Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
      • Playlists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Music»Artists - L to Z»Artists - W
    Artists - W Music - 1980s 2 Mins Read

    Wham!

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    Andrew Ridgeley and George Michael (real name Georgios Panayiotou) met at school in Bushey, Hertfordshire, in the 1970s and played together in a ska band called The Executive for a while.

    As Wham! they became huge stars and churned out disposable pop such asΒ Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go –Β as well as 1984’s ultimate fashion statement, the “Choose Life” T-Shirt.

    But they provided more than just an image of gleaming cleanliness – they gave a generation of multicultural youths their first real ‘it’s hip to be hirsute’ role models. Wham! were, without doubt, the biggest British act of summer 1983.

    wham_5

    Their albumΒ FantasticΒ stormed into the UK charts at #1 in July as the boys started their first major tour (sponsored by a sportswear company).

    George Michael won theΒ Daily MirrorΒ readers’ award for ‘Best Bottom of 84’ and was then parodied mercilessly (along with partner Andrew Ridgeley) as a pair of singing shorts-clad buttocks, on the TV showΒ Spitting Image.

    In April 1985, Wham! became the first western pop act to play in China, where they performed in front of 10,000 people at the Worker’s Gymnasium in Beijing.

    Back in the capitalist west, their albumΒ Make It BigΒ lived up to its title by topping the UK and US charts simultaneously, selling three million copies in the States.

    Fourteen months later, 72,000 fans poured into London’s Wembley Stadium to say goodbye to Messrs Panayiotou and Ridgeley as Wham! played their farewell concert.

    George Michael released his first solo album in November 1987.Β FaithΒ was an impressive debut from Michael, who produced and played many of the instruments on the album himself.

    It was obvious that the former Georgios Panayioto had gone firmly for credibility since leaving his pal behind, and quickly established himself as a sophisticated singer and songwriter

    Andrew Ridgeley’s solo career consisted of one album calledΒ Son Of Albert. He married Keren Woodward from BananaramaΒ and occupied his time racing cars and surfing in Cornwall.

    Wham Bam – I am a man
    Job or no job, you can’t tell me that I’m not
    Do you enjoy what you do?
    If not just stop –Β Don’t stay there and rot

    Video

    Related Posts

    • Band Aid
      Band Aid
      Bob Geldof (ex-Boomtown Rats) was watching television in October 1984 when he saw the news reports on the famine crisis…
    • Club Ska
      Club Ska
      Formed in January 1986 by four former members of The Allniters and led by Jamaican vocalist Patou ("Pat") Powell, Club…
    • Kajagoogoo
      Kajagoogoo
      Kajagoogoo began life as aΒ prog rockΒ band called Art Nouveau - and then they met singer Chris Hamill who rearranged the…
    • Spy V Spy
      Spy V Spy
      I first saw Spy V Spy in 1982 at the Governors Pleasure in The Rocks in Sydney (Australia). It was…
    • Go-Go's, The
      Go-Go's, The
      The Go-Go's formed in 1978 as The Misfits - The line-up, at the time, consisted of Belinda Carlisle (vocals), Jane…
    • Lotus Eaters
      Lotus Eaters
      Rising from the ashes of the Wild Swans, Liverpool's Lotus Eaters enjoyed instant commercial success with a fragrant pop song,Β The…
    • Paula Abdul
      Paula Abdul
      Paula Julie Abdul was born in 1963 in San Fernando, California. From the age of nine, she took dance lessons…
    • Shamen, The
      Shamen, The
      The Shamen formed in Aberdeen in 1986 to play heavy psychedelic rock, as evidenced on their 1987 debut LPΒ Drop.Β But there…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleWhitesnake
    Next Article Wet Wet Wet

