As is well established this blog was founded in order to give some educational insight into those of yesteryear’s songs that one absolutely has to know about, after realising that some of my dear colleagues were not yet aware of some classics. But if you should somehow happen not to know about the song we’re talking about today then you must have spent your life under a very well hidden rock indeed.

Despite being constantly on air around the festive year-end season for the last 38 years “Last Christmas” by Wham! only made it to the #1 spot in the UK’s single charts in 2021, as although it was a huge success back in 1984 already it was topped then by Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas”, in which George Michael sings as well. As such, it long held the title for best-selling song never to reach top spot. Incidentally, Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill”, the original inspiration for our blog, only made it to number 1 after 37 years, one-upping Wham! by a year.

Despite the title and it’s yearly revival the song actually has very little to do with Christmas, but is about a failed relationship. It was written on a lazy Sunday, when George Michael and Andrew Ridgely were visiting Michael’s parents.

The video was shot in Saas-Fee and would be the last time George Michael was filmed without a beard.

George Michael died of dilated cardiomyopathy on Christmas Day 2016.