December 1984 was a month etched in pop music history, not just for the festive cheer but for a chart battle that pitted Wham!’s now-iconic “Last Christmas Song” against the charity supergroup Band Aid and their single “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”. In an excerpt from the Smash Hits Yearbook, 1986, George Michael, in an interview reflecting on “A Year in the Life of Wham!”, shared his candid thoughts on the unexpected chart competition and his evolving perspective on Band Aid’s monumental success.
Initially, the outlook for “Last Christmas” reaching the coveted Christmas number one spot appeared incredibly promising. Michael revealed, “I’d written our Christmas single ‘Last Christmas’ the previous February, and as far as I was concerned it was a number one.” As the festive season approached, the landscape seemed clear of significant rivals. “There weren’t any novelty records out or anything, and I was thinking ‘I can’t believe it. There’s no real competition around’,” he recalled. Predictions pointed towards The Flying Pickets as potential contenders, and Culture Club’s “Mistake Number Three” was mentioned as a possibility, but overall, Wham! seemed poised for chart-topping glory. “Nothing looked like it could keep us off number one!” Michael stated, confident in their trajectory.
Wham! star George Michael reflects on Last Christmas missing the Christmas number one spot due to Band Aid.
However, the landscape shifted dramatically with the emergence of Band Aid. “And then I heard about the Band Aid record and wanted to get involved,” Michael explained. What began as a seemingly low-key project quickly escalated into a phenomenon. “At the time, it didn’t seem a very big deal. I think most people that turned up that day were really surprised when they saw all the cameras and everything – I was,” Michael admitted, highlighting the initially understated perception of the Band Aid recording session. The reality of the event’s scale only became apparent upon arrival. “I thought it was like a few people getting together to do this record and it wasn’t until I actually got there that I realised what was really going on.”
The sheer magnitude of Band Aid, comprised of a constellation of pop stars, soon dawned on Michael, impacting his expectations for “Last Christmas”. “So I was totally shocked by the whole thing. And then I heard it and I thought, oh well, with all these people on it I really don’t see how we stand a chance,” he confessed. Adding to his anxieties was an incident involving a seemingly casual interview. “Actually, there was this awful thing when someone came round with a tape recorder and I thought it was Smash Hits.” In a moment of lightheartedness, he made a flippant remark: “‘this record might be number one at Christmas, but then again so might ours, but I don’t care because I’m on both of them!'”
The repercussions were immediate and unsettling. “And the next day, driving along in my car, I heard them play the b-side of the record and I heard that quote. It sounded so flippant,” Michael cringed. The fear of public backlash was palpable. “I thought I’d instantly be made public enemy number one. I sat there, listening to it, in absolute terror.” This led to a preemptive concession. “And I went back to the office the next day and said, ‘I think we’d better give up on our number one.’”
Despite the initial disappointment of “Last Christmas” being held off the top spot, Michael ultimately embraced the outcome and recognized the greater significance of Band Aid’s achievement. “Of course, I was really glad about the way it turned out in the end,” he affirmed. He also addressed potential criticisms leveled at Band Aid participants. “I know people have said that some of the people involved were just doing it to promote themselves, or they were being really self-righteous about the whole thing. Well, OK, some of them were, but at the end of the day it doesn’t matter, does it? I mean, who cares why they did it, so long as they did it and so long as it helped?” Michael concluded with a powerful rhetorical question, emphasizing the unparalleled fundraising success of Band Aid. “Can you imagine how long it would have taken by any other means to raise the amount of money that has been made this year?”
George Michael’s reflections provide a fascinating glimpse into the dynamics of the 1984 Christmas chart battle. While “Last Christmas” didn’t reach the number one spot initially, it has since become a timeless Christmas classic, consistently charting annually and solidifying its place in the festive music canon. His journey from anticipating chart dominance to accepting and celebrating Band Aid’s impact reveals a mature and generous perspective, highlighting the ultimate victory of charitable purpose over chart positions.
READ THE FULL INTERVIEW: A Year in the Life of Wham! as Told by George Michael (Smash Hits Yearbook, 1986)
