A Christmas song should be Christmas Number One, not manufactured Cowell-ego-boosting pants.
Let's take that a bit further. A Christmas song should be distinctively Christian with theologically sound lyrics and all performers should be practicing Christians (verified by the churches of which they are members). OK?
On the matter of "manufactured", I've completely lost track of what it is supposed to mean. It just seems to be a general word of abuse.
RATM getting christmas number 1 was a bit of a damp squib. The winner climbed to the top the following week, the X Factor has higher ratings than ever and they are back to getting the christmas number 1 this year. Epic fail.
Not really as the point of the RATM was to stop the X Factor winner getting the Christmas #1 and they succeeded in that
I dont consider any anti x factor campagin to be stupid becuase I remember the days before cowell & his merry band of bland ruined the charts, when to be a sucessful singer required the ablity to actually be able to sing in tune before you got a foot through the door and bands did it the hard way by working in pubs and clubs and dives before hitting the big time, when music was played on proper instruments like guitars and drums and not computers and when novelty or comedy tracks were expected and welcomed come christmas time.
I almost feel sorry for these people who get together through a computer screen and get their kicks out of joining some sort of campaign about a song or a tv show, they need to get a life.
Let's take that a bit further. A Christmas song should be distinctively Christian with theologically sound lyrics and all performers should be practicing Christians (verified by the churches of which they are members). OK?
On the matter of "manufactured", I've completely lost track of what it is supposed to mean. It just seems to be a general word of abuse.
I could not agree more, I think we shall all get on our knees & pray that we can all get over this small disagreement & live in peace & harmony, a merry xmas to all mankind.
The RATM campaign was fantastic. A classic rock/metal anthem with an anti-establishment message that spoke directly to everyone fed up with X-Factor domination.
Bird Is The Word...less so. It's just an annoying novelty track, no better than Mr Blobby or Bob The Builder. It was doomed to failure from day one.
I almost feel sorry for these people who get together through a computer screen and get their kicks out of joining some sort of campaign about a song or a tv show, they need to get a life.
I almost feel sorry for those people who get together through a computer screen and get their kicks out of joining some sort of forum about a song or tv show, they need to get a life.
Bird Is The Word...less so. It's just an annoying novelty track, no better than Mr Blobby or Bob The Builder. It was doomed to failure from day one.
It *is* annoying, but that is kind of the point. The big push of mass purchasing is at 10pm tonight, when the bird will likely surge ahead and win.
You can download it from Amazon for less than the cost of a single Xfactor vote, so if you want to help in the campaign, head over there in 15 minutes and join the legions of those who have heard the word!
The X-factor is light entertainment (or supposed to be) which is why people like Cher get millions of views on YouTube, half of whom are those who despise her and looking for some bait. It is why people like Joe get millions of votes and win the show. It is also why less than a full handful have gone made the successful transition from entertainment to music. This is why many of last year's contestants were sharing their personalities with Britain in a jungle and on ITV2 programming.
In fact, far from destroying the music industry, all the X-factor has done is given us beautiful acts such as Leona and Alexandra. I will happily go for some more of that. In fact the only thing it has destroyed is the Christmas number one market, and that ultimately is the driving force of these so-called campaigns as well as some bitter old veterans. R&B and hip-hop imports from the US have done far more damage to our domestic music scene. That is what takes up most of the singles chart these days - still a crucial guide for the playlisters on commercial radio and music video channels. That is why I agree that.....
It's just childish people who get involved with these.
Absolutely. It is ironic that those who take a position of musical superiority, maturity and intellect are the ones most culpable of the infantile spoiler campaigns.
Whether he gets a #1 or not, Cowell's pockets are going to be lined even faster as long as these campaigns go on; free publicity from the press, and vehement X Factor fans buying more than one copy when they wouldn't otherwise.
People who partake in these campaigns are distinctly lacking in a sense of irony.
"Hey we need to stop all this cynical chart manipulation, how do you suggest we do it?"
