An unusual battle has been won in the U.K.  Last week the assumed X-Factor shoo-in for the number one Christmas song was running second to the 1992 track “Killing in the Name” by the American band Rage Against the Machine. A campaign had been launched on Facebook to drive the old song to the top. The fact that “Killing in the Name” ultimately prevailed is testimony to the extraordinary power of social networks and a clear demonstration that digital downloads have changed the music industry forever.

For the last four years, the finale of Simon Cowell’s X-Factor has been timed just right to ensure that the winner went on to become the top-selling record in the U.K.’s Christmas music charts. The last time a band other than an X-Factor winner took the top slot was 2004.

2008 – Alexandra Burke – Hallelujah (X-Factor winner)
2007 – Leon Jackson – When You Believe (X-Factor winner)
2006 – Leona Lewis – A Moment Like This (X-Factor winner)
2005 – Shane Ward – That’s My Goal (X-Factor winner)
2004 – Band Aid II – Do They Know It’s Christmas?

But this year’s  winner, Joe McElderry, was not going to be swept to the top so easily. According to The Guardian, as of last Thursday, “Killing in the Name” a 17-year-old track by Rage Against the Machine, an American rock band formed in 1991 (which just so happens to be the same year McElderry was born) held a lead over McElderry’s debut single “The Climb.” RATM’s unlikely lead was the result of a campaign started on Facebook early in December by a husband-and-wife team who decided to protest against X-Factor’s monopoly over the singles chart at Christmas. Hundreds of thousands of people signed up as fans (Click here to reach the fan page.)

The unusual campaign attracted the attention of the mass media and by Friday various celebrities were voicing their opinion. Paul McCartney suggested the Facebook campaign was “funny.” In contrast, Cheryl Cole, who mentored McElderry throughout the talent contest, described it as “mean.”

Given that Millward Brown has compiled The UK Audio and Video Charts since 1994 on behalf of The Official Chart Company, you might think I’d have an inside track on the likely winner, but sadly this is not the case. Our contract forbids me releasing anything other than what is made available through official channels. So like you, I had to wait until today to find out which song won. Over 25 million new sales transactions had to be uploaded, validated, and compiled to produce today’s chart. RATM’s track was downloaded 500,000 times to clinch the number one slot by 50,000 (more here).

Digital downloads first appeared in the singles chart midway through 2004, but it wasn’t until January 2007 that digital downloads could chart in their own right without a physical format being available. It was that change, combined with the rise of Facebook, that made the current battle for number one possible. Before 2007, the record companies had far more control over the distribution of recordings. Now the use of a song in a movie, a TV commercial, or a Facebook campaign can push it onto the charts on the basis of digital downloads alone. For instance, Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” charted again after the Cadbury Gorilla advert aired.

The success of the Rage Against the Machine Facebook campaign confirms the power of social networking. As in many of the most notable examples of its influence, however, this campaign was consumer-generated and directed against commercial interests. Can anyone suggest equally successful campaigns originated by a commercial organization or brand? Please let me know.

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This entry was posted on Sunday, December 20th, 2009 at 3:51 pm and is filed under Media. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. Print this Page