George’s household and property are delighted (Image: Wham!/YouTube)
George Michael’s property and household are ‘overjoyed’ that Wham!’s Final Christmas has lastly made it to primary.
Thirty-six years after the Christmas traditional was launched, it finally reached the top of the UK charts yesterday, making it the primary quantity considered one of 2021.
In a press release marking the unbelievable achievement, the late singer’s household and property shared how happy they had been to have the ability to proceed making charitable donations off the again of the track.
The assertion learn: ‘The household and Property of George Michael are overjoyed to study that on the primary day of a model new yr Final Christmas has reached primary within the UK charts for the primary time.
‘After such a troublesome 2020 for all of us and on the time of yr that was so particular to George we’re so grateful to everybody who made this potential and understand how a lot it will have meant to him.
‘We’re additionally happy to have the ability to proceed donating George’s report royalties from gross sales/streaming from this monitor to charitable causes near his coronary heart as he did for therefore a few years.’
Andrew Ridgeley is amazed by the feat (Image: Hulton Archive/Getty Photos)
George’s bandmate Andrew Ridgeley additionally expressed his amazement that Final Christmas had lastly overwhelmed its quantity two peak almost 4 a long time after it was launched.
The 57-year-old mentioned: ‘I’m delighted, considerably amazed and profoundly happy that WHAM!’s iconic Christmas traditional, Final Christmas has lastly achieved the final word accolade of changing into a no 1 – albeit 36 years after its first launch which is, maybe greater than something a testomony to its timeless enchantment and attraction.
‘It’s a becoming tribute to George’s songwriting genius and considered one of which he would have been immensely proud and totally thrilled.’
A rep from Sony added: ‘Sony wish to add – “We’re completely delighted that after a wait of 36 years WHAM!’s Final Christmas has topped the UK Chart.
‘We thank the followers for his or her assist and Andrew Ridgeley and George Michael for creating this timeless treasure.’
Final Christmas was stored from the Christmas primary spot upon its launch in 1984 by Band Support’s Do They Know It’s Christmas?, and over time, solely ever reached quantity two at Christmas.
After being streamed 9.2 million instances within the final week, Final Christmas has set a brand new report for the longest time taken for a single to achieve primary, beating the 33 years, 4 months Tony Christie’s (Is This The Method To) Amarillo took when it hit the highest in 2005.
It additionally loses the report of greatest promoting single by no means to make primary, with 1.9 million pure gross sales – the report is now held by Maroon 5’s Strikes Like Jagger ft Christina Aguilera, which reached quantity two in 2011 and has offered 1.55 million.
The achievement comes 4 years after George Michael’s demise, with the pop icon dying on Christmas Day 2016 on the age of 53.
His explanation for demise was attributed to dilated cardiomyopathy with myocarditis and a fatty liver.
Wham!’s primary comes after one other long-suffering Christmas traditional made it to the highest.
All I Need For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey, initially launched in 1994, had reached quantity two over time, however finally made it to number one on December 11, 26 years after its launch.