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    You May Also Like
    • Third Man, The
      1 9 5 9 – 1 9 6 4 (UK/USA) 77 x 30 minute episodes The […]
    • Fearless Vampire Killers, The (1967)
      Fearless Vampire KillersΒ (known in some markets asΒ Dance Of The […]
    • Ricky Nelson
      Ricky Nelson first found fame in the 1950s during his stint […]
    • Life Of Riley, The
      1 9 5 3 – 1 9 5 8Β (USA) 212 x 30 minute episodes A […]
    • Give-A-Show Projector
      This large plastic projector from Kenner was basically just a […]
    • Wrong Side Of The Road (1981)
      Directed by Ned Lander,Β The Wrong Side of The RoadΒ tells the […]
    Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

    OUR LATEST FACEBOOK POSTS

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-64558222 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    David Bowie's handwritten Jean Genie lyrics sold for £57,000

    www.bbc.co.uk

    The handwritten sheet was given to the founder of the inaugural David Bowie fan club by the star.
    19 hours ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    edition.cnn.com/2023/01/30/entertainment/cindy-williams-dead/index.html

    More sad news 😒
    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    'Laverne & Shirley' star Cindy Williams dead at 75 | CNN

    edition.cnn.com

    Cindy Williams, the dynamic actress known best for playing the bubbly Shirley Feeney on the beloved sitcom "Laverne & Shirley," has died, according to a statement from her family, provided to CNN by a...
    1 week ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 1
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64442824 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Television frontman Tom Verlaine dies at 73

    www.bbc.co.uk

    His band rose to fame in the 1970s New York punk scene, scoring UK hits including Marquee Moon.
    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64418847 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Mr Blobby costume sells for more than £62,000 on eBay

    www.bbc.co.uk

    The character, made famous by BBC show Noel's House Party, had been in storage since the 1990s.
    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Put some beefiness into your mid-week menu with these recipe ideas published in a Birds Eye advertisement from the Radio Times on 30 September 1965.

    Put some "beefiness into your mid-week menu" with these recipe ideas published in a Birds Eye advertisement from the "Radio Times" on 30 September 1965. ... See MoreSee Less

    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 3
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    They were awful. An overpowering savoury flavour that lingered in your mouth for hours. Heaven knows what unmentionable parts of a bull went into making them 😳

    More sad news πŸ˜ͺ

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    US rock legend David Crosby dies aged 81

    www.bbc.co.uk

    Crosby, who co-founded both the Byrds and Crosby, Stills and Nash, had been ill for some time.
    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 1
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    This is what they promised us when I was a kid. What happened? 

All I have is 700 channels of rubbish on the TV in High Def, TikTok, Facebook and a phone I can take photographs with . . .

    This is what they promised us when I was a kid. What happened?

    All I have is 700 channels of rubbish on the TV in High Def, TikTok, Facebook and a phone I can take photographs with . . .
    ... See MoreSee Less

    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 54
    • Shares: 22
    • Comments: 7

    Comment on Facebook

    I thought we would have moving pavements by now when I was a kid πŸ˜‚

    Totally agree!!!

    The new Tesla, 4.6 next century.

    We got transvestite story hour instead

    We appear to be going backwards

    There's actually a very good David Graeber essay on this very topic: thebaffler.com/salvos/of-flying-cars-and-the-declining-rate-of-profit

    The Jetsons strike again.

    View more comments

    Renowned Australian singer Renee Geyer is dead at 69 following complications from hip surgery. Such a fabulous voice. RIP😒

https://nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-l-to-z/artists-r/renee-geyer/

    Renowned Australian singer Renee Geyer is dead at 69 following complications from hip surgery. Such a fabulous voice. RIP😒

    nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-l-to-z/artists-r/renee-geyer/
    ... See MoreSee Less

    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    That is so sad to hear πŸ˜₯ rest in peace πŸ™ πŸ•Š xx

    Gina Lollobrigida: Italian screen star dies at 95
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64292026

    Gina Lollobrigida: Italian screen star dies at 95
    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64292026
    ... See MoreSee Less

    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 5
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    😍😍😍😍

    Vale Jeff Beck. Dead at 78. 😒

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Jeff Beck: British guitar legend dies aged 78

    www.bbc.co.uk

    One of rock's most influential guitarists, he was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.
    4 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 1
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Load more
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Sport Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright Β© 1998, 2023 Nostalgia Central
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.