have stayed underground they would have just had a career of "preaching to the choir" so to speak, which is still bad-ass but its obviously not what they wanted. They wanted to get on the big platform and shove their style of music backed up with actual thought provoking lyrics that have something to say into everybody's face, and in the process maybe switch on a few lightbulbs in people's heads that would have otherwise remained in the off position if it weren't for RATM being heard through the mainstream.