40 Years Later, 1985’s Biggest Billboard Hit by This Iconic Duo Still Dominates Playlists

Perhaps it’s my Gen Z lens, but when looking through the Billboard archives, it’s fair to say that the further you scroll back, the further the song title seems to be from a sense of familiarity. However, the track that dominated 1985 is one that still dominates pop culture today. Written by Wham!'s marvelously emotionally mature George Michael in the early ‘80s, “Careless Whisper” tells the devastating tale of a teenage infidelity, one that shook not only the bad lad at hand, but the entire world. The wildly emotionally raw ballad and that saxophone line climbed the charts to set a new landmark in pop, and to be honest, it’s never really left.