Wham!’s “Last Christmas” sleigh-rides from No. 18 to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 (dated Dec. 14), as the 1984 classic by the British duo of Michael, who died in 2016, and Andrew Ridgeley hits a new high on the survey, surpassing its prior No. 4 peak.
The chestnut, written and produced by Michael (and serviced on Sony Music’s Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings), tallied 34.3 million official streams (up 57% week-over-week), 17.9 million in radio airplay audience (up 20%) and 2,000 sold (up 75%) in the United States Nov. 29-Dec. 5, according to Luminate.
Notably, the song’s ascent precedes Netflix’s documentary WHAM!: Last Christmas Unwrappedpremiering Sunday (Dec. 15), chronicling the song’s legacy via new interviews with Ridgeley and archival footage of Michael. The platform released an all-encompassing documentary about the pair, WHAM!last year.
‘I’m delighted that Wham!’s festive classic has reached its highest-ever chart placing in the U.S.A.,” Ridgeley tells Billboard via email. “It is a testament to the enduring appeal of one of George Michael’s songwriting masterstrokes that ‘Last Christmas’ seems to have become woven into the very fabric of Christmas. I’d like to thank Wham!’s U.S. fans, the American public at large, Sony Music, Netflix all the DSPs and media who continue to support Wham! and ‘Last Christmas.’ Thank you and Merry Christmas everyone!”
“It seems barely credible that ‘Last Christmas’ was first released 40 years ago,” Michael’s estate shares in a statement. “It means so much to all of us that this quintessential Christmas song continues to resonate with so many people across the generations. Thank you to all Wham! fans across the United States who have made this incredible chart position possible. We should also thank Andrew Ridgeley for all he has done – it has been a privilege to work alongside him on all Wham! projects.
“We say this every time a new landmark is achieved, but we truly know just how proud and moved George would have been that his music continues to mean so much to so many people. Thank you all.”
To date, “Last Christmas” has drawn 3.66 billion in radio reach and 1.16 billion official on-demand streams and sold 1.1 million downloads in the U.S. The song reached No. 1 on the Official UK Singles chart in 2021 at last, while its pop culture impact has extended to the 2019 film of the same name.
Meanwhile, six of Wham!’s seven Hot 100 top 10s have now reached the top three, with the act having previously notched top-three placements in 1984-86 with “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,” “Careless Whisper” (each No. 1 for three weeks), “Everything She Wants” (No. 1, two weeks), “Freedom” and “I’m Your Man” (each No. 3). The pair’s other top 10, “The Edge of Heaven,” hit No. 10 in 1986.
Upon the 40th anniversary of “Last Christmas” this Yuletide season, four physical versions – on CD and on black, “snowflake white” and zoetrope 12-inch vinyl – were put up for pre-order Oct. 24, and are set for release Friday (Dec. 13).
Plus, the George Michael Fund is commemorating the anniversary by making more than 20 grants to organizations working with children and young people in the U.K. through a donation of royalties from the sales of “Last Christmas.”
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