• More Rage Against The Machine news, reviews, videos and tour dates
• Buy Rage Against The Machine music from Amazon
• • Rage Against The Machine news RSS Feed

Photo Gallery: Rage Against The Machine
Photo: PA Photos

Rage Against The Machine's 'Killing In The Name' is ahead of Joe McElderry's 'The Climb' by 36,681 copies in the race for the Christmas Number One single slot.

The song, currently the subject of a Facebook campaign to get it to the top spot ahead of The X Factor winner McElderry, had sold 253,476 copies as of the end of yesterday (December 16). 'The Climb' had sold 216,795.

'The Climb', however, had its physical release yesterday, which is expected to swell its sales in the second half of the week.

Rage Against The Machine have also shot to the top of the mid-week album download chart, this week selling 6,055 download copies of their 1992 self-titled album, which features 'Killing In The Name'.

Earlier this morning frontman Zach De La Rocha and the band played the song - including the swear-filled chorus - live on UK radio and slammed The X Factor and Simon Cowell.

'Killing In The Name' recently became the bookies' favourite to bag the Christmas Number One slot.

Simon Cowell has slammed the campaign, calling it "stupid", "cynical" and "very Scrooge".

For more on The X Factor and its effect on British music, get the new issue of NME, on UK newsstands nationwide, for an exclusive interview with Cowell.

Visit NME Video for the latest music videos and artist interviews

• Previous: Vampire Weekend, MGMT, Horrors, Adam Green model for Vogue magazine
• Next: John Frusciante confirms he's left Red Hot Chili Peppers

• 

  Battle Of Britain (Black)

• 

  No Face

• 

  Battle of Los Angles Skatedeck

• 

  Stacked Star Logo

• 

  SALE PRICE Scoreboard (Mens)