“George adored Christmas, and he would have truly loved seeing Wham! back at No. 1 this year,” the late George Michael’s team wrote on Instagram.
Boy beams with joy after seeing mom in crowd at Christmas show
At his Christmas performance in Irmo, SC, 4-year-old Asher Silver’s worried look turned into joy when he spotted his mom and grandma in the crowd.
Watch out, Mariah, another holiday single is climbing the charts.
Wham!’s 1984 hit, “Last Christmas”, is No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart this week, closely followed by none other than Mariah Carey‘s “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” which has been the No. 1 song on the weekly chart each December since it debuted on the list in 2020, according to Billboard.
“This is a remarkable moment for me, (Wham!), (George Michael) and (Sony Music UK), to learn that ‘Last Christmas’ is currently the world’s favorite song,” Wham! bandmember Andrew Ridgeley wrote in a Dec. 17 Instagram post. “(It) is the best Christmas gift we and George could ever have wished for.”
The late George Michael‘s team also commented on the peak achievement. Michael died at the age of 53 on Christmas 2016.
“George adored Christmas, and he would have truly loved seeing Wham! back at No. 1 this year,” Michael’s team wrote in an Instagram post. “It fills our hearts that this brilliant, timeless song continues to resonate with audiences while captivating new listeners around the world.”
“Last Christmas” was written by Michael and tells the story of a heartbreak right before the Christmas holiday.
What other Christmas songs are topping the charts?
As of Dec. 18, here’s what other Christmas songs were among the top 10 on the Billboard Global 200:
No. 5: “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee (No. 2 on Billboard Hot 100)No. 6: “Jingle Bell Rock” by Bobby Helms (No. 4 on Billboard Hot 100)No. 7: “Santa Tell Me” by Ariana Grande (No. 5 on Billboard Hot 100)No. 8: “Underneath The Tree” by Kelly Clarkson (No. 9 on Billboard Hot 100)No. 10: “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas” by Michael Buble (No. 13 on Billboard Hot 100)
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.