Don’t let the sun go down on him...

George Michael, real name Georgios Kyriákos Panayótou, was an English singer-songwriter born from the union of an English mother and a father of Greek descent.

His career began with a bunch of friends Andrew Ridgeley (future Wham), Paul Ridgeley (Andrew's brother) and a certain David Mortimer who would later be known as...David Austin. They founded the group "The Executives" and produced Ska music without any real success.

The group explodes quickly, only Georges and Andrew remain who then found “Wham”. The first successes came in 1982 with the album "Fantastic" from which came "Wham rap" and "Club Tropicana", which would be followed shortly after by "Bad boys" and "Young guns". And it is the year 1984 which will see the group at the height of its popularity with the album "Make it big" and the Singles "Wake me up before you go-go", "Everything she wants" and the now cult "Careless Whisper".

The adventure unfortunately ended in 1986 and it was on this date that the singer's first real solo title was released, namely "A different corner". Also the same year, he recorded with Aretha Franklin the Single "I know you were waiting" which will be ranked number 1 in Great Britain and the United States.

The year 1987 saw him release his first solo album "Faith" which contained the Single of the same name. As well as another successful Single but which will cause controversy, in particular because of an ultra provocative clip, namely "I want your sex".

The album "Listen without prejudice Vol.1" which came out in 1990 did not meet the expected success. The "Vol.2" meanwhile will never be released and will be the occasion of a resounding lawsuit between the artist and his record company, which he loses.

Three unproductive years passed before he returned with the album "Older" which contained the now legendary "Jesus to a child", a title in tribute to his companion Anselmo Feleppa, who died three years earlier. This album will be his last major production and the artist will no longer regain his former level of excellence.

And the scandals and excesses of all kinds to which the artist will be the victim will quickly take the top of all the rest, definitively putting an end to this career, however so colorful.

An incredible career and journey that will definitively end on December 26, 2016, the date of the artist's untimely death at the age of 53. A whimsical artist, totally out of the ordinary and who will forever remain one of the most gifted singers of his generation.

To discover or rediscover...

Discography (among others ...) :

80s Decade :

Careless Whisper 1984
A different corner 1986
I want your sex 1987
Faith 1987
Father figure 1988
One more try 1988
Monkey 1988
Kissing a fool 1988

90s Decade :

Praying for time 1990
Freedom ! 1990
Waiting for that day 1990
Heal the pain 1991
Cowboys and angels 1991
Don’t let the sun go down on me 1991
Too funky 1992
Somebody to love 1993
Jesus to a child 1995
Fast love 1996
Spinning the wheel 1996
Older 1997
Star people 97 1997
You have been loved 1997
The strangest thing 97 1997
Waltz away dreaming 1997
Outside 1998
As 1999

2000s Decade :

If I told you that 2000
Freeek ! 2002
Shoot the dog 2002
Amazing 2004
Flawless 2004
Round here 2004
John and Elvis are dead 2005
An easier affair 2006
This is not real love 2006
December song 2009

2010s Decade :

True faith 2011
White light 2012
Let her down easy 2014

Wham! adventure :

https://www.bestmusic80.com/post/childhood-buddies

Tracks :

1984 ... the WONDER ! What will surely remain as one of the 10 biggest Ultimate Slows of the end of the 20th century. How many couples have known each other on this music...thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands...??!

1986 ... the 2nd WONDER. And what about that one ?! An incredible inspiration that literally transcends the song ...

1987 ... a hint of lust for a boiling hot title ! Controversy guaranteed...but also guaranteed success !

1987 ... he has Faith the little one ! And we also believe in him ! We are already at the 4th intergalactic hit in a row ...

1988 ... undoubtedly one of the very rare artists of the moment to be able to alternate with so many brillo Intimist titles and Dance titles

1988 ... 'a new essay' transformed and which ultimately becomes a real musical gem. MA-GIC !

1988 ... the year of 4 mega hits. Just that. Little Georgios literally walks on water and turns everything he touches into gold !

1988 ... the 3rd WONDER ! And suddenly, time is suspended as if by magic. With him, by force, levitation becomes almost a natural state ...

