If Mariah Carey is the Queen of Christmas, then George Michael is at the head of that particular Royal table.
The late superstar English singer is connected with the holiday period in as many ways as Santa, snow and a clean slate.
The ex-Wham vocalist is, of course, front and centre of two timeless Christmas classics. Michael is an original member of the all-star ensemble known as Band Aid, whose ’80s charity-fundraising record “Do They Know Its Christmas?” created the template from which the music community would, to this day, response to dire situations.
In the same month (December) of the same year (1984), Michael and his Wham bandmate Andrew Ridgeley also released into the world “Last Christmas”, a song that rings in the silly season, year-in, year-out.
Christmas wouldn’t be the same without Michael’s soulful pop tones, and the Brits keep coming back for more. “Last Christmas” was, for many years, the best-selling single in the U.K. to never reach No. 1; the single spent five weeks at No. 2 in the year of release, beaten only by Michael and his Band Aid bandmates.
Wham’s sugary heart-breaker finally broke the shackles at the top of 2021, setting a new mark for the longest journey to the top, at 36 years.
Fast forward to 2024, and Wham’s “Last Christmas” is the coveted Christmas No. 1 in the U.K., an historic effort achieved on its 40th anniversary. For the record, the single was a beast this year – racking up an untouchable 12.6 million streams in the most recent chart cycle. “Last Christmas” is on the climb in Australia, lifting 10-7 on the current ARIA Chart.
“37 years to get to Number 1, 39 years to Christmas Number 1, and then like London buses they all come along at once! I’m especially pleased for George, he would have been utterly delighted, his fabulous Christmas composition has become such a classic, almost as much a part of Christmas as mince pies, turkey and pigs in blankets,” Ridgeley tells the Official Charts Company, the UK’s charts compiler.
“It’s testament to a really wonderful Christmas song that in a lot of people’s minds evokes and represents Christmas as we would all wish it to be. I’d like to thank everyone who has listened to, downloaded, bought, streamed Last Christmas and been a part of history. Thanks so much and Merry Christmas!”
Sadly, Michael also died on Christmas Day, 2016, at the age of just 53. More than any other pop artist, Christmas belongs to George Michael.
And with those two evergreen songs dominating Christmas playlists every year, and making an annual march up the charts in December, Michael will forever been connected with that most wonderful time of the year.
Sing along to Wham’s “Last Christmas” below (lyrics via Genius).
Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
But the very next day, you gave it away
This year, to save me from tears
I’ll give it to someone special
Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
But the very next day, you gave it away (You gave it away)
This year, to save me from tears
I’ll give it to someone special (Special)
Once bitten and twice shy
I keep my distance, but you still catch my eye
Tell me, baby, do you recognise me?
Well, it’s been a year, it doesn’t surprise me
“Happy Christmas,” I wrapped it up and sent it
With a note saying, “I love you,” I meant it
Now I know what a fool I’ve been
But if you kissed me now, I know you’d fool me again
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Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
But the very next day, you gave it away (You gave it away)
This year, to save me from tears
I’ll give it to someone special (Special)
Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
But the very next day, you gave it away
This year, to save me from tears
I’ll give it to someone special (Special, oh)
Oh, oh, baby
A crowded room, friends with tired eyes
I’m hiding from you and your soul of ice
My God, I thought you were someone to rely on
Me? I guess I was a shoulder to cry on
A face-on lover with a fire in his heart
A man undercover, but you tore me apart
Ooh-ooh
Now I’ve found a real love, you’ll never fool me again
Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
But the very next day, you gave it away (You gave it away)
This year, to save me from tears
I’ll give it to someone special (Special)
Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
But the very next day, you gave it away (You gave me away)
This year, to save me from tears
I’ll give it to someone special (Special)
A face-on lover with a fire in his heart (I gave you my heart)
A man undercover, but you tore him apart
Maybe next year
I’ll give it to someone, I’ll give it to someone special
Special
Someone
Someone
I’ll give it to someone, I’ll give it to someone special
Who give me something in return
(I’ll give it to someone, I’ll give it to someone)
Hold my heart and watch it burn
I’ll give it to someone, I’ll give it to someone special
I thought you were here to stay
How could you love me for a day?
I thought you were someone special
I gave you my heart
I’ll give it to someone, I’ll give it to someone
Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
You gave it away
I’ll give it to someone, I’ll give it to someone
