I read somewhere the other day that Club Tropicana is Wham's best known song, but how can it be if Last Christmas is totally unescapable for a month every year? Ask anyone under 35 which Wham songs they know and they would likely only answer Last Christmas. Then again I seem to remember up until around the turn of the century that Wake Me Up Before You Go Go was their most famous song.

Last Christmas is easily their most well know song now but I think back then club Tropicana was. I’d argue wake me up and maybe I’m your man are above that one now.

Last Christmas is easily their most well know song now but I think back then club Tropicana was. I’d argue wake me up and maybe I’m your man are above that one now.

Totally agree.

even in the height of summer Last Christmas is Wham’s number two song on Spotify lol (behind Wake Me Up)

 

so not really a contest

I feel that 'Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go' is more popular than 'Club Tropicana'. I hear the former more often.

 

LC is obviously their most famous song.

Edited August 26, 2024Aug 26 by All★bySmashMouth

Yup. Definitely ‘Last Christmas’ and ‘WMUBYGG’ ahead of ‘Club Tropicana’. And that’s just in the UK. In the US, I’m sure Club Tropicana would be even further down the list.

sure Last Xmas first and Go-go 2nd...

Freedom was their biggest back in the day. Although I agree if we exclude Last Christmas Go Go probably is best remembered now. I'd probably have put Young Guns, I'm Your man and Bad Boys above Club Tropicana as well

Both really big songs but i think Last Christmas just beats it

I have never heard of Club Tropicana

For me it's Last Christmas > Wake Me Up > I'm Your Man > Freedom > Edge Of Heaven in terms of popularity/knowledge

 

Club Tropicana not even top 5

My first clear memories of pop music and the charts, Top of the Pops etc. are from 1987 so Wham! would have broken up by then, but only just. I cannot remember a time when I wasn't aware of those 5 records listed in the above post. I'd definitely put "Last Christmas" as most popular, not much in it between the other 4, perhaps "Edge Of Heaven" doesn't have such an obvious title but many people will know it from hearing it.

 

I didn't hear "Club Tropicana" until well into the 90s when it was on a TV show about Ibiza because of its video being filmed at Pikes Hotel. I would say it enjoyed a resurgence as Ibiza got more popular in the mainstream in the 90s and introduced it to a new audience such as myself. On that basis it does feel like one of their more famous songs now, but still not anywhere near as famous as "Last Christmas".

Yeah the Club Tropicana video I remember a lot from VH1 and similar music channels in the late 90s/early 00s.

 

'Edge of Heaven' and 'Freedom' are their best songs imo so I wish they were better known.

On closer looking at this Club Tropicana is technically their third biggest song these days, despite it not being as popular in the 80s. I'm guessing it has built up steam in the streaming era but...

 

Last Christmas - 5x Platinum

 

Wake Me Up Before You Go Go - 2x Platinum

 

Club Tropicana - Platinum

 

Everything else is Gold or lower.

 

 

 

However, the situation is complicated in that Careless Whisper (2x Platinum) is also a factor being that it was in every way a Wham! song in terms of writing, recording and production and only released as a solo single in the UK and a few European territories. It also appears on the album Make It Big. Even at the time everyone accepted it as a Wham! release just under a different name.