Career Timeline of George Michael: Major Achievements and Milestones
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how George Michael made an impact.
George Michael was a highly influential English singer-songwriter and record producer, considered a pop culture icon. He achieved fame as part of the duo Wham! in the 1980s before embarking on a successful solo career. Known for his distinctive voice, songwriting talent, and captivating stage presence, Michael sold over 100 million records worldwide. His hit songs include "Careless Whisper," "Faith," and "Freedom! '90." Beyond his music, he was recognized for his philanthropy and later, struggles with personal issues that were often covered by the media. His impact on pop music and culture remains significant.
1981: Formation of Wham!
In 1981, George Michael formed the duo Wham! with Andrew Ridgeley, marking the start of his professional music career.
1983: Wham!'s Album Fantastic Reaches No. 1
In 1983, Wham!'s first album Fantastic reached No. 1 in the UK, launching the band to initial success.
September 1984: Wham! Benefit Concert for UK Miners
In September 1984, Wham! performed at a benefit concert held at London's Royal Festival Hall to support the striking UK miners.
November 1984: Joined Band Aid for "Do They Know It's Christmas?"
In November 1984, George Michael joined Band Aid, a supergroup of British and Irish pop stars, to perform on the charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" for famine relief in Ethiopia.
December 1984: "Do They Know It's Christmas?" UK Christmas Number One
In December 1984, "Do They Know It's Christmas?" became the UK Christmas number one single, preventing Wham!'s "Last Christmas" from reaching the top spot.
December 1984: "Last Christmas" Release
In December 1984, Wham! released the single "Last Christmas", which became a holiday classic and a commercially successful song.
1984: Success of "Careless Whisper"
In 1984, George Michael had already achieved significant solo success with "Careless Whisper," which originally featured on Wham!'s album.
1984: Performance on Band Aid's Recording
In 1984, George Michael performed on the original Band Aid recording of "Do They Know It's Christmas?", contributing to the song that became a UK Christmas number one.
1984: Participation in Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?"
In 1984, George Michael took part in Band Aid's UK number-one single "Do They Know It's Christmas?", a pivotal moment in his career.
April 1985: Wham!'s Tour of China
In April 1985, Wham!'s tour of China, the first visit by a Western popular music act, garnered worldwide media coverage and was a historical event.
July 1985: Performance at Live Aid
On July 13, 1985, George Michael sang "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" with Elton John at Live Aid at Wembley Stadium in London, marking a notable performance in his career.
1985: Live Aid performance with Elton John
In 1985, George Michael performed "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" with Elton John at the Live Aid concert.
1985: Ivor Novello Award for Songwriter of the Year
In 1985, George Michael received his first Ivor Novello Award for Songwriter of the Year, recognizing his talent and success as a songwriter.
1985: Performance with Elton John at Live Aid
In 1985, George Michael sang with Elton John at Live Aid, the Band Aid charity concert, further supporting famine relief efforts.
June 1986: Wham! Officially Separates
In June 1986, Wham! officially separated, with the commercially successful single "The Edge of Heaven" reaching No. 1 on the UK chart.
1986: Prince's Trust Charity Concert Performance
In 1986, George Michael participated in the Prince's Trust charity concert held at Wembley Arena, where he performed "Everytime You Go Away" alongside Paul Young.
1986: Release of "A Different Corner"
In 1986, George Michael's single "A Different Corner" was released, marking another solo success before the official breakup of Wham!.
1986: Long time since appearance on Top of the Pops
It was 1986 when George Michael last appeared on Top of the Pops before his performance in 2003.
October 1987: Release of "Faith" Single
In October 1987, George Michael released "Faith" a few weeks before the album of the same name. The song became one of his most popular songs.
1987: Release of Faith album and "I Want Your Sex" single
In 1987, George Michael released his debut solo album, Faith. The first single released from the album was "I Want Your Sex". The song was banned by many radio stations in the UK and US, due to its sexually suggestive lyrics.
1987: Release of Faith
In 1987, George Michael released his debut studio album, Faith, which later won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and became a best-selling album.
1987: Release of "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)"
In early 1987, George Michael released "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)", a duet with Aretha Franklin, which became a number one hit.
1988: "Faith" Becomes Best-Selling Single
In 1988, "Faith" became the best-selling single in the US, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for four consecutive weeks. It also reached No. 1 in Australia, and No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart.
1988: Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance
In 1988, George Michael and Aretha Franklin won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance – Duo or Group with Vocal for their song "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)".
1988: World Tour and Brit Award
In 1988, George Michael embarked on a world tour. He was also joined on stage in Los Angeles by Aretha Franklin for "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)". At the Brit Awards, Michael received the first of his two awards for Best British Male Solo Artist. Also, Faith won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year at the 31st Grammy Awards.
1988: Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute Performance
In 1988, George Michael participated in the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute at Wembley Stadium in London, performing "Sexual Healing" alongside other singers like Annie Lennox and Sting.
1988: Australia tour
It had been since 1988 since George Michael had toured in Australia before he did so again in 2010.
1989: Video Vanguard Award
At the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles, George Michael received the Video Vanguard Award, recognizing his impact on music videos.
August 1990: Release of "Praying for Time"
In August 1990, George Michael released "Praying for Time" as the first single from Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1. The song addressed social ills and injustice, becoming an instant success and reaching No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 6 in the UK.
