American rap metal icons Rage Against The Machine have sensationally beaten off competition to win this year's race for Christmas number one.

The death of the single? Pah. In recent weeks all eyes have been on the race for Christmas number one as a fan led campaign threatened to derail one of the biggest entertainment companies on the planet.

After one fan started a Facebook group with his wife the campaign to get Rage Against The Machine to the top off the charts took on undreamt of momentum. Their track 'Killing In The Name' faced off with X Factor winner Joe McElderry, who triumphed on the talent show amid record viewing figures.

In a week that has seen the lead move between both parties it seems that the X Factor singer has come second. Rage Against The Machine have topped the festive charts for 2009, with 'Killing In The Name' becoming the first track to do so on download sales alone.

The rap metal group sold more than 500,000 copies - enough to beat Joe McElderry's cover of 'The Climb'. The Newcastle sold 450,000 copies, a stunning figure which demonstrates the public interest in the race.

Indeed, McElderry's single may have been damaged by the recent blitz of poor weather, with sales tapering off as the chill set in. However this is now all in the past, with Rage Against The Machine scoring a sensational chart victory.

Official Charts Company managing director Martin Talbot says:

"Congratulations to Rage Against The Machine on their number one - as we have seen in recent years, overhauling any X Factor winner in the race for the Christmas number one is no mean achievement. The popular support we have seen for the record this week has been truly amazing - and handed them two all-time records."

"But congratulations too should also go to Joe McElderry. In taking the number two spot, he has still achieved one of the highest weekly sales of any single this year - in almost any other year, 450,000 copies would have given him the Christmas number one. Through this week, these two tracks have accounted for more than 950,000 single sales, a fact which is truly remarkable."

However it's not all bad news for Simon Cowell. Susan Boyle's debut album 'I Dreamed A Dream' tops the charts for a fourth consecutive week.

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Clash spoke the Facebook campaign founder John Morter as news broke of RATM making number 1, read the interview HERE.

Following the display of people power mobilised by the victory, Clash asks "Why the hell has that not happened over slightly more vital issues?". Read our comment HERE.

The race for Christmas number one has narrowed with Joe McElderry making ground on rap metal icons Rage Against The Machine.

Britain is one of few countries in Europe to eulogise the Christmas number one slot. Every year families across the nation gather around the television set to watch 'Top Of The Pops' and discuss the year's music.

Invariably the older members of the family have the upper hand, decrying modern innovations such as 'punk' and 'dance'. This year the nation has been split right down the middle between X Factor winner Joe McElderry and incendiary rap metal icons Rage Against The Machine.

For the last five years the X Factor winner has gone on to claim the number one slot, with many people growing dis-satisfied by their monopoly of the festive race.

This year a fan led campaign catapulted Rage Against The Machine into an early lead. However with Joe McElderry's single only becoming available as a physical entity on Wednesday (December 16th) that lead has been slashed.

Initially ahead by some 65,000 sales the rap metal group have now been pegged back to a meagre 9000. With two more days of shopping left it looks as if this year's Christmas number one is too close to call.

However X Factor judge Cheryl Cole has blasted the campaign, claiming "it's not fair". Speaking to The Sun the star said: "It's David versus Goliath and it's not fair on Joe. It's getting out of hand."

"If that song, or should I say campaign, by an American group is our Christmas Number One I'll be gutted for him and our charts".