"How about chart manipulation?"
"Brilliant! We need to stop people acting like sheep by being told what music to buy."
"I know how to remedy this; tell people they HAVE to buy a specific song within a strict 6 day period!"
"Fantastic, and the song's subject matter should be about doing what you want, when you want."
I almost feel sorry for those people who get together through a computer screen and get their kicks out of joining some sort of forum about a song or tv show, they need to get a life.
So why do the people who get so concerned about the X-factor Christmas release getting to number 1 ? - most of whom don't follow up the support for them later on (album, follow up single).If you like them buy the single.If you don't like them - don't buy the single - simples.
Why do people get so emotional involved with a stupid TV programme & the mediocre end product(s) that results from it ?
The RATM campaign was fun. It was the first serious challenge to an X Factor number one, it got everyone talking, and I'm willing to bet Radio 1's chart show had a much larger audience than normal on that Sunday. We all took our sides, and had (mostly) friendly and fun debates with each other on whether Joe would get it or RATM would get it. We were split down the middle in our house.
However, that sort of thing only really works once. This year, whilst many have attempted to repeat the RATM success, no-one has succeeded because everyone's over it and don't really care if X factor gets it this year. Its kind of the "been there, done that, got the t-shirt" attitude.
This is the last year anyway - X Factor winners single will not be challenging for the Xmas no 1 next year, so that is the year to have a bit of fun with the charts . Maybe someone should do a "Get a Christmassy song to no 1" campaign next year and back something with choirs of Angels singing, v something drab by Westlife.
RATM getting christmas number 1 was a bit of a damp squib. The winner climbed to the top the following week, the X Factor has higher ratings than ever and they are back to getting the christmas number 1 this year. Epic fail.
The RATM campaign was fun. It was the first serious challenge to an X Factor number one, it got everyone talking, and I'm willing to bet Radio 1's chart show had a much larger audience than normal on that Sunday. We all took our sides, and had (mostly) friendly and fun debates with each other on whether Joe would get it or RATM would get it. We were split down the middle in our house.
However, that sort of thing only really works once. This year, whilst many have attempted to repeat the RATM success, no-one has succeeded because everyone's over it and don't really care if X factor gets it this year. Its kind of the "been there, done that, got the t-shirt" attitude.
This is the last year anyway - X Factor winners single will not be challenging for the Xmas no 1 next year, so that is the year to have a bit of fun with the charts . Maybe someone should do a "Get a Christmassy song to no 1" campaign next year and back something with choirs of Angels singing, v something drab by Westlife.
Whether he gets a #1 or not, Cowell's pockets are going to be lined even faster as long as these campaigns go on; free publicity from the press, and vehement X Factor fans buying more than one copy when they wouldn't otherwise.
People who partake in these campaigns are distinctly lacking in a sense of irony.
"Hey we need to stop all this cynical chart manipulation, how do you suggest we do it?"
"How about chart manipulation?"
"Brilliant! We need to stop people acting like sheep by being told what music to buy."
"I know how to remedy this; tell people they HAVE to buy a specific song within a strict 6 day period!"
"Fantastic, and the song's subject matter should be about doing what you want, when you want."
Brilliant post.
These sheep who think they are all 'cool' don't seem to realise Simon Cowell does not give a crap if the song doesn't get the Christmas No1. It'll still sell on average 500,000 copies. It's only a 'title' they are losing, not the money earned from the sales.
Its like talentless cher will get a top 20 single and the people who buy it will be the same people who will slag off the genuinely talented MCs and Rappers in the UK because they havnt been on xfactor like cher.
Though I intensely disliked Cher I would take issue with the logic of this.
Has anyone ever genuinely heard anyone say "I don't like that person because they haven't been on X Factor"?
I've only ever heard the opposite - self-appointed "real" music fans who won't listen to an X Factor act based entirely on how they got their record out - not judging the quality of the song, but the career path of the act.
