[…] THE GEORGE MICHAEL FUND, to celebrate the 40th anniversary donated a substantial amount from George’s Last Christmas record royalties to some 20 organisations raising money for causes close to George’s heart.
Autore: GM Infonet
Chart history made as Last Christmas takes 2nd Christmas number one crown
Last Christmas you gave them Christmas Number 1…and this year, WHAM! have repeated the trick, landing the Christmas Number 1 2024, making Official Chart history in the process.
Today, Official Charts can confirm Last Christmas becomes the first song in chart history to ever clinch two consecutive Christmas Number 1 victories, marking its 40th anniversary as the most-streamed and physically purchased song of the week.
Last Christmas secures Christmas Number 1 through both digital any physical domination, with 12.6 million streams, and the best seller of the week physically too, thanks to a suite of limited edition 40th anniversary collectibles, including zoetrope vinyl, picture disc and CD.
Speaking exclusively to Official Charts, WHAM!’s Andrew Ridgeley says: “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.”
“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!”
Wham! return to No 1 ahead of Wham! Last Christmas Unwrapped. A gorgeous and warm testament to George and to his genius
Wham! have returned to the UK No 1 spot with Last Christmas, priming George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley’s festive classic as the bookies’ favourite to claim the Christmas No 1 next Friday.
Wham: Last Christmas Unwrapped is an hour-long special that promises an in-depth look at one of the most successful Christmas songs of all time, though curiously, it wasn’t until 39 years after its initial release, in 1984, that it finally became Britain’s festive number one. This documentary pulls the song and the video apart, discussing how they were written and made, before analysing their cultural impact. All fascinating, particularly to fans, but even fans might be surprised at how intimate and lovely the conversations about George Michael are here.
Shirlie Kemp makes a brief and heartbreaking slip of the tongue as she talks about how much he valued friendship. “George is – was – the more, the merrier,” she says, remembering his legendary Christmas Eve parties. Ridgeley, too, opens up about the loss of the man he calls “my other half. I never conceived of a future without him,” he says. This is a gorgeous and warm testament to him and to his genius.
