"Last Christmas" is a song by British pop duo Wham! Written and produced by George Michael, it was released on 3 December 1984 via CBS Records internationally and as a double A-side via Epic Records with "Everything She Wants" in several European countries. The song has been covered by many artists since its original release, most notably by Whigfield, Crazy Frog, Billie Piper, Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande.

Upon its initial release in 1984, "Last Christmas" spent five consecutive weeks at number two in the UK Singles Chart—it was held off the top spot at Christmas by Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" (on which Michael also performed). After many chart runs in subsequent years, which included three more weeks at number two, and which saw the recording become part of RCA Records' catalogue, the song finally reached number one in the UK Singles Chart on New Year's Day 2021 (chart week ending date 7 January 2021), more than 36 years after its initial release;^[4] in doing so, it became the fifth UK number one single for the duo. Prior to it reaching number one, "Last Christmas" had for many years held the record as the highest-selling single never to top the charts by the Official Charts Company (OCC) with 1.9 million copies sold (not including streams).^[5][6] This record is now held by "Mr Brightside" by The Killers.^[7] The song reached number one in the UK after it was streamed 9.2 million times in the last week of 2020 and sold 1,555 downloads, resulting in a total of 40,149 combined sales.^[8] Having been the Christmas number two again in 2022, "Last Christmas" finally achieved the accolade of Christmas number one in 2023, 39 years after its initial release.^[9] Combining sales and streams, it also became the third biggest song of all time in the UK.^[10]

Outside the United Kingdom, the song topped the charts in Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Slovenia and Sweden, and peaked within the top ten of the charts in several countries including Australia, Canada and the United States. Wham! donated all of their royalties to relief efforts for the Ethiopian famine.^[11] In a UK-wide poll in December 2012, it was voted eighth on the ITV television special The Nation's Favourite Christmas Song^[12] and was voted most popular song of the 1980s in Channel 5's Christmas 2020 countdown Britain's Favourite 80's Songs.^[13] It was the most-played Christmas song of the 21st century in the UK until it was overtaken by "Fairytale of New York" in 2011.^[14]

"Last Christmas" had its beginnings in 1983, while George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley were visiting Michael's parents. It was written by Michael in his childhood bedroom.^[3] Michael played Ridgeley the introduction and chorus melody to "Last Christmas", which Ridgeley later called "a moment of wonder".^[15][6]

The music video to "Last Christmas" directed by British commercial, film and music video director Andrew Morahan, shows Wham! members Michael and Ridgeley accompanying girlfriends to see friends at an unspecified ski resort cottage; the cable-car that is visible in two shots is from Saas-Fee, Switzerland, where the video was filmed on 21 November 1984.^[3][68] It becomes clear early on that the character of Ridgeley's girlfriend (played by model Kathy Hill)^[3] was previously in a relationship with Michael and that the song is aimed at her. She can be spotted throughout the video by the fact that she is usually wearing red, but everyone else is wearing more muted colours.

There is a brief flashback to a prior Christmas, showing Michael's character presenting Kathy Hill's character with a jewelled brooch. In the present time, Ridgeley is wearing the brooch, suggesting that Hill gave the same gift (perhaps by regifting it) to her new love after she and Michael parted ways. When Hill wears the brooch after receiving it from Michael's character, it is "right side up", and when Ridgeley's character wears it, he wears it "upside down". On numerous occasions, Michael presents a thoughtful expression, suggesting his conflicting emotions. As Michael is decorating the Christmas tree some decoration falls to the floor where Michael's ex-girlfriend is sitting and the ex-couple shares a few seconds of a knowing look at each other.

At the end of the video, everyone leaves the cottage and when the group get out of the cable-car, they are all properly "paired off" with Michael and his new girlfriend looking happy.

The video also featured the duo's backing singers Pepsi and Shirlie, and Spandau Ballet's Martin Kemp.^[3]

• George Michael – lead and backing vocals, Roland Juno-60 synthesizer, LinnDrum programming, sleigh bells

Note: When released in 1984 "Last Christmas" and "Everything She Wants" were a double A-side. In some countries, the longer edit (4:34) of "Last Christmas" from 1984 was used on side two of the second 12-inch. The only difference between the 1988 and 1989 reissues is the text (Christmas '88" and Christmas '89") on the back of the record.

The film Last Christmas (2019) prominently features the music of George Michael, including this song.^[207]

The song is featured in the video game Just Dance 2017 as a duet between two dancers, one of whom is dressed as Santa Claus.^[208] and in the movie, Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever which was played twice.^{[citation needed]}

On behalf of the writers of the song "Can't Smile Without You", made popular by Barry Manilow, publishing company Dick James Music sued Michael for plagiarism in the mid-1980s, claiming that "Last Christmas" lifted its melody from the former. The case was dismissed when a musicologist presented 60-odd songs from the past century that had a comparable chord sequence and melody.^[3][209]

Italian dance act Whigfield covered "Last Christmas" and released it as a double A-side with "Big Time" in the UK in December 1995. The single was also released as a double A-side single in Germany with "Close to You". In other countries, "Last Christmas" was released on its own with various remixes. The single was produced by Larry Pignagnoli and reached number 21 in the UK, which was Whigfield's final release on Systematic Records. It also appears on various Special Edition versions of her debut album, Whigfield (1995), and also on Whigfield II (1997). The accompanying music video for Whigfield's cover was directed by Italian director Giacomo De Simone, featuring the singer performing the song in a winter landscape.

