Five Fascinating Facts About Wham!’s ‘Last Christmas’: From Bedroom Composition to Chart-Topping Phenomenon
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George Michael’s Festive Heartbreak Hit: ‘Last Christmas’ Takes 36 Years to Top Charts, A Tale of Unrequited Love and Generosity!
Creation in a Childhood Bedroom: George Michael wrote “Last Christmas” in his childhood bedroom in 1984. The inspiration struck him while watching TV with bandmate Andrew Ridgeley at Michael’s parents’ house. Michael reportedly composed this iconic holiday track in about an hour.
More About Heartbreak Than Christmas: Despite its title and festive release time, “Last Christmas” isn’t actually about Christmas. Instead, it’s about a failed romance, with the only real link to the holiday season being its title and mention of Christmas in the lyrics.
A Chart-Topping Delay: Upon its initial release in 1984, “Last Christmas” spent five consecutive weeks at number two in the UK Singles Chart, held off the top spot by Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” (which George Michael also performed in). It finally reached number one on New Year’s Day 2021, over 36 years after its release, and again achieved the Christmas number one spot in 2023.
A Charity Single: George Michael and Wham! donated all their royalties from “Last Christmas” to relief efforts for the Ethiopian famine. This charitable act was in line with the ethos of the time, as the song initially lost out to another charity single, Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”.
Covers and a Movie: “Last Christmas” has been covered by numerous artists, including Jimmy Eat World, Hilary Duff, Good Charlotte, Ariana Grande, Carly Rae Jepsen, Gwen Stefani, and Taylor Swift. Additionally, the song inspired a 2019 film of the same name, which included new unreleased material by George Michael.
