In a stunning display of enduring popularity, Wham!’s 1984 holiday classic “Last Christmas” has once again topped the UK singles chart as the official Christmas number one. This marks the second straight year the song has achieved this feat, an impressive 40 years after it was originally held off the top spot by Band Aid’s charity single “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”
The song’s co-writer and Wham! member Andrew Ridgeley expressed his delight at the news, noting how the song has become “almost as much a part of Christmas as mince pies, turkey and pigs in blankets.” He said he was especially pleased for his late bandmate George Michael, who composed the song, stating that Michael “would have been utterly delighted” by its ongoing success and status as a festive staple.
A Holiday Juggernaut
“Last Christmas” has become a global phenomenon, currently racking up a staggering 7.7 million plays per day on Spotify. In the US, it sits at #4 on this week’s singles chart. The song has inspired the viral “Whamageddon” challenge, where people try to go as long as possible without hearing the song each holiday season.
Ridgeley called the song’s long journey to Christmas number one “like waiting for a London bus,” referencing how the song went nearly four decades before finally reaching the top spot last year, only to immediately repeat the achievement.
Facing Fierce Competition
Despite its dominance, “Last Christmas” faced stiff competition this year from another holiday mega-hit: Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Carey’s song landed at #3 this week, losing the runner-up position to Gracie Abrams’ “That’s So True,” the latter having just concluded a four-week run atop the charts.
Overall, a record 29 out of this week’s Top 40 singles in the UK are holiday-themed, including classics from Brenda Lee, Bobby Helms, and The Pogues all reaching the top 10. Several new Christmas tunes also made a strong showing:
- Tom Grennan’s “It Can’t Be Christmas” reached #4, benefitting from a major push by Amazon Music
- Laufey’s “Christmas Magic” hit #19, another Amazon-affiliated success story
Charity, Satire, and Streaming
In a surprising twist, the top-selling song of the week was “Freezing This Christmas” by Sir Starmer and the Granny Harmers. The satirical cover of “Lonely This Christmas” pokes fun at Labour leader Keir Starmer over his party’s policy on winter fuel payments for pensioners, with all proceeds going to the charity Age UK. Despite minimal streaming numbers, enthusiastic purchases pushed it to #37.
Meanwhile, George Michael also appears on a new version of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” at #12 – a reworking of the Band Aid single spliced together for its 40th anniversary. The song stirred controversy over perceptions it promotes stereotypes about Africa, but co-writer Bob Geldof defended it, citing the millions of lives he believes were saved by the original fundraiser.
New Faces Finish Strong
Amidst the holiday shuffle, several newer artists posted strong showings to close out the year. 24-year-old Sabrina Carpenter’s “Short n’ Sweet” returned to #1 on the album chart after 21 weeks atop the singles chart this year. And singer Lola Young scored her first top 10 hit with “Messy” reaching #7 after a slow build since its May release.
As the year draws to a close and “Last Christmas” enjoys another well-deserved victory lap, it begs the question: in the crowded holiday music landscape, which song will emerge on top next year? Will Wham! score a three-peat, or will a new contender rise to claim the crown? Pop music fans are already counting down the days until we find out. But for now, we collectively toast the late George Michael and the inimitable magic of Wham!’s immortal “Last Christmas.”
