George Michael's classic hit "Careless Whisper" has been voted the UK's favourite song for the eighth year running in the Smooth Radio Top 500, a poll has revealed. The late star also claimed the title of the UK's most popular music artist, with an impressive 20 entries on the chart, including six tracks from his Wham! days.
Dominance on the Chart
The 1984 anthem, co-written with Wham! bandmate Andrew Ridgeley for the album "Make It Big," secured the top spot in the annual ranking of Britain's most cherished songs. George also took second place with "A Different Corner" from 1986, pushing Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" down to third place after it slipped one position from last year.
Nearly a decade after George Michael's death from heart failure on Christmas Day 2016 at age 53, his music continues to resonate. The top 500 list, compiled from nearly 20,000 public votes, was unveiled on Monday evening.
Other Artists Making Waves
Joint second place in the artist rankings went to Michael Jackson and Sir Elton John, each with 14 entries. Jackson's highest-ranked song was "Man In The Mirror" at number four. Sir Elton's biggest hit, "Don't Let The Sun Go On Me," a duet with George Michael, came in at seventh place.
Whitney Houston emerged as the leading female artist with 12 spots, including "I Will Always Love You" at number 19. Queen made history by being crowned the most popular group for the first time, tying with ABBA at 11 entries each.
Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" achieved its highest-ever ranking at number 10, boosted by its appearance in the Netflix series "Stranger Things," whose concluding season aired last year.
Top 20 Chart
The Smooth Radio All Time Top 500 top 20 includes:
- Careless Whisper – George Michael
- A Different Corner – George Michael
- Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
- Man In The Mirror – Michael Jackson
- Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon and Garfunkel
- Billie Jean – Michael Jackson
- Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me – Elton John and George Michael
- Human Nature – Michael Jackson
- Dance With My Father – Luther Vandross
- Running Up That Hill – Kate Bush
- Wind Beneath My Wings – Bette Midler
- Father Figure – George Michael
- Always On My Mind – Elvis Presley
- Hotel California – Eagles
- Jesus To A Child – George Michael
- Dancing Queen – ABBA
- (Everything I Do) I Do It For You – Bryan Adams
- Suspicious Minds – Elvis Presley
- I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston
- Fastlove – George Michael
Smooth Radio presenter Kate Garraway said: "It's fantastic that George Michael's music and legacy shine as brightly as ever, with Careless Whisper voted the number one song and George Michael named the most popular artist. It's a fitting tribute to one of the greatest artists of all time. And what makes these results even more exciting is seeing singers like Sir Elton John and Whitney Houston, and groups such as Queen and ABBA, connecting with a whole new generation."
The announcement follows the release of a new biopic musical, "Michael," starring his nephew Jaafar Jackson. Garraway added: "Music has always meant so much to me, whether celebrating or getting through the tougher times in life. I love that this chart is always a powerful reminder of how much music means to all of us."
