Rockers RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE have snatched the coveted Christmas number one spot in the British music charts after an internet campaign to shut out the winner of SIMON COWELL's talent show THE X FACTOR.

In one of the greatest U.K. music chart upsets, the Guerrilla Radio hitmakers topped 18-year-old Joe McElderry with their 1992 hit Killing In The Name - which sold more than 500,000 download copies in the past week (begs14Dec09).

McElderry's The Climb only managed sales of 450,000 by downloads and in stores, according to the Official Charts Company (OCC).

The shock outcome brought an end to a four-year run of X Factor winners, who have claimed top position in the festive charts.

Official Charts Company managing director Martin Talbot confirms: "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...

"It's not so much that Joe lost the race - sales of his single have matched those of recent X Factor winners, and he shouldn't take this personally; this is all about the stunning impact of the Rage Against The Machine internet campaign in galvanising music fans to protest against the dominance of the reality show in recent years."

However, McElderry has taken his defeat graciously: "Fair play to the guys who have organised the Facebook campaign - it's been exciting to be part of a much-hyped battle and they definitely deserve congratulations."