Online Campaign Backs AC/DC For Xmas No.1

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www.dailystar.co.uk/showbiz/350419/Highway-to-the-Christmas-number-one-Online-campaign-backs-AC-DC-to-take-down-The-X-Factor

Highway to the Christmas number one! Online campaign backs AC/DC to take down The X Factor

THE winner of The X Factor had better watch out– there's some rock gods hot on their heels for the Christmas number one.
By Emma Kelly/Published 12th November 2013
Source: Daily Star

Rock fans have started an online campaign to get AC/DC's 'Highway To Hell' to the top of the Christmas charts– and they're already 3/1 to take the coveted number one spot.

Fans of the hugely successful rock band started the Facebook page 'AC/DC For Christmas No.1' last Thursday in order to propel their heroes to the top of the charts in honour of their 40th anniversary.

The page's bio reads: "In November AC/DC are 40! They've NEVER had a UK Top 10 single, so let's get 'Highway to Hell' to Christmas No.1'.

The page is also littered with posts telling supporters not to buy the single until the 15th of December, and that they need 500,000 sales of the single to reach the top of the charts.

But while the organiser's are more interested in getting the 1979 rock anthem to the number one spot, taking down the eventual winner of The X Factor would be an added bonus.

A post on the page says: "It's more of a public display of affection for AC/DC than an 'anti' X-Factor campaign but boy would we love to beat them in the charts."

And their little Facebook page could make their dreams come true. As well as having their odds slashed from 10/1 to 9/2, the page has achieved more than 100,000 likes since Thursday.

While there are plenty of songs in the running for the Christmas number one, the winner of the ITV talent show usually has the race wrapped up.

And the winner's single this year is due to be released in the final week before Christmas to give the song its best chances.

But this AC/DC campaign isn't the first time disgruntled rock fans have tried to take down the might of Simon Cowell.

In 2009, poor Joe McElderry had to settle with second place after expletive-laden anthem 'Killing In The Name Of' by Rage Against The Machine hit the number one spot after a tireless online campaign.

The X Factor winner is still the bookies's favourite to take the coveted number one spot at 4/6, while Susan Boyle's duet with Elvis Presley is at 5/1.

Lily Allen's version of Keane's 'Somewhere Only We Know' from the John Lewis advert is at 8/1, while Miley Cyrus could be twerking in Top of the Pops– she sits at 20/1.

As always, The Pogues are in the running at 25/1, while Emeli Sandé, JLS, Mariah Carey, Justin Bieber and Rihanna are all joining in the fight.

www.facebook.com/acdcxmas

[o]

Wasn't something attempted last year as well which flopped?

[Roo.]

Ugh, I wish people would just give up doing these stupid campaigns.

I despise AC/DC as well, so double hatred for this campaign in particular.

[Paddy]

I'll be supporting this.

[-Big Dan-]

As will I.

[Razzle Dazzle]

Not sure how anyone can despise a real band that have been going 40 year. They write their own stuff, play instruments, are still great live, they are down to earth and never had a top 10 single despite devoting their life to music the alternative is the yet to be crowned xfactor winner covering some biffy clyro or damien rice track. Mass produced and by a think tank of 40 ovetpaid "music men" performed karaoke style by a puppet on a string that happens to be flavour of the month

No contest

[Roo.]

Down to earth?

When they played at Download they demanded their own main stage which no other band was allowed to play on for the rest of the weekend, wouldn't let any other band play at the same time as they did plus refused to have their name featured on any of the merchandise. Real down to earth stuff that.

Oh, and the problem with these campaigns is not that people use them to "stop X-Factor" (even though three of the last four years have seen something else at Xmas #1 anyway) but that the songs they choose have nothing to do with Christmas, and are instead an excuse to show off musical snobbery.

[thehitparade]

Why shouldn't I hate a band just because they play instruments? I hate the Kooks as well.

[raliverpool]

Nov 12, 2013 23:56:18 GMT 1 Roo. said:

Down to earth?

When they played at Download they demanded their own main stage which no other band was allowed to play on for the rest of the weekend, wouldn't let any other band play at the same time as they did plus refused to have their name featured on any of the merchandise. Real down to earth stuff that.

Oh, and the problem with these campaigns is not that people use them to "stop X-Factor" (even though three of the last four years have seen something else at Xmas #1 anyway) but that the songs they choose have nothing to do with Christmas, and are instead an excuse to show off musical snobbery.

Stop X-Factor campaigns:

2009 Rage Against The Machine #1
2010 "Bird Is The Word" #3
2011 Military Wives Choir #1
2012 Hillsborough Disaster #1

Apart from 2009, you have a strange concept of musical snobbery IMHO. Especially the 2010 song from the Family Guy episode.

