Wham! have made chart history as Last Christmas becomes the first song to be crowned Christmas number one two years in a row.
The festive classic had a 39-year wait to secure the coveted title last year after it was first released in December 1984 by pop duo George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley.
Following the release of limited-edition collectibles to mark the track’s 40th anniversary, it has soared up the charts again to become the most-streamed and physically purchased song of the week, according to the Official Charts Company.
The Christmas staple, which was originally beaten to the top spot in 1984 by Band Aid’s charity single Do They Know It’s Christmas?, secured the record last year for completing the longest ever journey to make it to number one in time for Christmas Day.
Ridgeley told the Official Charts that his late bandmate Michael, who died on Christmas Day in 2016 at the age of 53, would be “utterly delighted” the song had become a festive classic.
He said: “Thirty-seven years to get to number one, 39 years to Christmas number one, and then like London buses they all come along at once!
“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.
“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.”
The singer thanked all those who had listened to, downloaded and purchased the song and sent them his best wishes for the holiday season.
Last Christmas held off stiff competition in the battle for Christmas number one from rising US pop star Gracie Abrams, who clinched second place with her latest hit That’s So True.
The self-proclaimed Queen of Christmas Mariah Carey also put up a honourable fight in a bid to secure the Christmas number one title for the first time with her All I Want For Christmas Is You.
To mark three decades since its release in 1994, the singer also released a limited edition of her album Merry Christmas, but it will have to settle for a third place finish this year.
Little Bit Of Love singer Tom Grennan had thrown his hat in the ring as well with his new track It Can’t Be Christmas, a collaboration with Amazon Music Original.
He may have missed out on the number one spot, but he has landed a new personal best coming in at number four.
Grennan thanked those who had supported him in his endeavour, saying: “You are always going to be part of my family and a part of my Christmas dream.”
Blackpink’s Rose rounds out the top five with her dancefloor hit Apt in collaboration with US singer Bruno Mars.
Over in the Official Albums Chart, US pop star Sabrina Carpenter has capped off a standout year by securing the Christmas number one album title with Short N’ Sweet.
She has beaten Canadian crooner Michael Buble to the top spot as his festive album Christmas takes second place.
US star Chappell Roan, who has also had a breakout year, secures third with her smash hit debut The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess.
Singer-superstar Taylor Swift takes home fourth place with her 11th studio album The Tortured Poets Department, while indie rockers The Reytons secure fifth with their Clifton Park live album.
Chief executive of Official Charts Martin Talbot sent his congratulations to Ridgeley and the Wham! team on “achieving an incredible piece of Official Chart history” this week.
“It is incredible to think that four years ago, Last Christmas was the biggest-selling single never to hit number one – then it finally hit the top in January 2021, finally became a Christmas number one in December 2023 and is now the first consecutive Christmas number one in history, with nine weeks at the summit (in five separate runs) to its name,” he added.
“It is surely, undeniably, established now as the British nation’s all-time favourite Christmas song.”
He also applauded Carpenter for topping off an “incredible year” with the Christmas title.
