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Andrew Ridgeley Awards Careless Whisper Wham!

George Michael’s “Careless Whisper” Tops Smooth’s All Time Top 500 for 8th Year

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George Michael’s “Careless Whisper” is #1 on 2025’s All Time Top 500 for Smooth Radio. It is the seventh year in a row that “Careless Whisper” has topped the chart, and the eighth year at #1.

Andrew Ridgeley spoke to Smooth Radio about “Careless Whisper” reaching number one for the eighth year:

In the top 10, George Michael’s “A Different Corner” ranked at #3 for another year and “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” George’s duet with Elton John, moved up two spots to the #9 spot.

George Michael Rankings in Smooth’s Top 500

George Michael had a total of 19 songs in Smooth’s Top 500. Most songs moved up in the rankings, with the exception of “One More Try” and “The Edge of Heaven.” Here is the ranking:

  • #1 “Careless Whisper”
  • #3 “A Different Corner” (same as last year)
  • #9 “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” (duet with Elton John) (moved up from #11 last year)
  • #23 “Jesus to a Child” (moved up from #31 last year)
  • #32 “Father Figure” (moved up from #48 last year)
  • #56 “Somebody to Love” (with Queen) (moved up from #80 last year)
  • #67 “FastLove” (moved up from #104 last year)
  • #82 “Club Tropicana” (moved up from #105 last year)
  • #86 “Praying for Time” (moved up from #138 last year)
  • #97 “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” (moved up from #140 last year)
  • #105 “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” (duet with Aretha Franklin) (moved up from #114 last year)
  • #108 “Faith” (moved up from #116 last year)
  • #110 “One More Try” (dropped from #109 last year)
  • #114 “Everything She Wants” (moved up from #178 last year)
  • #117 “Freedom 90” (moved up from #169 last year)
  • #138 “I’m Your Man” (moved up from #163 last year)
  • #274 “As” (duet with Mary J. Blige) (moved up from #313 last year)
  • #288 “Freedom” (moved up from #320 last year)
  • #323 “The Edge of Heaven” (dropped from #284 last year)

“Heal the Pain” dropped out of the Top 500 this year. Last year it was #453.

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Awards Last Christmas Wham!

George Michael Nominated for Ivor Novello Award for “Last Christmas”

40th Anniversary “Last Christmas” CD Single
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George Michael has been nominated in the category of PRS for Music Most Performed at the 2025 Ivor Novello Awards. He has received the posthumous nomination for “Last Christmas,” which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2024 and was the Christmas #1 song in the UK .

Other nominees in the category are:

  • “As It Was” written by Kid Harpoon, Tyler Johnson and Harry Styles and performed by Harry Styles
  • “Houdini” written by Caroline Ailin, Danny L Harle, Tobias Jesso Jnr, Dua Lipa and Kevin Parker and performed by Dua Lipa
  • “Prada” written by D-Block Europe, Obi Ebele (Da Beatfreakz), Uche Ebele (Da Beatfreakz), Jahmori “Jaymo” Simmons and RAYE and performed by Cassö, RAYE and D-Block Europe
  • “Stargazing” written by Peter Fenn, Jesse Fink and Myles Smith and performed by Myles Smith

George Michael is no stranger to Ivor Novello awards. In 1985, he won Songwriter of the Year and Most Performed Work for “Careless Whisper.” In 1989, he won Songwriter of the Year and International Hit of the Year for “Faith.” In 1997, he won Songwriter of the Year and Most Performed Work for “Fastlove”.

When George Michael first won an Ivor Novello Award for Songwriter of the Year in 1985, he was visibly emotional, and according to the official site, George regarded it as one of the most significant achievements of his career.

“It was the first proper sign from within the industry that what I was doing was actually worthwhile. And that was the reason that I got so emotional,” George Michael said about winning his first Ivor Novello Award.

Read more about the 40th anniversary of “Last Christmas” in the following articles:

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Death Personal

George Michael’s 1997 Range Rover HSE up for Auction

George Michael’s 1997 Range Rover

George Michael’s 1997 Range Rover is up for auction at Bonhams. The current bid as of this writing is £20,250. Bidding ends at 1 p.m. on March 3, 2025.

