In fact just buy the album because there is not a weak track on it (the self titled album).

As for the campaign I bought the rage against the machine track. Not as a protest at Simon.
I do not like the way the winner of the x-factor and all involved just assume they will get the xmas number one, as if its thier right... this is even before we know who will be singing it and what song they are singing...arrogance.

RATM are not just about a sweary anthem thier lyrics are very political, one of the most important bands of the 90s imo certainly as far away as possible from Miley Cyrus and the X-Factor.

Surely you remember
Stars in thier Eyes with Matthew Kelly?
Jim Davidson's Generation Game?
Big Break?
Noel's House Party?
Full episodes of You've Been Framed?

Much more entertaining than watching people who are fame-seekers sing. I'd be less cynical about it if something actually happened at the end of it. All thats happened for the past 5 years is they get the Christmas number one then **** off to America or disappear into the night because the general public realise that actually, they aren't as good without the CrapFactor stage behind them and the sound processing going through those microphones.
Prime example here is the runner up (Ollie?). Not too long back he appeared on Deal or no Deal. Hmm. Fame seeker much?

What about the semi final? One of the actually famous people said "Good luck tomorrow night" as though the decision had already been made!

If the show was actually producing people like Michael Jackson, Cliff Richard, the Beatles etc, then I'd be more inclined to watch. But at the moment all I'm seeing is "I should be a famous singer because [insert silly audience pleasing story here]"

Contrary to popular belief - the xFactor is an absolutely CRAP television show and the sooner it is canned the better.

Two of the finalists last year have enjoyed no.1 singles and albums with a fair delay after being on the show, and Leona Lewis is now an established pop star. Go further back to the likes of Will Young and Girls Aloud and it's quite obvious there's no set path of success/failure they all follow without exception.

That weird opera chap with the bleached hair, he's doing alright too.

A case in point. Who? I have no idea so they can't be that successful...


I'd hardly call 2 singles a "star".

And where is he now? Hardly a "long term sucess" as far as I'm concerned.


The difference there is that they're really attractive. Lets face it if the music industry fails them there's always adult films! :P


So if there's no guaranteed sucess, why do they waste half a year of Saturdays on it? Surely its just a MASSIVE waste of money in an unstable economy?

Here's a list (taken from wikipedia) of the winners:
Steve Brookstein
Where is he now?

Shayne Ward
Where is he now?

Leona Lewis
What took her so long?

Leon Jackson
Who?

Alexandra Burke
Who?

Joe McElderry
Who?

LOL! Yeah, amazing, top quality TV that.

Obviously The X Factor isn't either, but given that 3/5 of those were on the BBC anyway (and therefore nothing to do with what ITV choose to schedule), You've Been Framed is still on TV (admittedly without Jeremy Beadle but they're hardly going to dig up his corpse and tie strings to it as an alternative) PLUS we have YouTube to view stupid home videos anyway on a much more selective level, and if ITV wanted to show Star in Their Eyes again they have several XF-free months in which to do that.

Even if we pretend that Saturday night TV was good at any given point, it's not The X Factor that's sent it that way.

QUOTE]

No, but with ITV's shares dwindling and a possible merger with Channel 5 on the cards it makes me wonder why they are splashing out so much money on failures...

I'm not usually one to go down the 'it produces real talent' route but I would really stop living on Mars with my head buried under a rock before making those arguments. Leona Lewis, to my recollection, has achieved 3 number 1 singles in the UK, 2 number 2's, an album that topped the charts once on its initial release (fastest selling ever if that means anything), once again on its 'deluxe edition' release only a year later, and became the first female solo artist to top the US billboard top 100 in 25 years. And she won The X Factor 3 years ago...

Because it reels the money right back in maybe... it's shit TV that gets ratings.

Is your knowledge of acts the definition of success? Alexandra Burke and JLS have both enjoyed a no.1 album and two no.1 singles each so far.


Yes, just like I wouldn't call two studio albums and ten singles '2 singles'


Promoting and performing due to his recently released singles compilation. I'm sure even you'd agree it's hard to build enough of a back catalogue to warrant a greatest hits without long-term success.


They've released several successful singles and albums over the space of 6-7 years.


The show is a guaranteed success. The pop career afterwards isn't. X-Factor is first and foremost a TV show.


Brookstein and Jackson were bad and have failed; this happens to regular musical acts also.

Shayne Ward is apparently getting ready to release a third album. A lot of musical acts don't tend to be everywhere all the time.

Joe McElderry has had a pop career for under two days.

The rest are enjoying varying degrees of success that I've already mentioned.

The fact that you have no idea who they are yet comment on the acts that come from this show make me question whether you know what you are even talking about, or just dislike the show and will criticise all parts of it without reason. Maybe when looking at the list of winners you could have clicked through to the articles about them before your misguided tirade.

