British rage against 'X Factor' machine fading fast

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An Internet campaign may have stopped Britain's top television show from once more sealing the coveted Christmas number one single, but this year's winner is on course to grab the New Year crown.

US rap metal band Rage Against The Machine's 1992 hit "Killing In The Name", which has lyrics about rebelling against control, saw off Joe McElderry, who won the 2009 singing contest "The X Factor", in the battle for the festive top spot.

But the 18-year-old student's debut single "The Climb" is now outselling the download-only "Killing In The Name" by a margin of two to one, chain retailer HMV said Tuesday.

It is on course to become the last number one of the decade and the first of the next when the weekly charts are published on Sunday.

"Assuming the supporters of the Rage Against The Machine Internet campaign feel they have now made their point and don't get on to their PCs again, it looks like Joe could be heading for a number one single after all," said HMV's Gennaro Castaldo.

"He may have missed out on the Christmas number one, but sales of 'The Climb' are not falling as steeply as those of 'Killing In The Name'."

A campaign on the social networking website Facebook was set up in a bid to stop McElderry from becoming a fifth straight "X Factor" shoo-in for the Christmas number one slot.

In the end, "Killing In The Name" sold more than 500,000 copies last week while "The Climb" sold 450,000.