It’s no secret that I’ve been disappointed by this year’s X Factor. And I’ve been impressed by the Facebook campaign to put Rage Against The Machine at the top of the charts this Christmas instead of yet another bland ‘winner’s song’ from X Factor.

The message today is go out and buy the Rage Against The Machine single. Now. And here’s why:

1. The X Factor winner doesn’t have a God-given right to the Christmas #1. In fact, it’s easier for them because they’ve been on your TV and in the news for months.
2. X Factor may be great TV, but it doesn’t encourage people to go out and write their own tunes. Support a legendary band by buying a song they wrote.
3. If you agree with me that the talent on X Factor was rubbish this year – it’s a great way to send a message to Simon Cowell that the show needs to be more serious about talent – buy the RATM single instead!
4. Killing In The Name is a frickin’ good song. It’s 100 times better than The Climb.

Listen to the video at the end of this post where Simon dismisses the Rage Against The Machine campaign by saying they’re “treating our audience as if they’re stupid”. Sorry Simon, who treats your audience as if they’re stupid – why were Jedward in the final 12? Why did you allow Lucie Jones to get booted out in a public vote? Louis Walsh claiming the X Factor was ‘all about entertainment’, then one week after Jedward got booted changing his tack and saying it was a ‘singing competition’.

F**k you Simon, I won’t do what you tell me.

Where can you buy it?

Killing In The Name is available digitally at varying prices. Here are the purchase links from the Facebook group and some advice from the maintainers of the group:

–Buy 1 for yourself, and maximum another 2 as a ‘gift’ for someone–

iTUNES – 99p – track #2 (click on ‘view in itunes’ on the right)
http://bit.ly/ratm-itunes

PLAY.COM – 65p – it’s the only track on the page
http://bit.ly/ratm-play

7DIGITAL – 50p – track #2
http://bit.ly/rage-7digital

HMV.COM – 79p (careful – this is track #1)
http://bit.ly/ratm-hmv

Apparently, buying bulk copies can flag the campaign as unusual activity, which can get the single removed from the chart.

I should stress that my motives for supporting the campaign are because I think X Factor has been particularly bad this year – for publicity stunts and weak singers making it through to the live shows. I want it back to being about finding a really talented singer who can sell records across the globe.

This isn’t about Joe McElderry, who I supported to win X Factor. It’s about saying the show strayed from being a talent competition to being a way to showcase massive acts like Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Alicia Keys to a massive British audience. And while I loved those guest appearances, they took away from the main point of the show.

Now, since Rage are already in the lead for Christmas Number 1, let’s give them a helping hand: go out and buy a few copies of Killing In The Name now.