[quote=celesti;37302103]Is your knowledge of acts the definition of success? Alexandra Burke and JLS have both enjoyed a no.1 album and two no.1 singles each so far.



Yes, just like I wouldn't call two studio albums and ten singles '2 singles'




Again, Will Young technically wasn't an XFactor winner, he won whatever came before it. And yes, I admit that Will Young was fairly successful. (By the way, a greatest hits CD isn't a measure of success).


As I said, Girls Aloud are memorable. I never disputed that.


First and foremost its a way (and always has been) for Simon Cowell to line his pockets even more. He's the UK equivalent of Murdoch:




It does happen to regular music acts. However, regular music acts don't win a "cash prize" for sob stories.


No, but you'd expect them, especially having won such a "high rated" show, to actually do SOMETHING in the few years since winning the show...


Thanks. As I say I don't watch the XFactor, purely as I loathe "reality" TV.


Judging by the current chart (XFactor winner at number 2) I'm not the only person who despises rubbish television.

Thank God for BBC iPlayer is all I can say.

His success is.


You seemed keen to dismiss them as pretty faces.



He's released two albums.


The physical release is tomorrow, and being no.2 in the Christmas week hardly suggests people are turning away in droves does it?

I never said they were unsuccessful, and actually I said that if the music industry fails them, not the other way round.


Not until you read the Guardian article which shows that this year, the battle between RATM and Joe McE is the closest to date?

I agree wholeheartedly with some of the quotes from the latest Guardian article...

That means support for the challenging single is bigger than it was. The 19m viewers and however many singles sales it eventually accrues means people clearly aren't getting sick of the show.

C'mon Rage!!!! Dont let another one of Cowells Pop-Puppets get to No.1 and line his pockets and inflate his ego even further!

Cowell needs to be brought down and shown that X-Factor is shit and we all know it!

They are already auditioning for next years show

remember kids insert the words "live my dream" into your application and you will go far...

I think these people posting here are typical Glastonbury fans who only care about acts writing songs.

Go Rage! A great tune, even with the foul language. Imho anything is better than these bile inducing ballards that keep being churned out.

At least it brings a bit of competition and old fashioned discussion about the Xmas No.1

I'm fed up of The X Factor song being the number 1 at Christmas every single year now since 2005. It's boring and predictable. I can just imagine on the Christmas Top of The Pops, Reggie and Fearne introducing it. *yawn*. How funny would it be to see them introducing Rage Against The Machine as the Xmas no1 this year?!

I'm no fan of RATM. But I really hope they get the no1 spot, so for once we can have a Xmas no1 which isn't an X Factor artist for a change.

Pretty much my reason for buying it, the fact that I love the song doesn't hurt, either.

Just sick of X-Factor winners and their cheesy, schmaltzy tweenie attracting ways.

Exactly, funny! It's all supposed to be fun! Sure that Guardian article has a point, but if people aren't going to have fun doing it then there really isn't much reason for it to happen as far as I'm concerned.

And that's a BAD thing, eh?

There's talent and then there's talent and then there's those pop muppets who dance to someone else's drum and makes money for everyone else but themselves.

firstly, who's ever going to find fame by appearing on DOND?

secondly, when you talk about people disappearing, are you including people like Leona Lewis, Will Young, Girls Aloud or more recently Alexandra or JLS in that?

which kinda proves a point - ultimately it is about the artist and the music - if they actually do find decent people, then they tend to be successful.

this idea that just because this is the route into the business for some people doesn't by default mean they are devoid of talent.

and how on earth does someone saying 'Good luck for tomorrow night' suggest anything other than good luck (for making it to tomorrow night)?

and why were you watching it?

Iain

I wasnt watching it, i heard it from the other room, and thought it sounded dodgy.

all due respect, but that says more about you than it does anyone else.


i'm starting to wonder if you know what you're talking about here.

Leona's debut album has sold over 6m copies worldwide, and had, i think, five top five singles.

her first single from her new album got to number 2 recently, making her 6th consecutive top five single.


he's just released a greatest hits album following four successful albums between 2002 and 2008, with the first two getting to number 1, and the other two getting to number 2, selling in the region of 2m copies between them in the UK.


they are attractive, but nonetheless the main reason they've had continued success is down to the quality of their singles over the years.

you might not like pop music, but nonetheless, they have released several great pop songs.

other, lesser girl bands, but also attractive, have not shared their success.


presumably the show makes money, and the ad revenue makes ITV money.


rather obviously, and unsurprisingly, some are more successful than others.

which rather disproves the suggestion that anyone can automatically be successful on the back of the show. they actually do have to have a bit more going for them.

Iain

you didn't just take it to mean good luck for (getting to) tomorrow night?

Iain