I think Cheryl Cole, the alleged Queen Of X Factor and also properly one of the laziest pop stars on the planet when it comes to actual quality control, getting a promise of a number one is a tragedy - note though, her last album only one single went to number one so she hardly dominated the chart.
There's still plenty of room for UK acts to be heard, it just depends on *proper* music fans buying more than one single every year with whatever the anti-xfactor-number-one single is....
These sheep who think they are all 'cool' don't seem to realise Simon Cowell does not give a crap if the song doesn't get the Christmas No1. It'll still sell on average 500,000 copies. It's only a 'title' they are losing, not the money earned from the sales.
I bought RATM last year because I love the band and the song, and thought it made a welcome change from a banal X-Factor winners single at No. 1.
Bird Is The Word failed because it proved the opposite of what people here are suggesting - it takes more than a sheep campaign to beat sheep to No. 1. People didn't buy Bird Is The Word because it's annoying and probably had even less musical merit than Matt's song - contrast that to RATM last year, a song which was already a metal classic with one of the best guitar-riffs ever. The campaigns need to be good songs to succeed.
I bought RATM last year because I love the band and the song, and thought it made a welcome change from a banal X-Factor winners single at No. 1.
Bird Is The Word failed because it proved the opposite of what people here are suggesting - it takes more than a sheep campaign to beat sheep to No. 1. People didn't buy Bird Is The Word because it's annoying and probably had even less musical merit than Matt's song - contrast that to RATM last year, a song which was already a metal classic with one of the best guitar-riffs ever.
Except there must've been an element of 'sheep-ness' to RATM as witnessed by the drop to number two and then the astonishing plummet to number 40 the third week. Had RATM then gone on to naturally sell for the next few weeks perhaps some point had been made.
Except there must've been an element of 'sheep-ness' to RATM as witnessed by the drop to number two and then the astonishing plummet to number 40 the third week. Had RATM then gone on to naturally sell for the next few weeks perhaps some point had been made.
It depends how you define "sheep-ness" really. Loads of people chose to support the RATM campaign last year because they liked the song and wanted it to be Xmas no 1, not because they mindlessly followed a Facebook campaign.
I'd agree with ags_rule, it's pretty clear now that the supposed brainwashing, anti-X Factor "sheep" campaigns just don't work. People still have to actually like a song and/or have stronger reasons to want to buy it than just it being anti X-Factor. Which to me is a pretty good sign, it means that most people aren't actually mindless sheep in following these campaigns and don't just do whatever some Facebook page tells them to.
Comments
On the matter of "manufactured", I've completely lost track of what it is supposed to mean. It just seems to be a general word of abuse.
Not really as the point of the RATM was to stop the X Factor winner getting the Christmas #1 and they succeeded in that
End of the day, Cowell will still be a multi millionaire.
X Factor will be back next year, and will also be big in the USA.
The only people who suffer in the end are the poor sods who win the show,
I could not agree more, I think we shall all get on our knees & pray that we can all get over this small disagreement & live in peace & harmony, a merry xmas to all mankind.
Even Simon Cowell
And they would happily accept the cash from their songs being used on the show. Still, can't let principles get in the way of cash can we?
Bird Is The Word...less so. It's just an annoying novelty track, no better than Mr Blobby or Bob The Builder. It was doomed to failure from day one.
I almost feel sorry for those people who get together through a computer screen and get their kicks out of joining some sort of forum about a song or tv show, they need to get a life.
It *is* annoying, but that is kind of the point. The big push of mass purchasing is at 10pm tonight, when the bird will likely surge ahead and win.
You can download it from Amazon for less than the cost of a single Xfactor vote, so if you want to help in the campaign, head over there in 15 minutes and join the legions of those who have heard the word!
Check the video ratings and you'd be proved wrong.
