Simon Cowell guided X Factor winner Joe McElderry to top spot in singles chart

Joe McElderry’s “The Climb” landed top spot at the weekend beating Rage Against The Machine’s “Killing in the name of”, to secure the number one in the singles chart as we enter 2010.

After missing out on the Christmas number one, the 18-year-old X factor winner was thrilled to have bounced back.

His song, originally a hit for Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus, sold 196,000 copies in its second week to push the US rock band’s single down to second place in the singles chart.

The singer from South Shields in the North East said he was “so happy” at finally reaching number one.

He said: “Thank you so much to everyone that has supported me, this had been the best Christmas ever and I want to wish everyone a very happy new year.”

McElderry's mentor Cheryl Cole also jumped up the charts this week

McElderry’s TV mentor, Cheryl Cole, saw her song “Three Words” jump from seventh to fourth – behind Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” that remained in third place.

Rage Against the Machine

Rage Against the Machine plan to stage a free UK gig next year and claim to have invited Simon Cowell to host it! The band beat X Factor winner Joe McElderry by over 50,000 copies after fans Jon and Tracy Morter set up a Facebook group encouraging people to challenge the TV series’ hold on the Christmas chart race by downloading the 1992 song.

Tom Morello confirmed the band were now beginning to make plans for the gig and have asked Cowell to take part in it. The guitarist commented that “We’ve invited him to be the presenter of our free show so we have to see how he responds,” “I will say I heard Simon Cowell graciously called Jon Morter to congratulate him. Rage Against The Machine are waiting for our congratulatory call because we’re Number One.”

Morello added that Rage Against The Machine had yet to confirm either a date or a venue for the free gig, but insisted they will live up to their promise. “We’re thrilled about doing it. It’s going to be the victory celebration to end all victory celebrations. If ‘Killing In The Name’ is the song that liberated the UK charts, we are planning to go there and make it as big and as free as can be,” he stated.

“The band is going to have a victory celebration here in Los Angeles at a local UK-style pub on Tuesday night and we’ll probably be clinking glasses and drinking a toast to our great fans and comrades in the UK, but we may start getting some ideas together of when this is going to happen.”

Morello added that the band only got involved in the campaign after taking a lead from their fans.”

Joe McElderry No 2

For the first time since 2004, Simon Cowells’s talent show hasn’t sat unchallenged in the festive singles chart. The fierce Facebook campaign has led to the toppling of the X Factor’s yuletide monopoly in place since its inception in 2004. Joe fell short of the Rage Against the Machine sales of over 500,000 downloads by £50,000, even though his song was also available in CD format. This is all the more impressive, as Killing In The Name only charted at 25 in the UK when it was first released.

Cheryl Cole’s, X Factor protégé, Joe McElderry, was gracious in defeat, in spite of losing the number one position. Joe said: “Fair play to the guys who have organised the Facebook campaign – it’s been exciting to be part of a much-hyped battle and they definitely deserve congratulations.”

Joe has insisted that losing out to Rage has done nothing to spoil the party, he added: “This time last year I never thought for one minute that I’d win The X Factor, never mind about having a debut single out, so I’m just delighted to be in the charts.” “It’s been such an incredible couple of months and I got the best Christmas gift I could ever have asked for in winning The X Factor.”

Simon Cowell applauded Jon and Tracy Morter, the Essex couple behind the anti-X Factor online campaign, for adding a feverish excitement to this year’s battle. Cowell said: “I am gutted for Joe because a number one single meant a lot to him but I have to congratulate Jon and Tracy, who started the Facebook campaign.” “I called Jon on Saturday to congratulate the two of them that, win or lose, they turned this into a very exciting race for the Christmas number one.” “I am proud of Joe – he worked really hard this week, but he has a great year ahead of him.”

HMV’s Head of Publicity, Gennaro Castaldo said: “This is a truly remarkable outcome – possibly the greatest chart upset ever, which few people could have imagined when Joe claimed the X Factor crown last weekend. “It’s not so much that Joe lost the race – sales of his single have matched those of recent X Factor winners, and he shouldn’t take this personally; this is all about the stunning impact of the Rage Against the Machine Internet campaign in galvanising music fans to protest against the dominance of the reality show in recent years.” When asked about the Facebook campaign last week, Joe said: “I think it’s more of an attack on the X Factor more than me. “Anybody who would have won would have had the same thing happen to them.”

