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 has a good chance of being the Christmas #1 again. WHAM’s Andrew Ridgeley says he’d love for it to happen because no other song has ever repeated that feat.
“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.”
We’ll find out Dec. 20 if it achieves that milestone. 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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