A searing protest song against police brutality, “Killing in the Name” was the lead single from Rage Against the Machine’s self-titled debut album, initially only reaching #25 on the UK charts in 1993 after being released in November 1992. It was written six months following the Rodney King beating in 1991, which resulted in the L.A. riots.

17 years later, after a Facebook campaign (in response to manufactured artists from a TV show releasing a Christmas single), the single reached #1 on the UK, #2 on the Scottish, #2 on the Irish and #4 on the European Singles Charts. In addition, the song became the Fastest-selling digital track (UK), according to Guinness World Records, with 502,672 downloads.

A little dose of anarchy for the Christmas holidays is good for the soul. I love the independent spirit of the British rock fans. Your country has a great rich history of cutting-edge, exciting rebel music. Whether it’s the early Stones and The Who, or The Clash and Sex Pistols, or Prodigy and Muse, I think that people are just fed up with being represented every Christmas holiday, being spoon fed some overblown, sugary ballad that sits at the top of the charts
– Tom Morello

Additionally, the album cover depicts a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, self-immolating in 1963 in protest of then President Ngô Đình Diệm’s oppression of the Buddhist religion. This is fitting to the anti-establishment message of the song.