For the first time ever, the holiday music hierarchy has shifted. Wham!’s Last Christmas has climbed to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Global 200 chart, dethroning Mariah Carey’s long reigning All I Want for Christmas Is You. It is a moment many thought would never happen, considering Mariah’s song has dominated Christmas charts worldwide for years and has almost become synonymous with the holiday season itself.
Last Christmas, originally released in 1984, has always been a seasonal staple, but its rise this year feels especially significant. Decades after George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley first released the track, it continues to resonate across generations, fueled by streaming, viral moments, and a wave of nostalgia that seems stronger than ever. The song’s melancholic yet festive tone has clearly struck a chord globally, pushing it past Mariah’s juggernaut on the international chart.
This chart shift does not erase Mariah Carey’s legacy. All I Want for Christmas Is You remains one of the most successful holiday songs of all time and continues to dominate multiple regional charts every year. But Wham!’s achievement marks a rare and historic moment where another classic finally managed to take the global crown.
The Billboard Global 200 reflects worldwide streaming and sales data, making this milestone even more notable. It shows how listener habits are evolving and how older songs, when rediscovered by newer audiences, can still rewrite chart history.
For fans of Wham! and George Michael, this moment feels like a long overdue victory. For pop culture watchers, it proves one thing clearly. Christmas music is no longer owned by just one song. The holiday soundtrack is officially bigger than ever.