Unlikely hit (almost) tops British pop charts

Leave it to the Brits – in an ultimate act of flippin’ the bird to Simon Cowell and his ilk, real music fans in the United Kingdom have sent the 1963 rock classic “Surfin’ Bird” by the Trashmen to the upper reaches of the U.K. Pop single charts.

According to this story in the Los Angeles Times, British music fans wanted to keep the latest assembly-line pop ditty from Cowell’s no-talent TV show “The X Factor” from topping the charts this holiday season so they solicited Facebook friends and like-minded music fans to buy the nearly 50-year-old surf rock classic on iTunes and other places online.  Last year, the strategy worked and Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing In The Name” was the season’s top seller.  This year, however, “Surfin’ Bird” could only muster a No. 3 spot, behind “X-Factor” winner Matt Cardle (at No. 1) and Rihanna (at No. 2).

Lest you still don’t understand how cool this is, just get a load of “Surfin’ Bird” as performed on “American Bandstand” in 1963:

MP3: “Surfin’ Bird” by the Trashmen

Bonus MP3: “Bird Dance Beat” by the Trashmen

YouTube: The Trashmen performing “King Of The Surf” earlier this year

The Trashmen official Facebook page

YouTube: The Trashmen at Louisiana Music Factory record store in New Orleans