Wham!’s “Careless Whisper” joins YouTube’s billion views club

Columbia Records

Wham!‘s massive 1984 hit “Careless Whisper” continues to dominate the music landscape — especially when it comes to YouTube.

That song is now the latest offering to join YouTube’s prestigious billion-views club. Variety reports in 2023 alone its music video was watched 400,000 times on average, every day.

“Careless Whisper,” which was uploaded to the video-sharing platform in October 2009, is now the eighth song from the 1980s to earn over 1 billion views.

The song now joins other hits “Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick Astley, Cyndi Lauper‘s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” Guns N’ Roses‘ “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson, “Every Breath You Take” by the Police, Europe‘s “The Final Countdown” and A-ha‘s “Take on Me.”

“Careless Whisper,” which was written by Andrew Ridgeley and the late George Michael, was released in July 1984 and was featured on Wham!’s Make It Big album. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 and is RIAA-certified Platinum.

The duo shot the song’s music video in Miami and tapped Duncan Gibbins as its director. Gibbins also helmed the video for Wham!’s “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.”