Last Christmas
The pop anthem that conquered Christmas
♫ Lyrics
But the very next day, you gave it away
This year, to save me from tears
I'll give it to someone special...
Lyrics excerpt shown. This song is under copyright protection.
❄ The Story
"Last Christmas" was written and produced by George Michael for Wham! in 1984. Michael reportedly composed the melody on a keyboard in his childhood bedroom at his parents' home in Bushey, Hertfordshire. He was just 21 years old. The song was recorded in August 1984 at Advision Studios in London, with Michael playing most of the instruments himself.
Released in December 1984, the single famously peaked at #2 on the UK charts — kept from the top spot by Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?", on which George Michael himself sang. Despite never reaching #1 during its initial release, it became one of the most enduring pop songs of the 20th century.
George Michael donated all his royalties from the song to Ethiopian famine relief through the Band Aid Trust. The song finally reached #1 in the UK in January 2021 — 36 years after its release and a poignant four years after Michael's death on Christmas Day 2016. It holds the record as the most-streamed Christmas song in a single day in the UK: 11.2 million plays on Christmas Eve 2023.
🎶 Notable Recordings
The original — over 2 billion streams and counting
A stripped-down country-pop version
An R&B-inflected cover
A sparkling synth-pop interpretation
Fun Facts
George Michael donated all royalties from "Last Christmas" to Ethiopian famine relief.
It was kept from #1 in 1984 by "Do They Know It's Christmas?" — on which George Michael sang.
The song finally reached #1 in the UK in January 2021 — 36 years after its release.
It holds the UK record for most-streamed Christmas song in a single day: 11.2 million plays on Christmas Eve 2023.