Social networking sites have revolutionized the world in recent years. If you have never heard of Facebook and MySpace then you are not only behind the times but seriously spaced out. Well, social networking may just revolutionize the Christmas charts as well this year.
It’s a given that the winner of X Factor always gets the top spot at Christmas. That’s been the case for the last few years with Shayne Ward, Leona Lewis, Leon Jackson and Alexandra Burke all being Christmas No. 1. However, this year may well be a little different.
A Facebook campaign to keep X Factor off the top spot has been going for some time and currently has almost 89,000 members of the associated group. As of yesterday, the Joe McElderry song was at #2 whilst the campaign’s chosen tune “Killing In The Name” by Rage Against The Machine was 10% ahead. Although this will probably change before Sunday, which is when the Christmas chart will be announced, it does beg the question as to just how powerful social networking has become.
And, more importantly, how powerful it will become in determining the future of the music industry?
Rage Against The Machine had a hit with “Killing In The Name” in 1992 and it is a huge cult hit, but the fact that it has been introduced to a brand new audience, for whatever reason, via social networking is simply immense. People have mobilised behind the song with a common goal all because of social networking. It doesn’t really matter why people have mobilized, just that they have.
This campaign for Christmas No. 1 has certainly demonstrated that the music industry is changing and will continue to evolve until we all begin to have more of a say as to what songs are released and critically successful. The availability and charting of MP3 downloads started it but social networking may just take it to the next level.
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