"Last Christmas" was recorded in 2006 for Warner Bros. Records by Ashley Tisdale. The song was released to US radios on 11 November 2006 and as a digital download on 21 November 2006. This song was the first single released by Ashley Tisdale in her deal with Warner Bros. Records and became her official first holiday single. Tisdale performed the single in 2007 on Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and Christmas in Rockefeller Center, and in 2009 in the Citadel Outlets of Los Angeles, California. The song was one of the B-sides on the European CD singles of Tisdale's first single "Be Good to Me" and Tisdale's second single "He Said She Said", from the album Headstrong.^[222] The song has been included on several compilation albums, including Disney Channel Holiday and A Very Special Christmas 7.

"Last Christmas" was covered in 2006 by Crazy Frog and released as a Christmas single.

"Last Christmas" was recorded in 2007 by Cascada. It was released on iTunes in November 2007. The single had only a digital release but six days later, it was released on the single "What Hurts the Most" which was the first single from their second album. It was also released as part of their Christmas album, It's Christmas Time.

The song was covered by the cast of Glee, led by Lea Michele, Cory Monteith with Amber Riley, and was released in 2009 exclusively on iTunes as a charity single, then in 2010 on Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album. The song entered the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the first time a cover version of the song appeared on that chart.

British singer Joe McElderry covered the song in 2011. This version was released as a single on 19 December 2011,^[243] an EP was also released digitally in Ireland on 4 November 2011, and in the UK on 7 November 2011. Joe McElderry's version is taken from his third studio album, Classic Christmas, released 28 November 2011. 7th Heaven Remix & Production have done a remix for the song.

A short music video was made using footage which was filmed for the Classic Christmas's album advertising, it features McElderry outside in the snow, collecting logs and taking them to a large house preparing for a Christmas party, a similar video was made for McElderry's version of "O Come All Ye Faithful". The advert and both videos were directed by Steve Lucker.^[244]

"Last Christmas" is a song by American singer Ariana Grande. The song serves as the lead single from Grande's Christmas Kisses. It was released on 19 November 2013 in the iTunes Store.^[245]

Grande's cover draws primarily from pop music, contemporary R&B and soul and also includes newly written lyrics in place of some of the originals.^[246][247] The verses have been described as "bouncier" than the original melody.^[246]

"Last Christmas" was covered by Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen in 2015 and was released to digital retailers on 20 November 2015 through 604 Records (in Canada) and Interscope Records and School Boy Records (internationally).^[265] Jepsen's rendition was praised by critics for combining stylistic elements similar to the original with modern production.^[266] She performed the song live at the annual NBC television special Christmas in Rockefeller Center airing on 2 December 2015,^[267] and on the episode of The Late Late Show with James Corden airing on 16 December 2015.^[268]

Bianca Gracie of Idolator described the song as "quintessential Carly" for highlighting Jepsen's unique vocals and synth production and wrote that her cover will "charm your... socks off".^[269] Nolan Feeney of Time echoed those sentiments, noting that "Last Christmas" is "the kind of brokenhearted yet warm and sweet song [Jepsen] excels at".^[270] Jackson McHenry of Vulture applauded Jepsen for her straightforward approach to the song and avoiding the "vocal gymnastics" that bog down some Christmas covers.^[271]

A more critical review came from music blog Popcrush, who deemed the cover overproduced, saying "The slick production is a disservice to both Jepsen's vocals and the original's emotional heft.".^[272]

• Billie Piper originally recorded a cover of the song as a B-side of her 1998 single "She Wants You". It was released as a CD single in limited areas of Europe, charting at No. 47 in Sweden.^[279] The single was released as a promotional vinyl single in the UK, limited to 500 copies, and therefore could not chart there.
• Jimmy Eat World released a cover of the song in 2002 as a single.
• Hilary Duff covered the song for her 2002 debut album, Santa Claus Lane. This version peaked at number 68 on the South Korean Gaon Chart in 2012.^[280]
• Taylor Swift covered "Last Christmas" for her 2007 EP, The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection. Swift's cover peaked at number 28 on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in January 2008^[281] and at number 46 on the Hot Digital Songs chart in December 2008.^[282] On Billboard's Greatest of All Time Holiday 100 chart, which measured chart data 1958–2016, Swift's "Last Christmas" charted at number 56.^[283]
• James TW's version in 2018 peaked at number 22 on the New Zealand Hot Singles Chart, and at number 38 on Sverigetopplistan, the official Swedish singles chart.^[284]
• Backstreet Boys released a cover of the song on September 6, 2022, as a part of their first Christmas album, A Very Backstreet Christmas. It was accompanied by a music video on November 1 the same year and reached number 1 on the Billboard Holiday AC chart.^[285]
• Lauren Spencer-Smith released a cover of the song on November 11, 2022. Her version peaked at number 81 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 2022.^[286]
• One, who represented Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2002, adpated the song in Greek as "Οι καμπάνες χτυπούν" (Bells are ringing) in their 2003 album Όνειρα (Dreams).^[287]
• Remi Wolf covered the song, releasing it along with a cover of "Winter Wonderland" in November 2022.^[288]
• The cast of The Only Way Is Essex covered the song in 2011. It peaked at number 33 in the UK Singles Chart Christmas chart, a place higher than the original.^[289]
• Alanis Morissette released the cover of the song on the EP of the same name in November 2023.^[290]
• Finnish soprano Tarja Turunen covered the song on her 2023 Christmas album entitled Dark Christmas.^[291]

• List of songs which have spent the most weeks on the UK Singles Chart
• Whamageddon