Yesterday, George Michael passed away in his sleep. There has been no announcement on the cause of death, but one thing is for sure: he was a legend in the music industry.
Michael started his career as one-half of Wham! with Andrew Ridgeley in 1981. Together, they released four albums and sold 25 million records worldwide in their five-year career.
The singer would find greater fame as a solo artist, releasing a total of eight albums. His debut solo album Faith is included in Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time.”
By the time Michael passed away, he was recognized as one of the best-selling British acts of all time and the most played artist on British radio during the period of 1984–2004. He also won 15 awards from the Brit Awards, the MTV Video Music Awards, Ivor Novello Awards, American Music Awards, and the Grammy Awards.
We list down our five favorite George Michael songs as a tribute:
5. “Careless Whisper” from Make it Big
“Careless Whisper” is a popular song in the Philippines, especially when a certain private video started blowing up the internet. The song is Michael’s first solo single, but it is often credited to Wham! as he was still performing with Ridgeley when it was released. Its saxophone intro has become so recognizable that it reached number one in 25 countries around the world.
4. “Freedom! ’90” from Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1
“Freedom! ’90” is different from the Wham! song of the same name, and focuses on Michael’s success with Wham! and his move to go solo. The song is notable for its music video, which featured supermodels Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Tatjana Patitz, Christy Turlington, and Cindy Crawford, after they appeared on the January 1990 cover of British Vogue.
3. “Flawless (Go to the City)” from Patience
“Flawless (Go to the City)” is our favorite Michael song from the 00’s because it captures the sound of the times while maintaining the singer’s ’80s roots. It samples The One’s “Flawless,” which samples Gary’s Gang’s “Keep on Dancin.'” Michael’s “Flawless (Go to the City)” reached number one on Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Songs.
2. “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”
One of Wham!’s most recognizable songs is the ’80s classic “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.” Even if many millennials weren’t alive when the song came out, they are familiar with it as it appeared in movies like Zoolander, Charlie’s Angels, Sausage Party, and more.
1. “Faith” from Faith
“Faith” is our favorite George Michael song because it’s fun and upbeat without using synthesizers. It’s actually one of the singer’s most popular and enduring songs, with Ian Somerhalder doing a dance number in the 2002 film The Rules of Attraction.
What’s your favorite George Michael song? Share your thoughts below!
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