The iconic festive track hits number one for the second time this year, while Michael Bublé’s “Christmas” reclaims the top spot in the album charts.
Wham have closed 2022 on a high note, as their Christmas classic “Last Christmas” claimed the top spot on the UK Singles Chart for the second time this year. The iconic duo, George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, have seen their festive hit, originally released in 1984, hit number one once again, some 38 years after it was first released.
“Last Christmas” had previously held the title of the UK’s best-selling single never to reach number one, famously kept at number two by Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” in 1984. The track sold over 79,000 units this week and was the most-streamed song in the UK. It also made history when it first reached the top spot on January 1, 2021, setting a record for the longest time taken for a song to top the chart.
The news was celebrated by Wham’s management, who shared a post on social media: “We’re delighted that ‘Last Christmas’ by WHAM! has hit Number 1 on the UK @officialcharts for the second time within a month! Thank you all, what a wonderful way to end the year… you wait thirty-six years for a number one, and then they come like buses!”
This week’s success follows the recent achievement of social media sensation LadBaby, who made chart history by securing his fifth consecutive Christmas number one with the song “Food Aid,” a reworking of Band Aid’s classic.
Also on the charts, Mariah Carey’s timeless “All I Want For Christmas Is You” climbed to number two, and Ed Sheeran and Sir Elton John’s “Merry Christmas” reached number three. Other festive favourites, including Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,” made their presence felt, with the track reaching number four.
On the album charts, Michael Bublé’s “Christmas” album reclaimed the number one position, while Taylor Swift’s “Midnights” took second place, after briefly topping the charts in the previous week. SZA’s “SOS” album reached number three, with Ed Sheeran’s “Equals” rounding out the top five.
