Wham!’s festive track Last Christmas by no means acquired to primary within the yr of its launch 1984, however it has scored a historic first, turning into the primary monitor to occupy the festive chart’s high slot for a second consecutive yr.
40 years after its debut, the track penned by George Michael beat off competitors by Mariah Carey, Gracie Abrams, Tom Grennan and Ariana Grande to high the chart. This follows its success in reaching the identical place final yr, following a marketing campaign by Wham! followers.
Michael’s bandmate Andrew Ridgeley advised the BBC of his pleasure that his late good friend’s expertise had been recognised: “He would have been totally delighted [that] his fabulous Christmas composition has change into such a traditional, nearly as a lot part of Christmas as mince pies, turkey and pigs in blankets.
“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.”
The BBC studies that the Official Charts Company confirms the track has been streamed 12.6million occasions within the week main as much as Christmas.
A brand new documentary Wham!’s Last Christmas Unwrapped aired on the BBC final week, exploring how Michael created the track and performed each instrument himself, earlier than the band along with their buddies travelled to Saas-Fe in Switzerland to movie the video.
On their return, Michael joined the remainder of Bob Geldof’s musical recruits for Band Aid, the charity single that beat Last Christmas to the highest of the chart that yr. Michael admitted his ego was bruised by not having the festive primary, however he demonstrated his generosity with the choice to donate all royalties from his personal report to the Band Aid trigger.
Michael died on Christmas Day 2016, and within the documentary, his buddies remembered fondly how essential this time of yr was to him.