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Wham!

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Wham!
A black-and-white photograph of the members of the English pop duo Wham!, circa 1985.
Wham! in 1985: George Michael (left) and Andrew Ridgeley (right)
Background information
OriginBushey, Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom
Genres
Years active1981–1986
Labels
Past member(s)
Websitewham.world

Wham! were an English pop duo. Formed in 1981 in Bushey, they consisted of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley.[1] Between 1982 and 1986, they were one of the most successful pop acts. They sold more than 30 million records worldwide. Their singles "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go", "Careless Whisper", and "Everything She Wants" all reached number one the US Billboard Hot 100. For a short time, they were known in the United States as Wham! UK because another band already had that name.[2] Their 1984 Christmas hit "Last Christmas" has become a staple of the holiday season since the song was released, with all proceeds from the song going to charity.

Career

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1982–1983: Fantastic

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On 11 June 1982, Wham! released "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)" released as the their debut single as the lead single from their debut studio album. When the song was released they were unknown at the time and failed to chart was later re-issued in January 1983, the song then peaked at number 8 on the UK Singles Chart. "Young Guns (Go for It)" was released as the second single from the album on 17 September 1982, the song peaked at number 3 in the UK. The third single released from the album was "Bad Boys" on 6 May 1983, the song peaked at number 2 in the UK. They released their debut studio album, Fantastic on 1 July 1983 and peaked at number 1 on the UK Albums Chart. "Club Tropicana" was released as the fourth and final single from the album on 22 July 1983, the song peaked at number 4 in the UK.

1984–1986: Make It Big & Music from the Edge of Heaven

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"Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" was released on 14 May 1984 as the lead single from their second studio album, the song became their first UK and US number one hit. "Careless Whisper" was released as the second single from the album on 23 July 1984, the song was credited to Michael as part of his transition to a solo career. The song peaked at number 1 in the UK and US. "Freedom" was released as the third single from the album on 1 October 1984 in the UK, it was released in July 1985 in the US. The song peaked at number 1 in the UK. Their second studio album, Make It Big, was released on 22 October 1984 in the US and 5 November 1984 in the UK. The album peaked at number 1 in both the UK and US. "Everything She Wants" and "Last Christmas" were released as a double A-side in the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands on 3 December 1984. "Everything She Wants" was released as the fourth single from Make It Big and "Last Christmas" was released as the lead single from their third studio album. "I'm Your Man" was released on 11 November 1985 as the second single from the album, the song peaked at number 1 in the UK. "A Different Corner" was released as the third single from the album on 24 March 1986, peaking at number 1 in the UK. The song was once again credited to Michael as part of his transition to a solo career. "The Edge of Heaven" was released as the fourth single on 9 June 1986, peaking at number 1 in the UK. Music from the Edge of Heaven was released as the third and final studio album on 27 June 1986, it was only released in North America and Japan. In other territories, an album called The Final was released, both albums share some of the same songs. "Where Did Your Heart Go?" was released as the fifth and final single from the album in October 1986.

Artistry

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Wham! emerged from the New Romantic subculture.[3] Their musical style has been described as dance-pop,[4][5] blue-eyed soul,[6] pop rock,[7] post-disco[8] and synth-pop.[9] Some early songs have elements of hip-hop, while "The Edge of Heaven" adds a touch of hard rock.

Discography

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Studio albums

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Compilation albums

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Remix albums

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  • 12" Mixes (1998)
  • The Best Remixes (1989)

Video albums

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  • Wham!: The Video (1984)
  • Wham!: 85 (1985)
  • Wham!: The Final (1986)
  • The Best of Wham! (1997)

Singles

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References

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  1. ↑ Biography by Ed Nimmervoll. "Wham! | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  2. ↑ "Wham! UK". discogs.com.
  3. ↑ "Generation trap". York Press. July 22, 2003. Retrieved December 25, 2025.
  4. ↑ Himes, Geoffrey (12 September 1990). "WHAM! SEPARATE TRACKS". The Washington Post. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  5. ↑ Wilson, Carl (20 March 2014). "You Come and Go, You Come and Go ..." Slate. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  6. ↑ "WHAM!`S BRAND OF BLUE-EYED SOUL MAKES IT BIG WITH YOUNG CHICAGO". Chicago Tribune. August 25, 1985. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
  7. ↑ Hilburn, Robert (April 8, 1990). "The Hot 'Tag Team' of Rock Management : Rob Kahane's faith in George Michael and Michael Lippman's belief in record producers have made them an industry force". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
  8. ↑ Derakhshani, Tirdad (28 March 2004). "'Baywatch' alum claims affair with Kennedy wife". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on 21 December 2014. Retrieved 17 December 2014. George Michael may adapt the music of his post-disco pop act Wham! for a stage production.
  9. ↑ Musto, Michael (December 26, 2016). "George Michael Remembered: Reluctantly Out, Decidedly Brilliant | Out.com". Out. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
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