For many years, an internet game called “Whamageddon” has been popular among some virtual communities in the UK. Its rules are quite unusual and resemble an exciting quest: players must try, from December 1 to 24, to avoid hearing the song “Last Christmas” in the original version by Wham! (remixes and covers don’t count). Anyone who hears it must immediately admit defeat on social media using the hashtag #Whamageddon.
The emergence of such a peculiar pastime among Britons is no accident: from the first days of December, the most famous Christmas pop hit relentlessly pursues you from every available space. If your ears somehow avoid the familiar tune while watching TV or during a taxi ride, “bingo” can suddenly happen in the nearest supermarket while shopping—which players are especially advised to avoid. What to do: the British George Michael’s song (like the Ukrainian “Shchedryk”) has been an unofficial anthem of the bright religious holiday since the early 1980s, and like many popular songs, it entered commercial circulation.
Next are a few sometimes mystical stories related to this famous and destined-to-last-forever hit.
Story One: A Magical Miracle in a Child’s Room
In the winter of 1984, George Michael and his Wham! duo partner Andrew Ridgeley were visiting their parents. A sports match was on TV, and the evening had a typical family atmosphere. Suddenly, as if called by the heart, the singer got up, left his friend for a while, and locked himself in his childhood bedroom. About an hour later, as Andrew later recalled, 21-year-old George Michael returned with the manuscript of the future pop classic.
Wham! in 1985: George Michael (left) and Andrew Ridgeley. Photo: By Louise Palanker, flickr.com
That fall, the song was recorded at London’s Advision studio. George (real name Georgios) did not play musical instruments, though he was responsible for songwriting in the duo, so during recording, he tried to control the process as much as possible and add a fashionable sound. To create a fitting atmosphere during recording, the artist decorated the studio with Christmas attributes (although the recording took place in August).
If you still think this annual Christmas audio track’s lyrics are about Christmas trees, Santa, reindeer, and holiday miracles — either you should read them more carefully or let me disappoint you right away. In fact, it’s a very sad song about failed relationships that started on December 25, when Michael (the song’s narrator) metaphorically said goodbye to his own heart:
“Last Christmas I gave you my heart,
But the very next day you gave it away.”
This is illustrated in the music video filmed in the snowy Swiss Alps at the Zermatt resort. At first glance, everything looks carefree: snow, mountains, fun, romance. But in the plot, Michael’s character suddenly notices a brooch on the jacket of his lover’s new friend—the same one he gave her in “Last Christmas.” That’s a prosaic “love de trois.”
(Wham! “Last Christmas” music video)
Story Two: The Plagiarism That Wasn’t
In the mid-1980s, amid the song’s massive popularity and, apparently, the profits it brought its authors, the publishing company Dick James Music — owned by the famous British publisher Dick James, who also published The Beatles — unexpectedly decided that “Last Christmas” resembled the song “Can’t Smile Without You,” performed in the 1970s by The Carpenters and Barry Manilow. The company sued George Michael for plagiarism. However, the case never moved forward and was dismissed after a musicologist hired by the duo presented over 60 compositions with similar chord progressions and melodies.
Certainly, The Carpenters’ composition somewhat resembles the one we discuss, but no more than dozens or more other songs resemble each other. Judge for yourself:
(The Carpenters “Can’t Smile Without You”)
By the way, heated debates about the song’s hidden meanings and true interpretation have been ongoing in the British press for years, almost at a scholarly level. For example, in the late 1990s, when George Michael came out, some journalists bluntly asked whether the song was about heterosexual love or something else, since the lyrics are not explicit. One interesting interpretation is that it’s the story of a closeted gay man watching his romantic story collapse through a keyhole. There’s even a study titled “How George Michael’s Song Reveals the Loneliness of Life in the Closet.” The artist never commented on this but once hinted that not all his songs are dedicated to same-sex relationships.
Story Three: The Unexpected Reincarnation of the Song
Mysteriously and somewhat inexplicably, George Michael left this world on Christmas Day—December 25, 2016. He died at home in South Oxfordshire in his sleep from heart failure.
George Michael at the Closing Ceremony of the 2012 London Summer Olympics. Photo: flickr.com
The singer’s civil partner Fadi Fawaz wrote on Twitter: “This Christmas I will never forget. I will never stop missing you.”
The dreadful symbolism of what happened was immediately picked up by headlines: although the song is titled “Last Christmas,” the phrase can also mean “The Final Christmas.”
Some music critics believe that George Michael, despite being a successful and talented artist, managed to lose his career. Indeed, he spent a lot of time and effort in legal battles with the powerful record label Sony, from which he sought independence. Initially, he accused the company of underfunding his second album *Listen Without Prejudice, Vol.1* and, after losing, simply refused to release new songs until his contract ended. Scandals also played their part: accusations of sexual harassment in a public restroom of a disguised policeman, driving under the influence, drug possession, car accidents, and, as biographers say, an unhealthy lifestyle. Like Michael Jackson, George Michael was preparing a grand comeback shortly before his death.
Many significant events related to “Last Christmas” occurred after Michael’s death. For instance, the song topped the UK charts not in 1984 (when it stayed steadily at number two) but only on January 1, 2021—36 years after its release. Two years earlier, at Christmas 2019, Sony (ironically, the same company Michael battled) re-released an updated 4K version of the “Last Christmas” video clip. Fans noted that the video’s visuals looked like hired actors dressed in ’80s costumes.
Scene from the movie “Last Christmas,” 2019
In the same year, the Hollywood film *Last Christmas* was released worldwide (known locally as *Happy Christmas*) starring Emilia Clarke from *Game of Thrones* and Henry Golding in lead roles. It is a rare case where a feature film was built around a song. Part of the plot takes place in a homeless shelter, where George Michael once worked anonymously. He is also credited as one of the screenwriters. When invited to participate in the project, Michael insisted that actress and writer Emma Thompson write the script. This happened, and she even played a cameo role.
(Official trailer for the movie “Last Christmas”)
Bonus: Cover Versions
Of course, over almost four decades of existence, the song has been covered and remixed many times. Jimmy Eat World, Ariana Grande, Gwen Stefani, Taylor Swift, and others tried to add their own touch and intonation to the classic hit. The funniest and perhaps strangest version was by the Swedish computer character Crazy Frog, which even reached number 16 on the UK charts. We hope it lifts your spirits a bit, and we wish you happy holidays!
Recently, artificial intelligence tried to imagine what George Michael might look like during Christmas 2023 if his life had not ended on December 25, 2016.