Andrew Ridgeley has said George Michael would be ‘beside himself’ to know that Last Christmas has finally got the Christmas number one.
The late pop star – who died on Christmas Day in 2016 aged just 53 – released the festive tune in 1984 but it had never managed to achieve the coveted top spot over the Yuletide period until Friday night.
Upon receiving the news, Andrew, 60, remarked that he and his bandmate – whom he nicknamed Yog – had always measured their success in Wham! by chart positions and how it had been such a ‘disappointment’ to them both when it stalled at number two.
He told Official Charts: ‘George would be beside himself after all of these years to finally obtain.
‘Yog and I perceived music largely in the sense of the Official Charts. We always contextualised our success by our chart success.
![Last Christmas: Wham's Andrew Ridgeley reflects on George Michael's reaction to their hit reaching number one almost 40 years later 1 Andrew Ridgeley has said George Michael would be 'beside himself' to know that Last Christmas has finally got the Christmas number one](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/12/22/21/79269729-12895045-image-a-31_1703279087734.jpg)
Andrew Ridgeley has said George Michael would be ‘beside himself’ to know that Last Christmas has finally got the Christmas number one
![Last Christmas: Wham's Andrew Ridgeley reflects on George Michael's reaction to their hit reaching number one almost 40 years later 3 Andrew shot to fame alongisde George (right) as part of pop duo Wham! in the 1980s, but their festive classic had never bagged the Christmas number one until now](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/12/22/21/79269805-12895045-image-a-32_1703279116521.jpg)
Andrew shot to fame alongisde George (right) as part of pop duo Wham! in the 1980s, but their festive classic had never bagged the Christmas number one until now
‘It was a huge disappointment to us both when it didn’t reach No1 because in our opinion, it was nailed on.
‘Had it not been for Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas? it probably would have been No1. ‘
Andrew went on to add that the new feat will be the ‘crowning glory’ for the 1980s duo as he noted the song was always intended to be number one in the first place.
He said: ‘It’ll mean a lot to Wham!’s legacy, it’s the crowning glory. Last Christmas was conceived as a Christmas No1. Lofty ambitions, but Yog set lofty ambitions for himself as a songwriter.’
Andrew added that Wham’s fans will have a sense of achievement now that the song has finally reached the Christmas number one.
The 1984 perennial favourite, penned by George Michael, has topped the charts in the past, but never in the last week before Christmas. It was denied the top spot in the year of its release by Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas?
And amid one of the most furiously fought battles for the Yuletide crown in recent memory, the race was almost too close to call as the 80s icons fought off the likes of Mariah Carey, The Pogues and Sam Ryder to claim the title 39 years after its release.
The song became the bookies’ favourite to climb the charts after an earlier rush by fans of The Pogues to get Fairytale of New York to number 1 in memory of the Irish folk outfit’s frontman Shane MacGowan, who died in November.
![Last Christmas: Wham's Andrew Ridgeley reflects on George Michael's reaction to their hit reaching number one almost 40 years later 5 Andrew Ridgley as he appears int he video for Last Christmas](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/12/22/21/79259585-12895045-Andrew_Ridgley_as_he_appears_int_he_video_for_Last_Christmas-a-33_1703279599323.jpg)
Andrew Ridgley as he appears int he video for Last Christmas
![Last Christmas: Wham's Andrew Ridgeley reflects on George Michael's reaction to their hit reaching number one almost 40 years later 7 George Michael as he appeared in the video for 1984 festive favourite Last Christmas, now at number one for the first time at Christmas](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/12/22/21/79259589-12895045-George_Michael_as_he_appeared_in_the_video_for_1984_festive_favo-a-34_1703279603900.jpg)
George Michael as he appeared in the video for 1984 festive favourite Last Christmas, now at number one for the first time at Christmas
![Last Christmas: Wham's Andrew Ridgeley reflects on George Michael's reaction to their hit reaching number one almost 40 years later 9 Shane MacGowan in the video for The Pogues' Fairytale of New York. A campaign to get the song to number one is being coordinated by fans in memory of the late frontman](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/12/22/21/79251889-12895045-Shane_MacGowan_in_the_video_for_The_Pogues_Fairytale_of_New_York-a-35_1703279654768.jpg)
Shane MacGowan in the video for The Pogues’ Fairytale of New York. A campaign to get the song to number one is being coordinated by fans in memory of the late frontman
![Last Christmas: Wham's Andrew Ridgeley reflects on George Michael's reaction to their hit reaching number one almost 40 years later 11 Mariah Carey in the video for the Make My Wish Come True Edition of All I Want for Christmas Is You](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/12/22/21/79251893-12895045-Mariah_Carey_in_the_video_for_the_Make_My_Wish_Come_True_Edition-a-36_1703279657983.jpg)
Mariah Carey in the video for the Make My Wish Come True Edition of All I Want for Christmas Is You
![Last Christmas: Wham's Andrew Ridgeley reflects on George Michael's reaction to their hit reaching number one almost 40 years later 13 Eurovision star Sam Ryder has embarked on an aggressive marketing campaign in the battle to get his new song, You're Christmas To Me, to number one later today](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/12/22/21/79251885-12895045-Eurovision_star_Sam_Ryder_has_embarked_on_an_aggressive_marketin-a-37_1703279663315.jpg)
Eurovision star Sam Ryder has embarked on an aggressive marketing campaign in the battle to get his new song, You’re Christmas To Me, to number one later today
In the end, the band’s duet with Kirsty MacColl failed to crack the top five, which was rounded out by Eurovision star Sam Ryder’s You’re Christmas To Me, Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You, Noah Kahan’s Stick Season and Ed Sheeran and Elton John’s duet Merry Christmas.
