Rage Against The Machine’s ‘Killing In The Name Of’ has been confirmed as the UK’s favourite Christmas Number One of all time.
Organised in partnership with Nine Eight Books, the poll was launched to celebrate the 70th Christmas chart battle and The Official Christmas No.1 Singles Book. The book is a guide to 70 years of Christmas Number Ones, with a double-page spread dedicated to every song.
After three weeks of voting, the final came down to Spice Girls’ 1996 hit ‘2 Become 1’ and Rage’s anthem ‘Killing In The Name Of’. 41,000 votes were counted and Rage Against The Machine ended up taking the crown with 51% of the vote.
‘Killing In The Name Of’ became a surprise Christmas hit in 2009 after Jon and Tracy Morter set up a campaign to stop The X Factor winner from claiming the Christmas Number One for the fifth year in a row.
At the time of the campaign’s success, Morter told NME: “Fuck me it’s crazy I can’t believe it. It’s mad, the BBC are even picking me up to do a TV interview tonight and the phone’s been going none stop ever since. I can’t take stock of it at the moment.”
In response to the recent news, Morter said: “I’m humbled to think that a small idea in a kitchen in Essex a few years back has been officially crowned the ‘Nation’s Favourite Christmas Number 1’.
It was the people’s Number 1, using the people’s song…a song that even the band themselves now claim is owned by all of us, not them, so I’m not surprised it has won considering these challenging times we’re living in. Rage on!”
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
Yesterday (December 19) it was revealed that The Kunts’ ‘Boris Johnson Is STILL A Fucking C**t’ has landed at Number Five in the Christmas midweek chart. The band have once again launched a campaign to get the Christmas Number One after finishing at Number Five in 2020 with ‘Boris Johnson Is A Fucking C**t’.
Currently in the lead for Christmas Number One is LadBaby and their Ed Sheeran and Elton John-featuring track ‘Sausage Rolls For Everyone’. Sheeran and John are also in the Number Two spot with their own collab ‘Merry Christmas’.
The cut-off for sales and streams to count towards this year’s Christmas Number One race is 23:59 on December 23. If LadBaby take the top spot again, it will be their fourth consecutive Christmas Number One. The chart-topper will be announced on Christmas Eve on BBC Radio 1’s Official Chart with Scott Mills.
In other Rage Against The Machine news, the band are due to headline Reading & Leeds 2022. They’ve also been added to the line-up for next year’s Rock en Seine as headliners, alongside Run The Jewels, as well as Boston Calling in May 2022 with Foo Fighters and another soon to be announced headliner.
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