Wham! Last Christmas Has Dethroned Mariah Carey

Wham! – Last Christmas is the number one song on the charts right now. Sorry Mariah, but you have been dethroned – at least for right now.

This holiday classic first came out in 1984. It’s become so much a part of the holiday season, and played so much it’s become a bit of a game. Have you heard of #Whamageddon? It was started by a group of friends from Denmark about 19 years ago. They said that when they realized the song was being played constantly and instead of getting annoyed with it, they decided to make a game out of it and have a little bit of fun. Since then, people have tried their best to avoid the song—like a Christmas game of Tag, except it’s George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley who are “it”. Fun fact, a DJ played the song at a soccer game in 2023, thinking it would be funny to wipe out 7,000 people who couldn’t avoid it. The reaction online was not so funny. The DJ officially apologized.

And good luck trying to NOT hear the song, because it was just announced on Monday, “Last Christmas” was at the top of the Billboard Global 200 chart for the first time in the song’s history. Which means it’s everywhere.

Andrew Ridgely tells Billboard “Since its release over 40 years ago, ‘Last Christmas’ has established itself worldwide as one of the most cherished Christmas classics, beloved by all generations. It’s an amazing testament to the special place the song occupies in so many hearts and one that George Michael would have been immensely proud of. Thank you, everyone who has embraced the song as a little piece of their own merry Christmas.”

The estate of George Michael released a statement saying, it’s “a brilliant song and timeless record that embodies the very sound of Christmas and continues to resonate with audiences, while captivating new listeners around the world. Thank you to everyone who keeps this song at the very heart of Christmas.”

Categorised in: Afternoons

This post was written by Carrie Buchanan