It is my guess that George’s Range Rover is being auctioned off in tribute to Lesley Angold Harrison Panayiotou, George Michael’s mother, who died of cancer on February 26, 1997. The timing and that the proceeds go to MacMillan Cancer Support when she died of cancer is telling.

According to the overview:

The V5C tells us that this car had just one owner from new and that the owner in question was Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, better-known to all who loved him and his music as… George Michael.

The car has been brought to us by George’s father Kyriakos Panayiotou who, continuing his son’s spirit of generosity, has decided that the proceeds of the sale will go to MacMillan Cancer Support.

The car has been stored in a compound for many years and, although the chassis and bodywork look to be in pretty decent, solid condition as far as we can tell, the car now has project status.

Bonhams

Bonhams’ estimate for the auction is £10,000 – £15,000, which has already been exceeded, and with 5 more days of bidding is likely to go for double the auction estimate.

The car comes with the H11 YOG license plate. As any fan knows, Yog was George Michael’s nickname. The license is registered to George Michael’s birth name: Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou.

The vehicle sold for £34,417 at the end of the auction.

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Music

“Father Figure” Charts Again After Babygirl Dance Scene

Babygirl
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George Michael’s 1988 hit,”Father Figure,” is getting the attention it deserves in the new Nicole Kidman erotic thriller, Babygirl.

According to Spotify, streams of “Father Figure” have increased nearly 300% in the U.S. and searches for “Father Figure” have increased more than 1500% since December 25, 2024.

Writer/director Halina Reijn always intended for “Father Figure” to be in the movie.

I had the idea for the powerful woman running a robotics company and an intern dominating her sexually. That was it. I didn’t have anything on paper. But one thing I knew I wanted was ‘Father Figure.’ This song came before the full scripts, before the first page, before the first treatment, anything.

I wanted to use that song because I knew I wanted to make a comedy of manners about power and consent and sex and control. That song embodies, for me, the whole thing that I’m trying to do, which is put everything on its head and turn it inside out.

Halina Reijn

According to Forbes, “Father Figure” is on the Official Singles Downloads (No. 71) and Official Singles Sales (No. 73) rosters.

George Michael talks about the inspiration for Father Figure in this Entertainment Tonight circa 1988.

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Categories
Death Personal Wham!

George Michael Still Making It Big in 2024

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George Michael continues to make money, despite dying 8 years ago on Christmas day.

George Michael’s company, Nobby’s Hobbies Holding, reported a profit for the year, after taxation, of £1,125,467, compared to £16,198,128 in 2023.

The report is only for the year ending March 31, 2024. It would not include earnings from the 40th anniversary release of “Careless Whisper” and “Last Christmas.”

Dividends of £1,378,699 in 2024 (compared to £3,292,210 in 2023) were approved and paid by the directors.

Interestingly, under the future developments heading, the report states: “The activity of the group will broaden in the next one to three years to include live public performances.”

Earnings came from:

  • £2,992,964 from publishing income
    (compared to £20,623,079 in 2023).
  • £3,534,705 from record royalties
    (compared to £2,560,287 in 2023).
  • £6,260 from merchandise income
    (compared to 0 in 2023).
  • £0 for Class 4
    (compared to £275,000 in 2023).
  • £9,351 for Recharged income
    (compared to 0 in 2023).
  • £91,559 for the Wham! Netflix documentary
    (compared to £318,856).

Nobby’s Hobbies Holdings Limited is a private company, limited by shares, registered in England and Wales.

Subsidary undertakings of the company were:

  • Big Geoff Overseas Limited
  • Robobuild Limited
  • Wham Music Limited
  • George Michael Songs Limited
  • Infamy Inc.

Robobuild Limited, Big Geoff Overseas Limited, and Wham Music Limited paid donations to The Mill Charitable Trust in the amounts of £580,643, £1,410,000, and £340,000 respectively, which totals £2,330,643. The amounts donated in 2023 were £992,894, £375,000, and £500,000 respectively, which totals £1,867,894.

According to the report: The controlling party is the executors of the estate of G K Panayiotou by the virtue of its shareholding.

Nobby’s Hobbies Holding director’s report and consolidated financial statements is available here.

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