Wham!'s "Last Christmas" Tops Billboard Global 200 Chart

Wham!'s iconic holiday song "Last Christmas" has reached the No. 1 position on the Billboard Global 200 chart, marking its first time at the top since the chart's inception in September 2020. The song, originally released in 1984 by the British duo of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, surged three places to claim the top spot, fueled by a 19% increase in streaming and a 26% rise in sales during the week of December 5-11, 2023. It garnered 95.3 million streams and 5,000 downloads globally during this period.

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The Billboard Global 200 ranks songs based on streaming and sales data from over 200 territories worldwide, compiled by Luminate. The chart includes both subscription and ad-supported streams, as well as download sales from full-service digital music retailers, excluding direct-to-consumer sales. "Last Christmas" is the second holiday song to achieve this milestone, following Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You," which has dominated the chart for a record 19 weeks.

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Andrew Ridgeley expressed his astonishment at the enduring popularity of "Last Christmas," stating that it occupies "a special place in so many hearts" and that George Michael would have been "immensely proud" of its success. Michael's estate described the song as "a timeless record that embodies the very sound of Christmas," thanking fans for keeping it central to the holiday season.

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As of the latest update, Mariah Carey’s "All I Want for Christmas Is You" remains at No. 2 on the Global 200, while HUNTR/X’s "Golden" has fallen to No. 3. Other holiday classics in the top 10 include Brenda Lee’s "Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree" at No. 5, Bobby Helms’ "Jingle Bell Rock" at No. 6, Ariana Grande’s "Santa Tell Me" at No. 7, Kelly Clarkson’s "Underneath the Tree" at No. 8, and Michael Bublé’s "It’s Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas" at No. 10. Alex Warren’s "Ordinary" is the only non-holiday song in the top 10, slipping to No. 9 after a three-week reign at No. 1.

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Billboard and Luminate have emphasized the integrity of their chart data, noting that all submissions undergo a thorough review process to ensure accuracy. Data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is excluded from final calculations.

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The Billboard Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts will be updated on December 16, 2023, with the top 100 titles available to all readers on Billboard.com. The complete 200-title rankings will be accessible through Billboard Pro, Billboard’s subscription service.

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• “beloved by all generations,” — Andrew Ridgeley, Wham!

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