In a remarkable achievement marking its 40th anniversary, Wham!'s beloved holiday classic 'Last Christmas' has claimed the UK Christmas Number One spot for the second consecutive year, making chart history in the process.
The festive favorite, written by the late George Michael, has become the first song ever to secure back-to-back Christmas Number One victories in the Official Charts' history. The track dominated both streaming platforms with 12.6 million plays and physical sales through special 40th anniversary editions, including limited zoetrope vinyl, picture disc, and CD releases.
This latest triumph adds another chapter to the song's extraordinary journey. Originally released in 1984, 'Last Christmas' was initially kept from the top spot by Band Aid's 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' It finally achieved its first Christmas Number One in 2023, after a 39-year wait - the longest in chart history.
Wham!'s Andrew Ridgeley shared his joy with Official Charts, expressing particular happiness for his late bandmate George Michael: "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."
The song maintained its position at the summit despite strong competition from artists including Gracie Abrams, Mariah Carey, and Tom Grennan. Now firmly established as the UK's favorite Christmas song, 'Last Christmas' continues to captivate new generations of listeners while maintaining its special place in holiday traditions.
This achievement reinforces the enduring appeal of the track, which has evolved from a 1984 festive release into an essential part of British Christmas culture. As Ridgeley noted, "It's 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."