The 10 Best Wham! Songs of All-Time

Wham! was a pop duo that was formed in Hertfordshire, England, in 1981 by George Michael and Andrew Ridgely. They were one of the most successful pop bands of the 1980s and sold more than 30 million records worldwide before the duo stopped performing together in 1986 when Michael decided to pursue a solo career aimed at a more adult market. Wham! was an integral part of the British invasion of the US music industry that was predominantly driven by MTV. During their five years together, Wham! released two studio albums, compilation albums, four video albums, two remix albums, one documentary video, 13 music videos, and 12 singles. Here are the 10 best Wham! songs of all time.

10. Bad Boys (1983)

 

George Michael wrote Bad Boys and also co-produced the track. It was the third single released from the pop duo’s debut album ‘Fantastic.’ It reached number two in the UK and was a top ten hit in Australia, Belgium, Ireland, Norway, New Zealand, and Switzerland. ‘Bad Boys’ was the first Wham! song to chart in the United States, but it only reached number 60 on the Billboard Hot 100. Michael sang both from a teenager’s perspective and using the voices of adults airing their concerns about their teenage son’s wild behavior.

9. Club Tropicana (1983)

 

‘Club Tropicana’ was the final single released from the album ’Fantastic.’ The single’s highest chart position was number four, which it reached in the UK and Ireland. It was also a top ten hit in Norway. Wham! members George Michael and Andrew Ridgely co-wrote the song in Ridgely’s living room. It was inspired by the duo’s excitement about the growing New Romantic club scene.

8. The Edge of Heaven (1986)

 

‘The Edge of Heaven’ was intended as a farewell track as Wham! had announced their split. However, they did go on to release one more single and a re-release of ‘Last Christmas.’ ‘The Edge of Heaven’ is the title track from the album ‘Music from The Edge of Heaven/ The Final.’ This single was a number one hit in the UK, Belgium, Ireland, and the Netherlands.

7. Where Did Your Heart Go? (1986)

 

The final single released by Wham! was ‘Where Did Your Heart go?’ It featured on the pop duo’s final album, ‘Music from the Edge of Heaven/ The Final.’ It was a chart-topping hit in the UK and Ireland. However, it only reached number 50 on the Billboard Hot 100. Unlike most of the singles released by Wham!, George Michael was not involved in writing this song. It was written by David Was and Don Was, and they were the first to release the song as the pop duo Was (Not Was).

6. Everything She Wants (1984)

 

Smooth Radio lists ‘Everything She Wants’ as one of the best Wham! songs of all time. It was released as a double A-side with ‘Last Christmas.’ George Michael wrote this song, which is about a man who is unhappy with the work he is putting into a relationship just to keep the woman happy. George Michael claimed that this track was his favorite of all the Wham! songs. This single topped the charts in the United States and Canada.

5. Last Christmas (1984)

 

The Top Tens ranks ‘Last Christmas’ as one of the best Wham! songs. ‘Last Christmas’ was released as a double A-side with ‘Everything She Wants.’ However, the two tracks featured on different albums. While ‘Everything She Wants’ was the last single released from ‘Make It Big,’ ‘Last Christmas’ was the first single released from ‘Music from the Edge of Heaven/ The Final.’ It topped the charts in Sweden and reached number two on the charts in multiple countries. It is one of the most played Christmas songs of all time. The song was re-released in 2019 and achieved similar chart success.

4. I’m Your Man (1985)

 

‘I’m Your Man’ was the fourth time Wham! topped the charts in the UK, and it was also a number one hit in New Zealand and Ireland. Like many of the Wham! songs, George Michael wrote and produced the track. He wrote the song very quickly, completing the chorus and first verse in under five minutes while on a flight during a tour. ‘I’m Your Man’ was a non-album single, and Wham! announced their split within six months of releasing the single.

3. Freedom (1984)

 

The third song Wham! released from the album ’Make It Big’ was ‘Freedom.’ This rock-like track was a number one hit in the UK, Ireland, and Norway. It was also a top ten hit in Canada, Australia, Belgium, the United States, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, and Switzerland. George Michael wrote and produced the track.

2. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (1984)

 

Wham!’s first internationally successful hit, and their first to top the charts, was ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.’ It was the first single released from the album ‘Make It Big,’ and it was a number one hit in the UK, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United States. ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’ sold more than two million copies and was certified Platinum in the United States. In the music video for the song, Michael and Ridgely wore T-shirts designed by Katherine Hamnett that said, ‘CHOOSE LIFE,’ and it started a 1980s fashion craze.

1. Careless Whisper (1984)

 

‘Careless Whisper’ is the most commercially successful Wham! song and the one that achieved the most international success. It topped the charts in 25 countries, including the UK, Australia, the United States, Switzerland, Canada, Ireland, and Germany. ‘Careless Whisper’ was also a top ten hit in Austria, Belgium, Germany, France, Norway, New Zealand, and Sweden. Michael and Ridgely co-wrote it, and it featured on the album ‘Make It Big.’ The song was inspired by Michael’s teenage crush.