Wham! has landed the 2024 Christmas Number One spot on the UK Official Charts during the single’s 40th anniversary.
The iconic holiday track was penned and produced by the late George Michael, with the aim of bagging Christmas Number One back in 1984. However, the pop track was kept off the top spot by Band Aid’s ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’, a song that would go on to become the second best-selling single of all time.
It wasn’t until last year that ‘Last Christmas’ finally earned the festive top spot. Wham! also made history that year by setting the record for the longest-ever journey to the UK Christmas Number One, which was 39 years.
Now, ‘Last Christmas’ has once again earned the Christmas Number One spot in the UK during the single’s 40th anniversary year. The victory also sees Wham! make Official Charts history yet again, marking the first time a song has earned two consecutive Christmas Number One victories.
Speaking to the Official Charts about Wham!’s victory and making history again, Andrew Ridgeley said: “37 years to get to Number One, 39 years to Christmas Number One, 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.”
He continued: “It’s a 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!”
Wham! join the likes of Queen, Spice Girls and The Beatles as one of only a few acts to achieve the Official Christmas Number One multiple times.
Speaking about this achievement, Ridgeley explained: “Artists of that calibre and songwriters, of which George was one, transcend the ages and decades and endure because of their quality. I think that’s the reason why ‘Last Christmas’ has endured.”
The accolade also comes as ‘Last Christmas’ celebrates its 40th anniversary, with the single being released on a special limited-edition physical reissue on both CD and various 12″ vinyl pressings, including a picture disc and a zoetrope disc. You can purchase it here.
The rest of the Top Five on the Official Christmas Singles include Gracie Abrams‘ ‘That’s So True’ at Number Two, Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ at Number Three, Tom Grennan‘s ‘It Can’t Be Christmas’ at Number Four – which had it kept climbing and landed the top spot, the feat would have marked the first time an original new song took the Number One spot since Ed Sheeran’s ‘Perfect’ did back in 2017 – and Rosie and Bruno Mars‘ ‘APT’ at Number Five. You can visit here to check out the full Christmas Chart.
This year, the race for Christmas Number One mirrored that of 1984 when Wham! were up against Band Aid’s ‘Do They Know it’s Christmas?’. The track landed the Number 12 spot on this year’s Christmas Charts.
Pepsi & Shirlie – the pair of backing singers and dancers for Wham! – spoke to NME last week about the 40th anniversary of ‘Last Christmas’, and opened up about the tight race for Christmas Number One.
Shirlie Kemp said: “When I saw that Band Aid had made a documentary, I thought, ‘Oh no!’. It’s funny. It’s history repeating itself, but whichever song gets to Number One, it’s win-win.”
READ MORE: Andrew Ridgeley on Wham!: “The music has a vibrancy and energy which appeals to Gen Z”
The two backup singers also spoke about how they think Michael would have reacted to the track finally earning the Number One spot on the charts.
“We’d have been at his house having a party ‘cause he loved having Number Ones! And he loved Christmas,” Kemp told NME. “He would be relaxed and happy, opening the door with an excited, ‘Right! Come and see my tree!’. He’d have homely, cosy Christmas parties every year.”
Pepsi added: “George would always be there with a gift, and he’d get pleasure out of handing them over to his friends. Years later, he would make sure we all got hampers, and Christmas didn’t arrive until you received your George Michael hamper from Fortnum & Mason.”
In other news, Liam Gallagher recently revealed that ‘Last Christmas’ is his favourite Christmas song.
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