(September 29, 2026) – Last Christmas, “Last Christmas” came this close to ending — or at least interrupting — Mariah Carey’s holiday reign at No. 1.
This year, to save us from tears, “Last Christmas” could actually hit No. 1.
The 1984 Wham! classic reached No. 2 on the Hot 100 — its highest position yet — on the chart dated December 13, 2025. That was a one-notch improvement over its peak from the prior holiday season in 2024, which itself was one step ahead of its No. 4 high in 2023.
In each of the last nine holiday seasons, as streaming has fueled the annual resurgence of Christmas music on the Hot 100, Wham!’s classic has either matched or improved upon its previous seasonal peak — no small feat in an increasingly competitive holiday field.
If that trend continues in 2026, there’s literally nowhere left to go but No. 1.
And all of the stars seem aligned for “Last Christmas” to finally make it this Christmas.
Consider these factors working in George Michael and Wham!’s favor.
First, this year marks the tenth anniversary of Michael’s death. He died suddenly on Christmas Day 2016. Pairing the sentiment around that anniversary with the song’s inherently nostalgic theme could give it a streaming edge this year as there will no doubt be many heartfelt remembrances and tributes to the beloved superstar.
As a case in point, the “Freedom” singer was paid a rousing star-studded tribute during the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday (Sept. 27) with many contemporary acts — including RAYE, Sombr, Teddy Swims and Adam Lambert — performing a medley of his biggest hits. The touching tribute to the “pop god” highlighted his lasting cultural impact and placed Michael right back in the spotlight.
Several George Michael songs, including “Father Figure,” “Faith,” “Careless Whisper,” and “Freedom (90)” have already returned to the top half of the iTunes chart, with the resurgence likely tied to the MTV VMA tribute but also potentially spurred on by the anticipation of another high-profile event tied to the late pop icon.
On December 11, the newly restored concert film George Michael: The Faith Tour premieres in North American theaters and IMAX. Anticipation has been building for the film since its trailer was released in early September. Although the movie is based on concert footage recorded in May 1988 and, therefore, may not include a performance of “Last Christmas,” the film and the accompanying live album (coming in November) will place George Michael and his broader music catalog front and center just in time for the holidays.
If “Last Christmas” does take that final step to the top this year, it will become only the third holiday single to top the charts during the streaming era. Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has dominated with a No. 1 placement every year since 2019, while Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” briefly broke Mariah’s iron grip at No. 1 during the 2023/24 season.
If “Last Christmas” hits No. 1, it will have other historical implications, including becoming Wham!’s fourth No. 1 more than 41 years after “Everything She Wants” became their third. That would be the second-longest gap between No. 1s for any act behind Brenda Lee (63 years between “I Want to Be Wanted” and “Rockin’”). It would also be Michael’s eleventh No. 1 overall combining his solo hits, his duets with Aretha Franklin and Elton John, and the songs with Wham!
But perhaps more importantly, it would crash Carey’s Christmas party and her attempt to regain the title for longest running No. 1 single, which she relinquished to country singer Ella Langley earlier this month. Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” just notched its 24th week at the top, while “All I Want For Christmas” stands at 22.
Barring any surprise releases from other male artists, “Last Christmas” could also become the first No. 1 song by a male act since June when Drake’s “Janice STFU” topped the chart. That six-month gap between male acts hitting No. 1 would be the longest in the chart’s history.
Of course, “Last Christmas” has to reach No. 1 for any of this to happen, and nothing on the Hot 100 is guaranteed — especially during a holiday season when streaming can turn any number of decades-old Christmas standards into some of the biggest records in America.
But the Wham! trajectory is impossible to ignore: No. 4 in 2023. No. 3 in 2024. No. 2 in 2025.
Add the tenth anniversary of George Michael’s death, a major televised tribute, a theatrical concert film, a new live album and renewed attention on his extraordinary catalog, and 2026 suddenly looks like the year that sequence reaches its only logical conclusion.
No. 1.
Maybe this Christmas, George Michael and Wham! partner Andrew Ridgely finally get the chart gift that has been 42 years in the making.
DJRob
DJRob (he/him) is a freelance music blogger from the East Coast who covers R&B, hip-hop, disco, pop, rock and country genres – plus lots of music news and current stuff! You can follow him on Bluesky at @djrobblog.bsky.social, X (formerly Twitter) at @djrobblog, on Facebook or on Meta’s Threads.
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