Wham’s ‘Last Christmas’ steals the spot for the season’s No: 1

We are in the middle of festive season and the duo Wham has taken the UK’s Christmas No: 1 song with ‘Last Christmas’. Recorded in 1984, the then contemporary song was a double A side single with ‘Every Thing She Want’s. Song writer George Michael intended it to be the Christmas No: 1 in 1984, but was halted by the popularity of Band Aid’s ‘Do They Know Its Christmas’. (George Michael and his Wham band mate Andrew Ridgeley were part of the Band Aid ensemble). For years since the Christmas No: 1 which is considered the most important position of the chart in the calendar year, it was a touch and go situation with other songs and novelty Christmas tracks particularly LadBaby series, ruling the Christmas No:1 in recent years. This year they decided not release song. ’Last Christmas’ however did reach the No: 1 spot on the UK singles chart for the very first at the end of 2020, that was 37 years after it was recorded. It topped the chart again in 2022 before Christmas. Two weeks ago it reached the No: 1 spot on the UK singles chart and expectations high if yuletide classic can take the all-important Christmas No: 1. The days running up to the current countdown ‘Last Christmas’ had 13.3 million streams. Battling for the Christmas No: 1 was Sam Ryder’s current hit song ‘You’re Christmas To Me’, six weeks rising up the numbers game. At the count ‘Last Christmas’ prevailed with Ryder’s song only managing to take the No: 2 spot despite a big jump from 10. This is Wham’s sixth chart topping UK hit following ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go- Go’ (1983), ‘Careless Whisper’ and ‘Freedom’ (1984), ‘I’m You’re Man’ and ‘Edge Of Heaven (1985). Sadly George Michael never lived to see the song he wrote and produce become the Christmas chart topping song as he died 25th December 2016. Andrew Ridgeley is the only surviving member of Wham.