Vive la Revolution!

[AlexB]

Let no-one say us Brits don't know how to summon up a movement of the masses when our lives get just too much.

What could it be that causes Englishmen to rebel against the establishment: rising taxes? An unelected and incompetent leader? Bankers bonuses? Oh no...

BBC News - Rage Against the Machine beat X Factor winner in charts

[Schmidty]

Great song by my favorite punk band!!!



Oh, I guess I misunderstood what you were talking about.

[Jughead Spock]

Good on them. RATM was one of the few rock bands of substance back in that span, at least that got any pub at all. Glad to see a resurgence in interest overseas.

[Abe Sargent]

This is awesomely awesomely awesome! Love it.



In the summer of 1996, every day for an hour on Super 102 in Charleston WV they had a request line and you could request anything. One day I called and requested Depeche Mode's Enjoy the Silence. Two days later, Policy of Truth, and a day later, Personal Jesus. The following week, once more for Enjoy the Silence.

After that, no more calls from me, but a lot of other people heard them getting played and must've either liked them new, or reliked them, because they kept calling in and requesting them, and for two months in the Summer of 96, the hit station added Depeche Mode songs from Violator to the regular rotation to make the listeners happy.

It was awesome.

[Chief Rum]

Okay, I need a LOT more information. Answers to the following questions would be appreciated:

A. What is X Factor?
B. Who is the Elderberry dude?
C. What did RATM's hit just beat McElderberry's hit in?
D. If this is just a "who sold the most contest", doesn't this happen every week? Why is this one important? Why is the "Christmas" contest important?
E. Why are Brits so damn weird?

Inquiring minds want to know.

[Ryan S]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Okay, I need a LOT more information. Answers to the following questions would be appreciated:

A. What is X Factor?
B. Who is the Elderberry dude?
C. What did RATM's hit just beat McElderberry's hit in?
D. If this is just a "who sold the most contest", doesn't this happen every week? Why is this one important? Why is the "Christmas" contest important?
E. Why are Brits so damn weird?

Inquiring minds want to know.

A - X Factor = American Idol. TV ratings powerhouse. The final of the show was last weekend, and the winner's single was released straight after the show. I think Simon Cowell is planning on creating a US in the next year or two, so you will know all about it soon.

B - He was the winner.

C - It sold the most copies in the UK this week (500k compared to 450k for the X Factor winner)

D - This does happen every week, but the Christmas #1 has always been regarded as important in the record industry as sales are always massive at this time of year thanks to the crappy novelty songs that are released at Christmas. X Factor winners have been Christmas #1 in each of the last 4 years.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Ryan S

A - X Factor = American Idol. TV ratings powerhouse. The final of the show was last weekend, and the winner's single was released straight after the show. I think Simon Cowell is planning on creating a US in the next year or two, so you will know all about it soon.

B - He was the winner.

C - It sold the most copies in the UK this week (500k compared to 450k for the X Factor winner)

D - This does happen every week, but the Christmas #1 has always been regarded as important in the record industry as sales are always massive at this time of year thanks to the crappy novelty songs that are released at Christmas. X Factor winners have been Christmas #1 in each of the last 4 years.

So this is a counter-revolutionary win over the sickening pop crap that has infested the music culture of the UK (and which also is reciprocated in the US of A?).

Got it. I can get behind that. Go RATM!

[Chief Rum]

I am still waiting for an answer, BTW, on why you British are so damn weird.

[whomario]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

I am still waiting for an answer, BTW, on why you British are so damn weird.

That´s like one Sloth asking another Sloth why it´s moving so damn slow

[Matthean]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

So this is a counter-revolutionary win over the sickening pop crap that has infested the music culture of the UK (and which also is reciprocated in the US of A?).

Got it. I can get behind that. Go RATM!

On top of that, it's some dude who is an ok singer covering a Miley Cyrus song.

[DaddyTorgo]

well done England!

[AlexB]

Ah - thought you had X-Factor in the States.

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

So this is a counter-revolutionary win over the sickening pop crap that has infested the music culture of the UK (and which also is reciprocated in the US of A?).

This is exactly the deal.

Simon Cowell claims to be impressed, and offered the organisers jobs, which they turned down

I love the irony of two people choosing a song presumably based on the 'Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me' reprise, and then half a million people doing what these two people told them!

I also love the irony that the organised effort against the music industry resulted in Sony/BMG making HUGE profits on the Christmas charts - they own the rights to RATM as well as the X-Factor kid, so they won on both songs. Plus the campaign resulted in both songs selling 33-50% more units than the highest recent Christmas #1, so the profits are even bigger.

But the idea was great, the song was at least a protest song, is a classic (it was once the final straw in a relationship I had, as my GF didn't like my long hair at the time, and when it ended up whipping her as I moshed around to KINTN, that was that!) and I whole heartedly agree with the fact that Simon Cowell has homogenised pop music.

But I'm 36, not his target market, and don't care about, and am not supposed to care about, pop music any more. This kind of strikes me as the old folks taking over the dance floor at a party - it's a bunch of people on a stage they really should be bothered about anymore.

Still funny though

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by Jari Rantanen's Shorts

Ah - thought you had X-Factor in the States.



This is exactly the deal.

Simon Cowell claims to be impressed, and offered the organisers jobs, which they turned down

I love the irony of two people choosing a song presumably based on the 'Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me' reprise, and then half a million people doing what these two people told them!

I also love the irony that the organised effort against the music industry resulted in Sony/BMG making HUGE profits on the Christmas charts - they own the rights to RATM as well as the X-Factor kid, so they won on both songs. Plus the campaign resulted in both songs selling 33-50% more units than the highest recent Christmas #1, so the profits are even bigger.

But the idea was great, the song was at least a protest song, is a classic (it was once the final straw in a relationship I had, as my GF didn't like my long hair at the time, and when it ended up whipping her as I moshed around to KINTN, that was that!) and I whole heartedly agree with the fact that Simon Cowell has homogenised pop music.

But I'm 36, not his target market, and don't care about, and am not supposed to care about, pop music any more. This kind of strikes me as the old folks taking over the dance floor at a party - it's a bunch of people on a stage they really should be bothered about anymore.

Still funny though

Heh. Must to be laughed at here.