In 2023, WHAM‘s 1984 classic “Last Christmas” became the Christmas #1 — a big deal in the duo’s native England — for the first time ever. This year marks the song’s 40th anniversary, and it just nabbed the Christmas #1 again, the first time a song has ever repeated the feat.
Ahead of the #1 announcement, WHAM’s Andrew Ridgeley told ABC Audio he was hoping the song would land the milestone yet again.
“To be #1, Christmas #1, in consecutive years will really be quite remarkable,” he says. “It was always, in our minds, a #1 record. But the fact that it may well be consecutive years is unique. Yeah, it’d be very pleasing indeed.”
In the U.S., the song is also a holiday perennial, despite the fact that the lyrics are all about heartbreak and betrayal. Why did the late George Michael, who wrote the song, go in that direction?
“I never asked him, actually,” Andrew says of George, who died on Christmas Day 2016. “So that one will remain unknown. But it’s certainly a stroke of brilliance, because it works so well.”
“Whilst it’s a sad, sorrowful lyric … [it’s] certainly not a sad record,” he adds. “Because I think part of its brilliance is the fact that you have that tale of betrayed love set against what is really an exceedingly pretty melody and very buoyant and light arrangement. And so people don’t perceive it as being a sad track.”
Since its release, “Last Christmas” has been covered literally hundreds of times, but Andrew says his favorite version is by Gwen Stefani.
“It’s very original. It’s got a fantastic production sound to it,” he says. “It’s got a lovely string arrangement and a different kind of rhythm to it … it’s really good.”
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