Joe McElderry trails Rage Against The Machine in race for Christmas number one

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The teenager is running behind Rage Against The Machine's Killing In The Name, which is being championed by an anti-X Factor internet campaign.

However, when a CD version of McElderry's track The Climb is released on Wednesday it is thought he will overturn the lead.

Winner: But Joe McElderry's song is behind in the battle for top spot

Until now the battle has been waged on downloads alone.

The Official Charts Company said today that it was "the fiercest battle for years" for the festive chart-topper.

The gap between the two records is only around 10% of RATM's sales.

Some cut-price retailers were reporting that McElderry had initially been ahead, but by today Amazon said its sales showed the expletive-rich 1992 track Killing In The Name was nudging ahead.

Music firm HMV said RATM were outselling McElderry by 10 to one yesterday, although it tends to be skewed towards specialist music fans.

McElderry's track was released only after his Sunday night win, so RATM's has effectively had almost twice as long on sale.

His CD version is being launched with a home town appearance in South Shields tomorrow.

X Factor winners have topped the charts at Christmas for the past four years and bookmaker William Hill is considering abandoning flutters on the seasonal number one because it is usually a foregone conclusion.

Official Charts Company managing director Martin Talbot said: "This is shaping up to be a very exciting battle between two different records which have captured the nation's imagination.

"But, although Rage Against The Machine have started off in front, according to our initial sales estimates, there is no doubt that this tussle is far from over."

A spokesman for HMV predicted there would be a huge change when the CD is released.

He said: "Whilst it's true that, since Sunday night, quite a few more fans have been downloading the Rage track from HMV's digital music store off the back of the internet campaign, we believe this trend will be reversed in a big way once the physical CD single of Joe's The Climb officially goes on sale in stores from tomorrow."