In fact, far from destroying the music industry, all the X-factor has done is given us beautiful acts such as Leona and Alexandra. I will happily go for some more of that. In fact the only thing it has destroyed is the Christmas number one market, and that ultimately is the driving force of these so-called campaigns as well as some bitter old veterans. R&B and hip-hop imports from the US have done far more damage to our domestic music scene. That is what takes up most of the singles chart these days - still a crucial guide for the playlisters on commercial radio and music video channels. That is why I agree that.....
Absolutely. It is ironic that those who take a position of musical superiority, maturity and intellect are the ones most culpable of the infantile spoiler campaigns.
People who partake in these campaigns are distinctly lacking in a sense of irony.
"Hey we need to stop all this cynical chart manipulation, how do you suggest we do it?"
"How about chart manipulation?"
"Brilliant! We need to stop people acting like sheep by being told what music to buy."
"I know how to remedy this; tell people they HAVE to buy a specific song within a strict 6 day period!"
"Fantastic, and the song's subject matter should be about doing what you want, when you want."
So why do the people who get so concerned about the X-factor Christmas release getting to number 1 ? - most of whom don't follow up the support for them later on (album, follow up single).If you like them buy the single.If you don't like them - don't buy the single - simples.
Why do people get so emotional involved with a stupid TV programme & the mediocre end product(s) that results from it ?
However, that sort of thing only really works once. This year, whilst many have attempted to repeat the RATM success, no-one has succeeded because everyone's over it and don't really care if X factor gets it this year. Its kind of the "been there, done that, got the t-shirt" attitude.
This is the last year anyway - X Factor winners single will not be challenging for the Xmas no 1 next year, so that is the year to have a bit of fun with the charts . Maybe someone should do a "Get a Christmassy song to no 1" campaign next year and back something with choirs of Angels singing, v something drab by Westlife.
Yep your right
Brilliant post.
These sheep who think they are all 'cool' don't seem to realise Simon Cowell does not give a crap if the song doesn't get the Christmas No1. It'll still sell on average 500,000 copies. It's only a 'title' they are losing, not the money earned from the sales.
Though I intensely disliked Cher I would take issue with the logic of this.
Has anyone ever genuinely heard anyone say "I don't like that person because they haven't been on X Factor"?
I've only ever heard the opposite - self-appointed "real" music fans who won't listen to an X Factor act based entirely on how they got their record out - not judging the quality of the song, but the career path of the act.
I think Cheryl Cole, the alleged Queen Of X Factor and also properly one of the laziest pop stars on the planet when it comes to actual quality control, getting a promise of a number one is a tragedy - note though, her last album only one single went to number one so she hardly dominated the chart.
There's still plenty of room for UK acts to be heard, it just depends on *proper* music fans buying more than one single every year with whatever the anti-xfactor-number-one single is....
I bought RATM last year because I love the band and the song, and thought it made a welcome change from a banal X-Factor winners single at No. 1.
Bird Is The Word failed because it proved the opposite of what people here are suggesting - it takes more than a sheep campaign to beat sheep to No. 1. People didn't buy Bird Is The Word because it's annoying and probably had even less musical merit than Matt's song - contrast that to RATM last year, a song which was already a metal classic with one of the best guitar-riffs ever. The campaigns need to be good songs to succeed.
Except there must've been an element of 'sheep-ness' to RATM as witnessed by the drop to number two and then the astonishing plummet to number 40 the third week. Had RATM then gone on to naturally sell for the next few weeks perhaps some point had been made.
It depends how you define "sheep-ness" really. Loads of people chose to support the RATM campaign last year because they liked the song and wanted it to be Xmas no 1, not because they mindlessly followed a Facebook campaign.
I'd agree with ags_rule, it's pretty clear now that the supposed brainwashing, anti-X Factor "sheep" campaigns just don't work. People still have to actually like a song and/or have stronger reasons to want to buy it than just it being anti X-Factor. Which to me is a pretty good sign, it means that most people aren't actually mindless sheep in following these campaigns and don't just do whatever some Facebook page tells them to.