1990 ... after a small break wanted or forced in 1989, he is once again at the top with this sumptuous new title with once again transcosmic inspiration

1990 ... the beginning of a new decade on the hats of the wheel. The artist never goes out of fashion, on the contrary !

1990 ... a title apart, rhythmic but full of roundness and finesse. Yes, yes, he also knows how to do it. Halfway between Intimist and Pure Dance

1991 ... in the same vein. Titles which will not make his greatest successes but which have the merit of existing

1991 ... an incursion into a field hitherto unexplored : jazz. And once again, it works wonderfully !

1991 ... almost 10 years after his first global mega hit, he has found the same level of success thanks to this sumptuous luxury cover. Thanks who, thanks Elton !

1992 ... only one title that year but what a title ! A new mega hit Dance which proves once again that it will be necessary to count on him again in the years to come ...

1993 ... the incredible association ! When 2 legends come together for an beuf, the result is necessarily up to the task !

1995 ... the 4th WONDER or the WONDER OF WONDERS !! We no longer know how high the bar is with a title where each note provokes an indescribable emotion ...

1996 ... back to Dance ! Almost 15 years after his debut, still as much in the 'move' the guy. The Class !

1996 ... everything changes. The look, the style, the sound. An essential career turning point. For good or for bad ?

1997 ... for now, the metamorphosis is rather in the right direction. The proof with this new foray into the Intimist ! MA-GNI-FI-CENT ... what more can we say !

1997 ... no more escapades and excesses, at least visual. For the rest, it's something else ...

1997 ... a title once again completely apart and in duo mode, which is rare for him. And why not ?

1997 ... a year 1997 definitely placed under the sign of sweetness and pleasure. A healthy awareness ?

1997 ... it couldn't last, necessarily. The tempo accelerates again, all in Eurodance mode. Astonishing ...

1998 ... back to pure dance. And in this area, it is guaranteed full box. New planetary top hit !

1999 ... new luxury and duo cover, this time charming. The whole on a mythical title of Master Stevie Wonder and dating from 1977. A title which closes a decade once again exceptional for the artist. And it's far from over ...

2000 ... when 2 of the biggest planetary stars push the song, one suspects that the result will be up to the two talents combined. And it is undeniable !

2002 ... whatever the decade passed, he adapts and how ! Always the sound that goes well and that fits perfectly with new trends. The mark of the very great !

2002 ... even if the level of success has gone down a notch compared to the previous decade, the adventure continues to be good. The guy's talent is still at Premium level and it's rather reassuring for the rest of the events. Especially when he's having fun sampling the Human League ...

2004 ... the level of inspiration remains as high as ever and allows the singer to stay in the leading pack with obvious ease. But he is well worth it !

2004 ... each decade corresponds to a particular style. And the least we can say is that at this level, he will always have been able to adapt perfectly !

2004 ... another nice title of which he has the secret. Whatever the era, he will always have excelled in the Intimist and still, the word is weak. A truly exceptional talent in this area !

2005 ... very surprisingly, this title will not even be classified. A slight air gap, to say the least incomprehensible when we see the quality of the title. It could not last ...

2006 ... business resumes on this title. We suspected that with such a talent, the air gap was not going to last. Nothing to worry about then ...

2006 ... new duo of big caliber on a title once again very soft and finesse. Everything works perfectly and takes us to the most pleasant imaginary lands ...

2009 ... yet another magnificent Intimist track which literally floats in the air. An almost unique know-how that makes him undoubtedly one of the most talented in this category and has been for quite a while now. MAG-NI-FI-CENT !

2011 ... when George takes over New Order. A revisited version to say the least surprising when you see the tempo of the original. Anyway, with George, everything works !

2012 ... at this stage, nobody still imagines that the singer has only a few years to live. A decade 2010 which will be the last, from all points of view. The production of titles will slow down considerably on the one hand and we unfortunately know how the story will end ...

2014 ... a truly incredible adventure which almost comes to an end with this last single. The near end of the road for one of the major artists of the last 30 years, with a tumultuous life to say the least but with a career among the most exceptional, all singers combined. Hats off to the artist !