Wham's 'Last Christmas' at 40: 10 facts you didn't know about the festive love song

14 December 2024, 16:50

As JLS's JB Gill once said: "Merry Christmas!"

Just hearing those opening synth notes of Wham!'s 'Last Christmas' is enough to get us all reaching for the mulled wine and reminiscing about holidays past.

• Listen to Heart Xmas on Global Player, the official Heart app

Since its release back in 1984, this George Michael classic has been getting us through festive breakups and making us dance around our Christmas trees in equal measure.

Whether you're Team 'This Year I'll Give It To Someone Special' or still feeling the sting of giving your heart away last Christmas, stick with us as we unwrap some absolutely fascinating facts about this festive favourite.

1. 'Last Christmas' was written by George Michael in his childhood bedroom

   

   'Last Christmas' was first written in 1984, when George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley were visiting George's parents.

   While they were watching TV, George ran upstairs to his bedroom and casually wrote one of the best Christmas songs ever.

   “George had performed musical alchemy, distilling the essence of Christmas into music,” Andrew later said.

   “Adding a lyric which told the tale of betrayed love was a masterstroke and, as he did so often, he touched hearts.”

2. George essentially did everything on the track

   

   Not only did George write and produce the song, but he pretty much took everything on himself.

   By summer 1984, George was the creative force of Wham!, and he decided on playing the Roland Juno-60 synth in the studio.

   “George wasn’t a musician,” engineer Chris Porter said. “It was a laborious process, because he was literally playing the keyboards with two or three fingers.”

   George even played the sleigh bells.

3. It took 37 years to reach number one

   

   Wham! - Last Christmas (Official Video)

   Sadly, 'Last Christmas' missed out on number one (and Christmas number one) in 1984. However, George was still top that year as the winner was Band Aid's 'Do They Know It's Christmas' (aka one of the best-selling songs of all time).

   After downloads and later streaming were added to the charts, the song would return every single year, getting higher and higher each time, and eventually topped the chart for the first time in January 2021.

   It even scored the Christmas number one finally, in 2023.

   It was previously the UK's best-selling single to never reach the top of the singles chart.

4. George was sued for plagiarism

   

   Barry Manilow - Can't Smile Without You (Live from The First BBC Special, 1978)

   Publishing company Dick James Music later sued George Michael on behalf of the writers of 'Can’t Smile Without You', a love song recorded by The Carpenters and Barry Manilow among others.

   According to Chris Porter, the suit was later dismissed after a musicologist presented 60-plus songs that also have a similar chord progression and melody.

5. Everyone from Jimmy Eat World to Crazy Frog has covered it

   

   Crazy Frog - Last Christmas (Official Video)

   A LOT of artists have attempted to cover 'Last Christmas' with various degrees of quality over the years.

   Jimmy Eat World, Hilary Duff, Good Charlotte, Ariana Grande, Carly Rae Jepsen, Gwen Stefani, Taylor Swift and Whigfield are just a few who have given it a go.

   And who can forget Crazy Frog's 2006 version?

6. Some people prefer not to hear it, which is kind of impossible

   In the 2010s, the concept of Whamageddon became athing, where people attempt to not hear the song from December 1st to 24th.

   • Whamageddon is the Christmas game you've never heard of but everyone is playing

   Once you hear the original Wham! version, you're out of the game.

   We actually don't believe people who say they manage it!

7. 'Last Christmas' wasn't a hit in the States

   In 1984, 'Last Christmas' wasn’t released as a commercial single in the United States, and it wasn’t eligible for the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

   It wasn't until George's death in 2016 which finally saw the song enter the chart, and it later reached its peak position (so far) of number 4 in 2023.

8. The video was the last time George had a beard

   

   Look, that counts as a good fact!

9. Everyone was sloshed in the music video

   

   Andrew Ridgeley has described the video's shoot as “mayhem”, and said it was surprising that even got made.

   He said that he got so drunk during the dinner party scene, that his eyes puffed up from laughter and he was forced to sit out the next scenes.

   Video director Andrew Morahan admitted to encouraging the drinking: “I kind of encouraged it, I have to be honest. It made for a more realistic shoot. Some of the out-takes are pretty good...”

10. A DJ forced people to listen to 'Last Christmas' for a LONG time

    Antenne Carinthia presenter Joe Kohlhofer began his 8am show on December 18th, 2015, by telling his Austrian listeners that he didn't think people were in the Christmas spirit enough.

    He then proceeded to play 'Last Christmas' on loop for two hours as a "Christmas protest."

    Kohlhofer even blockaded the studio door with a wooden chair, locking out his co-host Patricia Jordan and other producers.

    The Austrian DJ eventually stopped playing the song, but only after his 4-year-old daughter was put on the phone. She told her father that she didn't like the song.