Speaking about Wham!’s historic achievement, Martin Talbot, chief executive of the Official Charts, said: ‘Having claimed the top spot for the first time last year, it is fantastic that WHAM! have claimed the Christmas Number 1 honour at last.
‘Of course, WHAM!’s victory also means that someone has to come second and it is hard to recall harder-working Christmas Number 2 artist than Sam Ryder, who has chalked up more than 30 shows over the past seven days in a bid to take the crown.
‘Sam has made it truly a chart battle to remember – and should be comforted by the many years it has taken a song as iconic as Last Christmas to claim this most prized of chart achievements.
YEAR | SONG | SINGER |
---|---|---|
2023 | Last Christmas | Wham! |
2022 | Food Aid | LadBaby |
2021 | Sausage Rolls for Everyone | LadBaby ft Ed Sheeran and Elton John |
2020 | Don’t Stop Me Eatin’ | LadBaby |
2019 | I Love Sausage Rolls | LadBaby |
2018 | We Built This City | LadBaby |
2017 | Perfect | Ed Sheeran |
2016 | Rockabye | Clean Bandit ft Sean Paul and Anne-Marie |
2015 | A Bridge Over You | Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir |
2014 | Something I Need | Ben Haenow |
2013 | Skyscraper | Sam Bailey |
2012 | He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother | The Justice Collective |
2011 | Wherever You Are | Military Wives with Gareth Malone |
2010 | When We Collide | Matt Cardle |
2009 | Killing In The Name | Rage Against The Machine |
2008 | Hallelujah | Alexandra Burke |
2007 | When You Believe | Leon Jackson |
2006 | A Moment Like This | Leona Lewis |
2005 | That’s My Goal | Shayne Ward |
2004 | Do They Know It’s Christmas | Band Aid |
2003 | Mad World | Michael Andrews and Gary Jules |
2002 | Sound of the Underground | Girls Aloud |
2001 | Somethin’ Stupid | Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman |
2000 | Can We Fix It | Bob The Builder |
1999 | I Have a Dream/Seasons in the Sun | Westlife |
1998 | Goodbye | Spice Girls |
1997 | Too Much | Spice Girls |
1996 | 2 Become 1 | Spice Girls |
1995 | Earth Song | Michael Jackson |
1994 | Stay Another Day | East 17 |
1993 | Mr Blobby | Mr Blobby |
1992 | I Will Always Love You | Whitney Houston |
1991 | Bohemian Rhapsody | Queen |
1990 | Saviour’s Day | Cliff Richard |
1989 | Do They Know It’s Christmas | Band Aid II |
1988 | Mistletoe and Wine | Cliff Richard |
1987 | Always On My Mind | Pet Shop Boys |
1986 | Reet Petite | Jackie and Wilson |
1985 | Merry Christmas Everyone | Shakin’ Stevens |
1984 | Do They Know It’s Christmas | Band Aid |
1983 | Only You | The Flying Pickets |
1982 | Save Your Love | Renée and Renato |
1981 | Don’t You Want Me | The Human League |
1980 | There’s No One Quite Like Grandma | St Winifred’s School Choir |
1979 | Another Brick In The Wall Part Two | Pink Floyd |
1978 | Mary’s Boy Child – Oh My Lord | Boney M |
1977 | Mull of Kintyre/ Girls School | Wings |
1976 | When A Child Is Born | Johnny Mathis |
1975 | Bohemian Rhapsody | Queen |
1974 | Lonely This Christmas | Mud |
1973 | Merry Xmas Everybody | Slade |
1972 | Long Haired Lover From Liverpool | Jimmy Osmond |
1971 | The Fastest Milkman In The West | Benny Hill |
1970 | I Hear You Knocking | Dave Edmunds |
1969 | Two Little Boys | Rolf Harris |
1968 | Lily The Pink | The Scaffold |
1967 | Hello, Goodbye | The Beatles |
1966 | 1964 “I Feel Fine” 5 1965 “Day Tripper”https://www.dailymail.co.uk/”We Can Work It Out”[nb 3] 5 1966 Tom Jones “Green, Green Grass of Home” | Tom Jones |
1965 | Day Tripper/ We Can Work It Out | The Beatles |
1964 | I Feel Fine | The Beatles |
1963 | I Want To Hold Your Hand | The Beatles |
1962 | Return To Sender | Elvis Presley |
1961 | Moon River | Danny Williams |
1960 | I Love You | Cliff Richard and The Shadows |
1959 | What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For | Emilie Ford and The Checkmates |
1958 | It’s Only Make Believe | Conway Twitty |
1957 | Mary’s Boy Child | Harry Belafonte |
1956 | Just Walkin’ In The Rain | Johnnie Ray |
1955 | Christmas Alphabet | Dickie Valentine |
1954 | Let’s Have Another Party | Winifred Atwell |
1953 | Answer Me | Frankie Laine |
1952 | Here In My Heart | Al Martino |