December 20th 2024.
The anticipation has finally ended as the Christmas number one single for 2024 has been announced, and it's already making history. Wham! has reclaimed the top spot with their timeless hit "Last Christmas," which was originally released 40 years ago. This marks the first time a song has held the Christmas number one spot two years in a row, solidifying its place as a holiday classic. It's hard to believe that the song was actually beaten to the top spot in 1984 by Band Aid's charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" But after 36 years, "Last Christmas" finally reached number one in the UK in 2021.
Last year, the track also made headlines as the longest journey to the top spot in UK charts, just in time for Christmas Day. The song took on an even more poignant meaning after the passing of George Michael on Christmas Day in 2016 at the age of 53. Andrew Ridgeley, Michael's bandmate, expressed his gratitude to fans for their continued support of the song. "Last Christmas" has been hailed as the perfect Christmas song and has consistently topped lists of the best festive tracks of all time. It was even the most-played Christmas song of the 21st century in the UK, until it was surpassed by The Pogues' "Fairytale of New York" in 2011.
In a statement, Ridgeley shared his joy for the success of the song and its enduring legacy. He also remembered George with a heartfelt message, saying, "I'm especially pleased for George, 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." He also thanked everyone who has listened to, downloaded, bought, and streamed "Last Christmas," making it a part of history.
Unfortunately, the number one spot still eludes Mariah Carey, known as the "Queen of Christmas," but she claimed the third spot in the race for the Christmas number one. The second spot went to Gracie Abrams, with Tom Grennan and Bruno Mars rounding out the top five. Grennan's new track "It Can't Be Christmas" was a newcomer in the race this year, and the singer-songwriter even got a tattoo on his thigh that read "Christmas No.1 2024 is..." in anticipation of the win. But in the end, it was Wham! who took home the title, joining the ranks of legendary artists like The Beatles and Sir Cliff Richard with multiple Christmas number ones.
In an interview with Official Charts, Grennan shared his reasoning behind the tattoo, saying, "Whatever happens, I'm getting somebody's name tattooed on my leg. If it's Wham!, then great, because Wham! are unreal. But if it's me, even better! And if it's Mariah... great too! But honestly, the tattoo thing I think is just a way for me to remember this time." Ridgeley also shared a message with Grennan, wishing him success in the future and acknowledging the importance of up-and-coming talent in the music industry.
In addition to the Christmas number one single, Sabrina Carpenter's album "Short N' Sweet" has been named the official Christmas number one album. This year, five-time Christmas number one champions LadBaby were not in the running, as their sausage roll-themed singles had dominated the competition from 2018 to 2022. It's safe to say that Wham! and their iconic song "Last Christmas" will forever hold a special place in the hearts of music lovers during the holiday season.
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