Joe is set to be NEXT Sunday's No 1

Joe McElderry's single The Climb is now outselling Rage Against The Machine's Christmas No 1 song by a margin of two to one.

Rap-metal act Rage beat the X Factor champion to take the coveted spot on Sunday, with their anti-establishment anthem Killing In The Name, which was backed by an internet campaign.

But music chain HMV said The Climb is set to clamber even higher and is looking good to claim the last No 1 of the noughties and the first of the new decade when the next official UK charts are announced this coming Sunday.

HMV's Gennaro Castaldo said: "Assuming the supporters of the Rage Against The Machine internet campaign feel they have now made their point and don't get on to their PCs again, it looks like Joe could be heading for a No 1 single after all.

"He may have missed out on the Christmas No 1, but sales of The Climb are not falling as steeply as those of Killing In The Name, so he's currently looking good to be both the last artist to top the charts in the noughties and the first chart-topper of the new decade."