Wham!’s ‘Last Christmas’ makes historic return to UK Christmas Number One on single’s 40th anniversary

nme.com:

Wham! has landed the 2024 Christmas Number One spot on the UK Official Charts during the single’s 40th anniversary.The iconic holiday track was penned and produced by the late George Michael, with the aim of bagging Christmas Number One back in 1984.

However, the pop track was kept off the top spot by Band Aid’s ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’, a song that would go on to become the second best-selling single of all time.It wasn’t until last year that ‘Last Christmas’ finally earned the festive top spot.

Wham! also made history that year by setting the record for the longest-ever journey to the UK Christmas Number One, which was 39 years.Now, ‘Last Christmas’ has once again earned the Christmas Number One spot in the UK during the single’s 40th anniversary year.

The victory also sees Wham! make Official Charts history yet again, marking the first time a song has earned two consecutive Christmas Number One victories.Speaking to the Official Charts about Wham!’s victory and making history again, Andrew Ridgeley said: “37 years to get to Number One, 39 years to Christmas Number One, and then like London buses they all come along at once!“I’m especially pleased for George, he would have been utterly delighted, his fabulous Christmas composition has become such a classic, almost as much a part of Christmas as mince pies, turkey and pigs in blankets.”He continued: “It’s a testament to a really wonderful Christmas song that in a lot of people’s minds evokes and represents Christmas as we would all wish it to be.