{"id":224339,"date":"2025-12-09T20:54:11","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T20:54:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/224339\/"},"modified":"2025-12-09T20:54:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T20:54:11","slug":"whams-last-christmas-hits-new-no-2-hot-100-high","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/224339\/","title":{"rendered":"Wham!’s ‘Last Christmas’ Hits New No. 2 Hot 100 High"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tWham!<\/a>\u2019s \u201cLast Christmas\u201d dashes four places to No. 2<\/a> on the Billboard Hot 100<\/a> dated Dec. 13, as the 1984 classic by the British duo of George Michael<\/a>, who died in 2016, and Andrew Ridgeley hits a new high on the chart, surpassing its prior No. 3 peak.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe carol, written and produced by Michael (and on Sony Music\u2019s Columbia Records\/Legacy Recordings), tallied 33.2 million streams (up 63%), 18.2 million in radio reach (up 14%) and 2,000 sold (up 76%) in the United States Nov. 28-Dec. 4, according to Luminate.<\/p>\n

\n\tWham! posts its highest Hot 100 rank in 40-and-a-half years, since \u201cEverything She Wants\u201d \u2014 the pair\u2019s third of three leaders, among seven top 10s \u2014 was No. 2 on the June 8, 1985-dated chart, after three weeks at No. 1.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI\u2019m delighted to learn that Wham!\u2019s perennial Christmas favorite, \u2018Last Christmas,\u2019 has secured the Billboard No. 2 spot this week,\u201d Ridgeley marvels via email. \u201cSince its release over 40 years ago, \u2018Last Christmas\u2019 has established\u00a0itself worldwide as one of the most cherished Christmas classics, beloved by all generations. It\u2019s an amazing testament to the special place the song occupies in so many hearts and one that George Michael would have been immensely proud of. Thank you, everyone who has embraced the song as a little piece of their own merry Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tMichael\u2019s estate calls the song\u2019s new Hot 100 best, as shared in a statement, \u201ca testament to a brilliant song and timeless record that embodies the very sound of Christmas and continues to resonate with audiences, while captivating new listeners around the world.\u00a0Thank you to everyone who keeps this song at the very heart of Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tTo date, \u201cLast Christmas\u201d has drawn 3.8 billion in radio reach and 1.4 billion official on-demand streams and sold 1.1 million downloads in the U.S.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe song reached No. 1 on the Official UK Singles chart in 2021 at last<\/a>, while its pop culture impact has extended to the 2019 film<\/a> of the same name. In 2024, Netflix premiered the documentary WHAM!: Last Christmas Unwrapped, a chronicle of the song\u2019s legacy via newly conducted interviews with Ridgeley and archival footage of Michael, after the platform released an all-encompassing documentary about the duo, WHAM!, in 2023.<\/p>\n


\"Billboard
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