Wham's Last Christmas is the Christmas number one for a second consecutive year

George Michael composed "Last Christmas" in the bedroom where he grew up.

Wham!'s "Last Christmas" has topped the UK's Christmas charts for the second year in a row.

The holiday classic by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley outperformed tracks from Mariah Carey, Gracie Abrams, Tom Grennan, and Ariana Grande to take the number one spot on the charts.

Ridgeley mentioned that he was particularly happy for his late bandmate, who passed away in 2016 and had always dreamed of the song hitting number one.

He would have been thrilled to know that his incredible Christmas piece has become a timeless favorite, nearly as essential to the holiday season as mince pies, turkey, and pigs in blankets.

"It's a clear sign of a truly great Christmas song that it brings to mind and captures the spirit of Christmas as we all hope it can be," he continued.

According to the Official Charts Company, the song was played 12.6 million times in the week before Christmas.

The only other tracks that have reached the number one spot on the Christmas chart more than once are Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" (which hit the top in 1975 and again in 1991) and Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas" (with various editions topping the chart in 1984, 1989, and 2004). However, neither song achieved this feat in back-to-back years.

Andrew Ridgeley admired the "fantastic holiday tune."

"Last Christmas" first came out in 1984 but was overshadowed by Band Aid's charity single, which focused on raising funds for famine relief in Ethiopia.

This year, the charity made another attempt to climb the charts by releasing a special “ultimate mix” of "Do They Know It’s Christmas" to celebrate its 40th anniversary. This new version features vocals from all the different recordings of the song made throughout the years.

However, the re-release stumbled after a controversy regarding the lyrics, as critics deemed the song old-fashioned and reflective of colonialism. Ed Sheeran also mentioned that he was not consulted about using his vocals again.

Ultimately, the song reached the 12th spot on the charts, positioned between Kelly Clarkson's "Underneath The Tree" and Andy Williams' classic hit from 1963, "It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year."

Top 10 Christmas Must-Haves

George Michael composed "Last Christmas" in February 1984 while in his childhood bedroom. He mentioned in a 1986 interview with Smash Hits that he believed it was destined to be a number one hit.

An unexpected burst of inspiration hit the singer while he was spending time at his parents' home in Hertfordshire.

"There was a soccer game on TV when he suddenly leaped up and ran upstairs to his small four-track recording studio," Ridgeley shared with BBC News.

About an hour later, he returned and exclaimed, "Andy, you won't believe this!" I hardly ever saw him that enthusiastic or full of energy.

"The moment I heard it, it was clear that it had all the qualities of a timeless Christmas classic. It was truly astonishing."

Wham! has launched a special edition of CDs and vinyl records of "Last Christmas" to mark the 40th anniversary of the song.

Since 2007, "Last Christmas" has consistently made its way back into the Top 40 every year. This resurgence is largely due to the rise of downloads and later streaming, which have enabled timeless tracks to impact the charts once again.

Nostalgia has always played a key role in the Christmas charts, with timeless classics such as "Fairytale of New York" and "Jingle Bell Rock" creating the perfect holiday atmosphere.

Jack Saunders, the host of Radio 1's Chart Show, mentioned that it's challenging for new tracks to stand out in the competition.

"It requires time for songs to gain popularity and turn into classics," he mentioned.

"I believe it would be quite an achievement for something to debut and immediately take the top spot."

As a result, 29 of the tracks in this year's Top 40 were related to Christmas, featuring just two fresh entries among the usual favorites: "It Can't Be Christmas" by Tom Grennan and "Christmas Magic" by Laufey.

Amazon Music commissioned both of these pieces, and they were automatically played for anyone who requested Christmas music through their smart speakers.

This gave both artists an advantage in the competition for sales, and Grennan's song eventually reached the fourth spot on the charts.

The singer from Coventry put in a lot of effort to win that spot, even going so far as to get a tattoo on his right thigh that says "Christmas No 1 is...". He plans to finish it with the title of the winning song.

Tom Grennan is set to sing his holiday track during the Christmas special of Top Of The Pops, airing at 6 PM on December 27th.

Protest Song Clashes Into The Top 40

Another track vying for the top position was “Freezing This Christmas,” a parody of Mud's “Lonely This Christmas.” This song takes a jab at the government's choice to reduce winter fuel payments for elderly citizens.

Even though it was the top downloaded song of the week, protest songs generally face challenges when it comes to streaming, which currently makes up 87.7% of all music listened to in the UK.

Ultimately, the song barely made it into the Top 40, landing at the 37th position.

US pop artist Sabrina Carpenter has reached the top of the album charts with her album "Short 'N' Sweet," which has resulted in three hit singles that have all become number one over the past year.

Michael Buble's holiday album secured the second spot, while Chappell Roan's "Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess" came in third.