RATM beat X Factor's Joe McElderry to Xmas No1 spot

With download sales of over half a million, Rage Against The Machine’s “Killing in the name of” track outsold McElderry’s “The Climb” by around 50,000 copies.

The campaign to oust this year’s X Factor champion was started on social networking website Facebook and quickly reached the tipping point of a full epidemic, gaining mainstream coverage on the news, and in the press.

Speaking on the Radio 1 chart show, Zack de la Rocha from Rage Against The Machine said: “We are very, very ecstatic about being number one.”

He also made reference to the way the band won the contest, adding that it was an “incredible organic grassroots campaign”.

“It says more about the spontaneous action taken by young people throughout the UK to topple this very sterile pop monopoly.”

A gutted McElderry was very magnanimous in defeat. He said: “It’s been exciting to be part of a much-hyped battle and they definitely deserve congratulations.”

“This time last year I never thought for one minute that I’d win The X Factor, never mind about having a debut single out, so I’m just delighted to be in the charts.

“It’s been such an incredible couple of months and I got the best Christmas gift I could ever have asked for in winning The X Factor.”

X Factor judge, and McElderry’s boss, Simon Cowell had slammed the campaign earlier in the week – calling it stupid and unnecessary.

However he offered congratulations to the pair who initiated the Facebook campaign, Jon and Tracy Morter.

He said: “I am gutted for Joe because a number one single meant a lot to him but I have to congratulate Jon and Tracy, who started the Facebook campaign.

“I called Jon on Saturday to congratulate the two of them that, win or lose, they turned this into a very exciting race for the Christmas number one.

“I am proud of Joe – he worked really hard this week, but he has a great year ahead of him.”

Cowell has hinted in the past that the future of the X Factor is not guaranteed, and this defeat may add further to that speculation by highlighting the unpopularity amnogst true music fans.

X Factor judge Cowell smiling...not about the Xmas No1 race though

About the hotly tipped contest, Sir Paul said: “Who knows which will be Xmas No1? But, you know, I like the idea of this Rage Against The Machine thing that’s happening. I think that’s kind of interesting.”

When asked why he wanted it to be Christmas number one, the former Beatles star replied: “I think because it’s out of leftfield.”

He continued: “Everyone expects Joe (McElderry) to do it and he’ll certainly see a lot of records and if he gets to No1, good luck to him.

“But it would be kind of fun if a band like Rage Against The Machine got it – because it would just prove a point.”

Sir Paul’s comments come only five days after he was watched by more than 19 million people, performing live on the X Factor final along side Joe.

Talking of his appearance, the singing legend said: “We got great feedback on the streets the next day. It’s my claim to fame now.”

After the show Simon Cowell spoke highly of Sir Paul saying: “Out of all the people I have ever met over the years, Paul is the nicest.

He could not have been more friendly or charming. To have Paul McCartney on our stage, life doesn’t get any better than that.”

But now Simon Cowell is furious at the Facebook campaign aimed to stop Joe McElderry from landing the coveted Christmas No1. He had labelled it “stupid” and “cynical”, claiming it is aimed just at him.

When asked about the close contest he said: “Joe doesn’t deserve to be stuck in the middle of this. A campaign aimed at harming his chart position is unnecessary.”

The Christmas number one will be announced this weekend.

Joe McElderry

In what had been billed as the closest final in the history of the television talent show that is the X Factor, Joe McElderry beat call centre worker Olly Murs to the biggest prize in the UK music business.

In front of an estimated television audience of 20 million McElderry (a performing arts student from South Shields, Tyne and Wear) won the X Factor with 61% of the vote -netting himself a £1 million recording contract and almost certainly the Christmas number one in the process.

Now Simon Cowell is planning to take Joe McElderry to Hollywood in the hope that he will become as big as the High School Musical star, Zac Efron. The 18-year-old has also been hailed as a new Cliff Richard.

Cowell is already planning to fly the teenager to the States early in the New Year to tie up a lucrative deal, which will reportedly make the singer £5 million. Three major US TV networks and several Hollywood studios have reportedly already contacted Cowell about working with McElderry. They apparently believe that he could be in a perfect position to take over from former teenage idol Efron, 22, who starred in the High School Musical films.

After Sunday night’s final McElderry said: “I voted for Alexandra Burke last year and now I’ve won as well. I feel like I’m floating. I feel like jelly. I’ve literally had the best experience in my life”.

X Factor judge Cheryl Cole, 26 – who also mentored last year’s winner Alexandra – said: “I feel over the moon. I am absolutely delighted. I’m so proud of him I could pop.”