Sam Ryder has returned to Wham! returned to social media. beat him to number one of the Christmas season with their legendary title “Last Christmas”.
The 34-year-old Eurovision star narrowly missed out on the top spot with his own festive track after the popular '80s song finally reached the top of the charts after a 39-year wait.
George Michael – who died on Christmas Day 2016 aged just 53 – released the festive song in 1984, but it had failed to reach the coveted Christmas top spot until Friday evening.
In the year of its release, Do They Know It's Christmas? denied by Band Aid.
Following the Official Charts show, Sam posted a clip of himself on Instagram gushing about second place with “You're Christmas To Me” and praising George Michael for “inspiring generations.”
Sam Ryder, 34, broke his silence on Friday evening after Wham! beat him to number one of the Christmas season with their legendary title “Last Christmas”.
George Michael's holiday song from 1984 is now Christmas number one for the first time
Sam posted a clip on Instagram gushing about second place with “You're Christmas To Me” and praising George Michael for “inspiring generations.”
Speaking to the camera, Sam told fans: “If you've just heard the news, it's with my heart bursting with gratitude that I can tell you that we're Britain's number two Christmas number!”
“Great, Andrew. Big praise for the whole Wham! Team. Just an absolutely unstoppable force, and rightly so. They are icons! They are legends. You know what? It feels great to be in a wham in the stuffing! and Mariah sandwich.
I can tell you that for sure. And secondly, it has always been a magic number for us and that will not change.
“I just want to say a big thank you for the support, the faith and the belief.”
“That was a position that I can't explain or emphasize enough.” That it was so unexpected for us to be there and I think you have a responsibility as an artist in the race for a Christmas number one title. ..
“You have to… You have to make it a race and we did everything we could to get first place.”
'Do you know why? That's because we draw inspiration from the legends we work with! Mariah. Wham!
“These artists did not become icons and legends because they never gave their all in their careers.” So we were inspired by their bright footsteps and followed them.
Eurovision star Sam launched an aggressive marketing campaign to get his new song “You're Christmas To Me” into the charts
“I think it's cool to have an exciting Christmas race for number 1, it's the most prestigious number one of the year and we wanted to make it as fun and cheerful as possible for all of you at home!”
“Thank you for your commitment! And again, so much love to Andrew! I've just chatted to him and Jack Saunders on Radio One and I can see they're related.
“It's been a long time coming for them to have the Christmas number one for the actual Christmas week.” So I'm sure George will be at the forefront, smiling from ear to ear and continuing to inspire generations of singers. Me included!
“High praise Andrew, thank you for continuing this legacy.” Yes, I have supplies! What a day! Blessed! Peace!'
Amid one of the fiercest battles for the Christmas crown in recent memory, the race was almost too close to be considered 80s icons! fought against the likes of Mariah Carey and The Pogues and took the title 39 years after its release.
The song became the bookmakers' favorite and climbed the charts after fans of The Pogues pushed for “Fairytale of New York” to go to number one in memory of the Irish folk band's frontman Shane MacGowan, who died in November bring to.
In the end, the band's duet with Kirsty MacColl didn't make it into the top 5, which was replaced by “You're Christmas To Me” by Eurovision star Sam Ryder, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey, “Stick Season “ was rounded off by Noah Kahan and “Ed Sheeran” and Elton John’s duet Merry Christmas.
Mariah Carey's “All I Want for Christmas Is You” landed at number three on the charts
The Pogues' “Fairytale of New York” was a contender for the Christmas number one after frontman Shane MacGowan died in November
About the historic success of Wham! said Martin Talbot, Managing Director of the Official Charts: “After taking the top spot for the first time last year, it's fantastic that WHAM! have finally received the Christmas number 1 award.
“Of course the victory of WHAM! also that someone has to come second, and it's hard to think of a busier Christmas Number 2 artist than Sam Ryder, who has logged more than 30 performances in the last seven days in the bid to take the crown.
