The X Factor 6 UK – Joe fails to make #1
The X Factor 6 UK winner Joe McElderry’s debut solo single failed to reach number 1 in the official UK singles chart yesterday. Joe was a new entry at number 2 being kept off the top by Killing In The Name by Rage Against The Machine. Joe is the first X Factor winner not to be number one at Christmas (not counting the first winner as that single wasn’t released before Christmas).
Joe sold over 450,000 copies last week which would have been enough in almost any week to reach number 1. But Rage Against The Machine sold just over 500,000 last week.
The Rage Against The Machine song is as a result of a huge internet campaign to stop the X Factor single reaching number 1. The campaign had urged people to by Rage Against The Machine, not because it was any good but purely to stop Joe from reaching number 1. And the campaign worked.
It’s very sad that half a million people bought a song that they don’t like just to stop a young lad with a great voice and a great song obtaining his dream. I guess in this credit crunch society, a lot of people have money to waste.
Some good news for Joe though, his single, The Climb reached number 1 in the Republic of Ireland chart over the weekend.
Joe still has a change at getting to number 1 in the UK next week. As I think people will now stop buying Rage Against The Machine so it is possible that Joe could climb to number 1 this Sunday. I’ll keep you posted.
EDIT 31st December 2009: Joe climbed to number one in last weekends chart after selling about 196,000 copies. Rage Against The Machine could only mange about 65,000 sales. This means that every X Factor winner has had a number 1 debut solo single.