Rage Against The Machine’s Most Incendiary Moments

Rage PWNS The X-Factor

Rage Against The Machine’s influence may have started with the MTV generation, but it transcended past the band’s hiatus and into the digital age. In 2009, a 35-year-old fan named Jon Morter launched a Facebook campaign to get Rage’s then 18-year-old song “Killing In The Name” to number one on the UK charts, so it could beat out Joe McElderry, the winner of the X-Factor for chart dominance. Historically, the winner of the X-Factor has their song debut at number one the week of Christmas. Morter’s campaign was successful as “Killing In The Name ” was purchased over 500,000 times. The band would then play a live version of it for BBC’s 5 Live. Naturally, Rage went the uncensored route.