“Sam truly made it a chart battle to remember – and it should be some consolation that a song as iconic as Last Christmas took many years to achieve this most esteemed chart success.”
| YEAR | SONG | SINGER |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Last Christmas | Wham! |
| 2022 | Food aid | LadBaby |
| 2021 | Sausage rolls for everyone | LadBaby with Ed Sheeran and Elton John |
| 2020 | Don't stop me from eating | LadBaby |
| 2019 | I love sausage rolls | LadBaby |
| 2018 | We built this city | LadBaby |
| 2017 | Perfect | Ed Sheeran |
| 2016 | Rockabye | Clean Bandit with Sean Paul and Anne-Marie |
| 2015 | A bridge over you | Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir |
| 2014 | Something I need | Ben Haenow |
| 2013 | skyscraper | Sam Bailey |
| 2012 | He's not heavy, he's my brother | The Justice Collective |
| 2011 | Wherever you are | Military Wives with Gareth Malone |
| 2010 | If we collide | Matt Cardle |
| 2009 | Killing in the name | Anger against the machine |
| 2008 | Hallelujah | Alexandra Burke |
| 2007 | If you believe | Leon Jackson |
| 2006 | A moment like this | Leona Lewis |
| 2005 | That is my goal | Shayne Ward |
| 2004 | Do you know it's Christmas? | Pavement |
| 2003 | Crazy world | Michael Andrews and Gary Jules |
| 2002 | Sound of the underground | Girls loudly |
| 2001 | Something stupid | Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman |
| 2000 | Can we fix it? | Bob the Builder |
| 1999 | I have a dream/seasons in the sun | Westlife |
| 1998 | Goodbye | Spice Girls |
| 1997 | Too much | Spice Girls |
| 1996 | 2 become 1 | Spice Girls |
| 1995 | Earth Song | Michael Jackson |
| 1994 | Stay another day | East 17 |
| 1993 | Mr Blobby | Mr Blobby |
| 1992 | I will Always Love You | Whitney Houston |
| 1991 | Bohemian Rhapsody | queen |
| 1990 | Saviour's Day | Cliff Richard |
| 1989 | Do you know it's Christmas? | Plaster II |
| 1988 | Mistletoe and wine | Cliff Richard |
| 1987 | Always in my thought | Pet Shop Boys |
| 1986 | Reed Petite | Jackie and Wilson |
| 1985 | Merry Christmas to everyone | Shakin' Stevens |
| 1984 | Do you know it's Christmas? | Pavement |
| 1983 | Only you | The flying pickets |
| 1982 | Secure your love | Renee and Renato |
| 1981 | Do not you want Me? | The Human League |
| 1980 | There is no one as beautiful as grandma | St Winifred's School Choir |
| 1979 | Another Brick in the Wall, Part Two | Pink Floyd |
| 1978 | Mary's Boy Child – Oh my Lord | Boney m |
| 1977 | Mull of Kintyre/Girls' School | wing |
| 1976 | When a child is born | Johnny Mathis |
| 1975 | Bohemian Rhapsody | queen |
| 1974 | Lonely this Christmas | dirt |
| 1973 | Merry Christmas everyone | Slade |
| 1972 | Long haired lover from Liverpool | Jimmy Osmond |
| 1971 | The fastest milkman in the West | Benny Hill |
| 1970 | I hear you knocking | Dave Edmunds |
| 1969 | Two little boys | Rolf Harris |
| 1968 | Lily the pink | The scaffolding |
| 1967 | Hello Goodbye | The Beatles |
| 1966 | 1964 “I Feel Fine” 5 1965 “Day Tripper”https://www.dailymail.co.uk/“We Can Work It Out”[nb 3] 5 1966 Tom Jones “Green, Green Grass of Home” | Tom Jones |
| 1965 | Day trippers/ We can do it | The Beatles |
| 1964 | I feel good | The Beatles |
| 1963 | I want to hold your hand | The Beatles |
| 1962 | Return to sender | Elvis Presley |
| 1961 | Moon river | Danny Williams |
| 1960 | I love you | Cliff Richard and the Shadows |
| 1959 | What do you want to give me these eyes for? | Emilie Ford and The Checkmates |
| 1958 | It's just fake | Conway Twitty |
| 1957 | Mary's boy | Harry Belafonte |
| 1956 | Just go for a walk in the rain | Johnny Ray |
| 1955 | Christmas alphabet | Dickie Valentine |
| 1954 | Let's have another party | Winifred Atwell |
| 1953 | give me an answer | Frankie Laine |
| 1952 | Here in my heart | Al Martino |