Andrew Ridgeley and George Michael of Wham! perform in London in 1984.Photo:Phil Dent/Redferns/Getty
Phil Dent/Redferns/Getty
This year, to save themselves from tears, thousands of people are avoiding listening toWham!’s holiday classic “Last Christmas.” It’s not because they hateChristmas music, though: They’re participating in a viral holiday game.
Wham!’s “Last Christmas” single artwork.Single Cover Image Courtesy of Epic
Although Whamageddon began as a joke among a group of friends who would say that they were “hit” with the song as soon as the holiday season rolled around, it’s grown into something thousands of people participate in. Theirofficial Facebook pagehas over 19,000 followers and nearly 800 people chime into theReddit thread. As for the hashtag, there’s over 14,000 posts with it on Instagram and a whopping 12 million views of iton TikTok.
According tothe BBC, a DJ at the Northampton Town Football Club stadium in the U.K. even received a bit of viral backlash (all meant in good fun) on social media for playing the song at a game earlier this month.
George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley of Wham!.Courtesy of Netflix
Courtesy of Netflix
“It’s just a funny little thing that a couple of idiots from Denmark did to entertain themselves during Christmas,” one of the founders, Thomas Mertz, toldThe New York Times.
He explained to the outlet that they see it as a way to provide some holiday cheer. “It’s just not a good time of year to a lot of people,” Mertz added. “If we can add a little bit of fun to that, I think it’s worthwhile.”
Mertz, 42, also clarified the common misconception that Whamageddon is because they “somehow hate Christmas music, or Wham!, or pop" — even adding that he loves pop himself.
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If you’re considering joining the festivities, just know that the popularity of the ’80s favorite is on the rise. It tends to chart on theBillboard Hot 100annually, and it’s already returned to theTop 40.
Wham! instrumentalistAndrew Ridgeleyrecently opened up to PEOPLE about theChristmas tune’s lasting legacywhen his bandmate wasinductedinto theRock and Roll Hall of Fameposthumously.
“The first time I ever heard it, it was absolutely knockout,” the instrumentalist, 60, shared. “It sounded for all the world like a Christmas classic.”
He continued, “It’s Christmas distilled if you ask me. It’s the essence of Christmas.”
“And so, its enduring nature, its perennial nature isn’t really a surprise,” Ridgeley said. “But it’s a wonderful privilege to have had bestowed upon Wham!, to have one of the all-time Christmas classics — which I think it’s fair to say it probably is now.”
source: people.com
