"Last Christmas," Wham (Columbia)

This was a rare instance of an artist submarining his own record's chance to top the charts. The bouncy 1984 synth-pop rocker was held to number 2 on the UK charts by "Do They Know It's Christmastime," the superstar-driven hit charity recording on which George Michael also made a lead vocal appearance. Trivia: Until 2021, "Last Christmas" was the biggest-selling UK single to never make number 1. That year broke the string. The song also contends with "Fairytale of New York" on the UK's most-played Christmas songs list. Michael played all instruments heard on the track, using synthesizers and the then-new Linn drum machine, although Wikipedia intimates the sleigh bells were the real thing. It's a simple lost-love tune with hooks galore, and that explains its worldwide popularity not only in the original version, but in the wide variety of covers it has received. (There used to be a blog that compiled nothing but "Last Christmas" covers.)