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Aug 14, 2023 Web Exclusive By Ian Rushbury

In a recording career that spanned just four years, Wham! went from being a cute novelty act aimed at 13-year-old girls to a credible pop act. They also had the good sense to retire at the top of their game and not try to limp along, before crash landing into the nostalgia market.

Nobody would have guessed from the snot-nosed ode to avoiding employment that was “Wham Rap!,” their debut single, that its writer—George Michael—would be writing well-crafted material like “The Edge of Heaven” just a few months later. The Singles compiles all 10 of their UK hit singles and pads out the package with remixes, B-sides, and remixes. The A-sides are all you really need.

Even those early singles sound okay more than 40 years later. By the time “Club Tropicana” was released, Wham! were showing signs that they might outlive the normal lifespan of a regular teen sensation and that was as a result of Michael’s growing confidence and skills as a writer. Even the coldest, bitterest, and most cynical of us must surely admit that “I’m Your Man” and “The Edge of Heaven” are top quality pop.

The Singles is a great collection of material from a band that came, saw, and conquered in the time it takes many contemporary bands to choose what samples to use. They never apologized for being what they were—they didn’t have to. The ’80s would have been a lot less fun without them. (www.sonymusic.co.uk/artist/wham)

Author rating: 8/10