But hey if you want to continue to line Simon Cowell's pockets after a four month free advert on ITV, over four songs where the proceeds went to charity that's your business.

On the Radio tonight Brian Johnson has said he's looking for the band to confirm they'll pledge all the proceeds to Armed Forces Day charities www.armedforcesday.org.uk/index.aspx , as his father was a Sergeant Major of the British Army's Durham Light Infantry during WWII, because as well as the 1979 Bon Scott original studio recording; AC/DC have since released three live versions with the former Geordie vocalist vocals on.

[Razzle Dazzle]

and x factor songs are all to do about xmas and not milking the cash cow

[borneoman]

ouch not the RATM situation again!!!!!!! would be the worst Xmas #1 ever

[TheThorne]

Nov 13, 2013 8:36:33 GMT 1 borneoman said:

ouch not the RATM situation again!!!!!!! would be the worst Xmas #1 ever

Lol you think AcDc are worse than Mr Blobby strAnge concept of talent

[borneoman]

I actually do

[thehitparade]

Nov 13, 2013 0:21:31 GMT 1 raliverpool said:

Nov 12, 2013 23:56:18 GMT 1 Roo. said:

Down to earth?

When they played at Download they demanded their own main stage which no other band was allowed to play on for the rest of the weekend, wouldn't let any other band play at the same time as they did plus refused to have their name featured on any of the merchandise. Real down to earth stuff that.

Oh, and the problem with these campaigns is not that people use them to "stop X-Factor" (even though three of the last four years have seen something else at Xmas #1 anyway) but that the songs they choose have nothing to do with Christmas, and are instead an excuse to show off musical snobbery.

Stop X-Factor campaigns:

2009 Rage Against The Machine #1
2010 "Bird Is The Word" #3
2011 Military Wives Choir #1
2012 Hillsborough Disaster #1

Apart from 2009, you have a strange concept of musical snobbery IMHO. Especially the 2010 song from the Family Guy episode.

That's an extremely selective selection from the hundreds of such campaigns over recent years. And it seems a bit harsh on the Hillsborough record to suggest that it was an anti-XF campaign.

Nov 13, 2013 0:21:31 GMT 1 raliverpool said:

But hey if you want to continue to line Simon Cowell's pockets after a four month free advert on ITV, over four songs where the proceeds went to charity that's your business.

Did any proceeds from 'Surfin' Bird' actually go to charity or was that just people who bought it donating voluntarily? 
I can't speak for Roo of course but I'm in the majority of the population who haven't bought any singles in Christmas week in recent years, I don't see how not buying some record I already had is "lining Cowell's pockets", or why he's any less entitled to earn money than anyone else. Incidentally, the 2012 XF single gave its proceeds to charity. 

[vastar iner]

One year for this sort of thing there needs to be an online campaign for "Vienna". Maybe in the third week in January to make it easier. Plus it would be around the same time as the original missed out.

[Robbie]

The "stop the X Factor" campaigns have become as tiresome as the X Factor winning song itself. The point has already been (successfully) made with RATM reaching the top at Christmas 2009 and stopping the X Factor from reaching the top.

To be honest I'm not really sure that whoever wins X Factor this year is going to find it that easy to reach the top, at least reach the top on decent sales. Apparenly the potential winners are all not that good and viewing figures have been poor this year. It looks like people are voting with their remote controls anyway.

[Robbie]

I just wish we could get back tyo the days when the race for the Christmas number 1 was genuinely interesting once again and when the battle for the Christmas number 1 wasn't dominated by the X Factor, the £stop the X Factor" song and some random charity record.

The RATM thing was good fun at the time but we're left with a Christmas number 1 that sticks out like a sore thumb (albeit that I've always liked the track) in the annals of Christmas number 1 history. The last real race for the Christmas number 1 that people look back fondly on happened right at the end of Dotmusic and the birth of Haven, in December 2003, some 10 years ago now.

[rob92]

I don't mind HTH going top 10 but no to being Christmas no.1 and I don't want X factor either. Why can't they support a Christmas song for a change. Perhaps give Fairytale one last go or a Christmas track that deserved to do better chart wise ie Queens Thank God it's Christmas or something lol.

[Mic1812]

A nice idea but would rather have ACDC get their first top 10 hit with a new song.

Personally i would have picked Whole Lotta Rosie over Highway To Hell.

Oh well lets see what happens.

Im sorta expecting a charity single for the phillipines disaster to take it if one is being made.

[S1m]

Being told what to buy in order to manipulate the Christmas #1 is a hallmark of both X Factor and non-X Factor campaigns. The irony of Rage Against the Machine's rebellious sentiment ending up being just as organised and conformist as the principle the campaign was seeking to overthrow is bizarre.

Spontaneous or nothing as far as I'm concerned!