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2009 News ArchiveThe 2009 Christmas number one(December 20, 2009)Rage Against the Machine - Dan from Youth Fight for Jobs comments on the 2009 Christmas number one
 It was great to see the revolutionary anti-capitalist band Rage Against the Machine make Christmas No.1 against X Factor winner Joe McElderry this Christmas. Rage are known worldwide for their anti-authoritarian lyrics and actions – frontman Zack de la Rocha has even been to Mexico to assist the “Zapatista Army of National Liberation”, a group fighting the authoritarian Mexican state. They have also campaigned against the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Guantanamo Bay, repressive police tactics and on many other issues.
The song which made No. 1 was “Killing in the Name” which contains the lyrics “f**k you I won’t do what you tell me”. The band have followed this sentiment many times, including ignoring the Chinese government’s ban on their performance. This song, as well as being a protest against X Factor, may have the added benefit of fanning the flames of working class anger.
Crucially though, it shows what a mass of people can do when organised. As guitarist Tom Morello said, “whether it’s a small matter like who’s at the top of the charts or bigger matters like war and peace and economic inequality when people band together and make their voices heard they can completely overturn the system as it is” The campaign was organised purely through social networking websites, it did not have the financial backing of X Factor or its own TV show, and yet it still succeeded. This shows us that grassroots campaigns on issues people care about can succeed. |