Thanks to a Facebook led campaign, the Los Angeles band's 1992 anthem 'Killing In The Name' has secured the Yuletide top spot after shifting 502,000 downloads, according to the Official Charts Company.

McElderry has had to settle for second place with 'The Climb' selling 450,000 copies. This marks the first time in five years an X Factor winner hasn't claimed the Christmas number one.

Better still, not only is Rage Against The Machine's 'Killing In The Name' number one, it has also achieved two new chart records.

Firstly it has notched up the biggest one-week download sales total in British chart history and it has also become the first ever download only Christmas number one in the UK.

Official charts company director Official Charts Company managing director Martin Talbot said: "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.

“The popular support we have seen for the record this week has been truly amazing - and handed them two all-time records.”

'Killing In The Name' sold over 200,000 copies on Friday and Saturday alone, while McElderry's physical sales are thought to have trailed off thanks to the bad weather.

Martin Talbot added: "Congratulations should also go to Joe McElderry. In taking the number two spot, he has still achieved one of the highest weekly sales of any single this year - in almost any other year, 450,000 copies would have given him the Christmas number one.

"Through this week, these two tracks have accounted for more than 950,000 single sales, a fact which is truly remarkable."

The number ones of the decade are as follows:

• 2000: Bob The Builder - 'Can We Fix It?'
• 2001: Robbie Williams & Nicole Kidman - 'Somethin’ Stupid'
• 2002: Girls Aloud - 'Sound Of The Underground'
• 2003: Michael Andrews feat Gary Jules - 'Mad World'
• 2004: Band Aid 20 - 'Do They Know It’s Christmas?'
• 2005: Shayne Ward - 'That’s My Goal'
• 2006: Leona Lewis - 'A Moment Like This'
• 2007: Leon Jackson - 'When You Believe'
• 2008: Alexandra Burke – 'Hallelujah'
• 2009: Rage Against The Machine – 'Killing In The Name'

Susan Boyle is number one in the album chart with 'I Dreamed A Dream'.

(Gigwise)