When “Last Christmas” by Wham! hits the top of the charts in the United Kingdom for the second year in a row, it is a time of year that is both melancholy and enjoyable.
The Official Charts Company made the announcement on Friday, December 20, that the song that was released in 1984 by the combo consisting of Andrew Ridgeley and the late George Michael had become the first song in the history of the charts to ever achieve two consecutive Christmas Number 1 triumphs.
As a result of this accomplishment, the well-liked tune, which Michael has written and produced, has become the song that has been streamed and bought the most time this week.
It comes only a few days before the anniversary of Michael’s loss, which took place on Christmas Day in 2016, and it coincides with the release of the 40th anniversary EP of the Last Christmas, which was released earlier this month. At the time of his passing, Michael, whose birth name was Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, was 53 years old. Subsequently, it was established that Michael had passed away due to natural causes.
Ridgeley, when asked about the accomplishment, said, “37 years to get to Number 1, 39 years to Christmas Number 1, and then like London buses they all come along at once!” When asked about the milestone, Ridgeley was speaking to Official Charts.
According to him, the achievement made him “especially pleased for George” since “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,” according to Ridgeley. “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,” he said in conclusion.
Wham! has joined “a rare Official Charts club,” according to Official Charts, as one of just a few bands to earn the Official Christmas Number 1 numerous times. This success has made Wham! a member of the club.
The group said in its statement that their peers now include Queen (2), Cliff Richard (2), Spice Girls (3), The Beatles (4), and the current record-holders, LadBaby (5). “Their peers now include,” the organization claimed.
Ridgeley said, “Artists of that calibre and songwriters, of which George was one, transcend the ages and decades and endure because of their quality.” Ridgeley was referring to the reasons why he feels the song continues to find popularity years after it was first released. ‘Last Christmas’ has lasted for such a long time, in my opinion, because of this.