Wham’s Andrew Ridgeley says late bandmate George Michael would be ‘beside himself’ after their hit Last Christmas reaches number one 39 years after its release

Andrew Ridgeley has said George Michael would be 'beside himself' if he knew Last Christmas finally has Christmas number one.

The late pop star – who passed away on Christmas Day in 2016 at the age of 53 – released the festive tune in 1984, but it had never managed to reach the coveted top spot during the Christmas period until Friday evening.

Upon receiving the news, Andrew, 60, noted that he and his bandmate – whom he nicknamed Yog – had always measured their success in Wham! by chart positions and how it had been such a 'disappointment' for both of them when it stalled at number two.

He told Official Charts: 'George would be beside himself after all these years to finally get it.

'Yog and I saw music largely in terms of the official charts. We have always contextualized our success by our chart success.

Andrew rose to fame with George (right) as part of pop duo Wham! in the 1980s, but their festive classic had never reached the Christmas number one until now

'It was a huge disappointment to both of us when it didn't reach No. 1 because in our opinion it was stuck.

'If it hadn't been for Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas? it probably would have been #1. '

Andrew added that the new achievement will be the 'crowning achievement' for the '80s duo, as he noted that the song was always intended to be number one in the first place.

He said: 'It will mean a lot to the legacy of Wham!, it's the crowning glory. Last Christmas was intended as Christmas number 1. Lofty ambitions, but Yog set himself lofty ambitions as a songwriter.'

Andrew added that Wham's fans will have a sense of achievement now that the song has finally reached Christmas number one.

The perennial favorite from 1984, written by George Michael, has topped the charts in the past, but never in the last week before Christmas. It was denied the top spot the year of its release by Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas?

And amid one of the fiercest battles for the Yuletide crown in recent memory, the race was almost too close to call as the '80s icons battled the likes of Mariah Carey, The Pogues and Sam Ryder to to claim the title 39 years after claiming the title. Edition.

The song became the bookies' favorite to climb the charts following an earlier rush by The Pogues fans to get Fairytale of New York to Number 1 in memory of the Irish folk band's frontman Shane MacGowan, who died in November.

Andrew Ridgley as he appears in the video for Last Christmas

George Michael as he appeared in the video for 1984 festive favorite Last Christmas, now at number one for the first time at Christmas

Shane MacGowan in the video for The Pogues' Fairytale of New York. A campaign to get the song to number one is being coordinated by fans in memory of the late frontman

Mariah Carey in the video for the Make My Wish Come True edition of All I Want for Christmas Is You

Eurovision star Sam Ryder has launched an aggressive marketing campaign in the battle to get his new song, You're Christmas To Me, to number one later today

Ultimately, the band's duet with Kirsty MacColl failed to make the top five, which was completed by Eurovision star Sam Ryder's You're Christmas To Me, Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You, Noah Kahan's Stick Season and Ed Sheeran. and Elton John's duet Merry Christmas.

Martin Talbot, CEO of the Official Charts, said of Wham!'s historic achievement: 'After taking first place for the first time last year, it is fantastic that WHAM! have finally claimed the honor of Christmas number 1.

'Of course WHAM's victory means! also that someone has to come second and it's hard to remember a harder working Christmas Number 2 artist than Sam Ryder, who has more than thirty shows under his belt in the last seven days. to take the crown.

'Sam has truly made this a chart battle to remember – and we should be comforted by the many years it has taken for an iconic song like Last Christmas to claim this most esteemed chart position.