WHAM! and George Michael-The Ballads

Wham! (also written WHAM!) was a pop band formed in 1981 by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. They were first known in the United States as Wham! UK due to a naming conflict with another band.

The band's controversial first UK release, Wham! Rap, did not chart, but in October 1982, their song "Young Guns (Go For It!)" came out. The lyrics, an appeal from one young lad to his friend to not throw his life away on marriage at an early age, were catchy.

Although the song stalled outside the UK Top 40, Wham! got lucky when Top of the Pops, a major weekly BBC televised chart show, scheduled them to fill a gap created by another act which had pulled out of recording. Wham!, nearest to the Top 40 mark and still climbing, was chosen, and a phenomenon was born.

The Top of the Pops performance of Young Guns is considered a great moment in the group's history, whose dance routine was given critical acclaim.

This page showcases some top ballads by the group, as well as offerings released by George Michael after he went solo in the late 80s. The videos featured are not necessarily the original tv releases but rather a mix of those and live performance clips.

(title photo by Yves Lorson and used with permission under terms of the CC share-alike license)