September 1990: Release of Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1
In September 1990, George Michael released Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1, aiming to be taken more seriously as a songwriter. The album was released in Europe on 3 September 1990, and one week later in the US, reaching No. 1 in the UK and No. 2 in the US. It produced five UK singles and spent a total of 88 weeks on the UK Albums Chart and was certified four-times Platinum by the BPI.
October 1990: "Fantasy" featured on "Waiting for That Day" single
In October 1990, George Michael's song "Fantasy" was featured on the "Waiting for That Day" single in the United Kingdom.
1990: Release of Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1
In 1990, George Michael released the album Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1, adding to his series of multimillion-selling albums.
1990: Desire to Change Promotion Style
In 1990, George Michael told his record company Sony that, for his second album, he did not want to do promotions like the one for Faith, signaling a shift in his approach to fame and promotion.
March 1991: Duet recorded with Elton John at Wembley Arena
On March 25, 1991, George Michael and Elton John performed "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" together at London's Wembley Arena, and the duet was recorded.
1991: Radio play for "Mother's Pride" during Persian Gulf War
In 1991, "Mother's Pride" gained significant radio play in the US during the first Persian Gulf War. Radio stations often mixed in callers' tributes to soldiers with the music.
1991: Cover to Cover Tour and Autobiography
In 1991, George Michael embarked on the Cover to Cover tour in Japan, England, the US, and Brazil, including a performance at Rock in Rio. Also in 1991, Michael released his autobiography through Penguin Books titled Bare, co-written with Tony Parsons.
1991: Brit Award for Best British Album
In 1991, Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 won the Brit Award for Best British Album, recognizing its artistic and commercial success.
1991: Recording of live tracks during Cover to Cover tour.
In 1991, the live tracks "Killer", "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone", and "Calling You" were recorded during George Michael's Cover to Cover tour.
1991: Release of "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" for Charity
In 1991, the proceeds from the single "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" were divided among 10 different charities for children, AIDS, and education.
April 1992: Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert Appearance
In April 1992, George Michael wore a red ribbon at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert held at Wembley Stadium, supporting HIV/AIDS awareness.
April 1992: Performance at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
On April 20, 1992, George Michael performed with Queen at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert at Wembley Stadium. He sang "'39", "These Are the Days of Our Lives" with Lisa Stansfield, and "Somebody to Love".
1992: Charity contributions and release of "Too Funky"
In 1992, George Michael donated three songs to the charity project Red Hot + Dance for AIDS awareness. He also donated the royalties from his song "Too Funky" to the same cause. "Too Funky" reached No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
November 1994: Performance of "Jesus to a Child" at MTV Europe Music Awards
In November 1994, after a long period of seclusion, George Michael appeared at the first MTV Europe Music Awards show, where he performed a new song, "Jesus to a Child", as a tribute to Anselmo Feleppa.
1996: Release of "Jesus to a Child"
In 1996, "Jesus to a Child" was released, entering the UK Singles Chart at No. 1 and reaching No. 7 on Billboard.
1996: Release of Older
In 1996, George Michael continued his success with the release of the album Older, which became another of his multimillion-selling albums.
1996: Release of "Fastlove" and Older album
In 1996, George Michael released "Fastlove", which reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart, and his third studio album, Older, which produced a record six top three hit singles in a two-year span in the UK.
1996: Awards and MTV Unplugged concert
In 1996, George Michael was voted Best British Male at the MTV Europe Music Awards and the Brit Awards. He was also awarded Songwriter of the Year at the Ivor Novello Awards for the third time and performed a concert for MTV Unplugged.
1996: Older album dedicated to Anselmo
In 1996, George Michael's album Older, was dedicated to Anselmo Feleppa, his late partner.
1998: George Michael Comes Out as Gay
In 1998, George Michael publicly came out as gay, becoming an active LGBT rights campaigner and HIV/AIDS charity fundraiser.
1998: Release of Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael
In 1998, George Michael released Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael, his first solo greatest hits collection, which peaked at No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart. The first single of the album was "Outside", a humorous song making a reference to his arrest for soliciting a policeman in a public toilet.
1998: "Fantasy" on Listen Without Prejudice
In 1998, George Michael's song "Fantasy" appeared on the album Listen Without Prejudice.
1999: Release of Songs from the Last Century
In 1999, George Michael released Songs from the Last Century, a studio album of cover tracks, which peaked at No. 157 on the American Billboard 200 albums chart and at No. 2 in the UK Albums Chart.
2000: Equality Rocks Concert Performance
In 2000, George Michael participated in the Equality Rocks concert in Washington, D.C., alongside Melissa Etheridge, Garth Brooks, Queen Latifah, Pet Shop Boys, and k.d. lang. The concert benefited the Human Rights Campaign, an American LGBT rights group.
2000: Collaboration with Whitney Houston
In 2000, George Michael worked on the hit single "If I Told You That" with Whitney Houston and co-produced the single with Rodney Jerkins.
July 2002: Release of "Shoot the Dog"
In July 2002, George Michael released "Shoot the Dog", a song with a video that showed Tony Blair as George Bush's poodle, during the lead-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
2002: Release of "Shoot the Dog" Single
In 2002, George Michael released the single "Shoot the Dog", which was critical of the UK and US governments' friendly relationship, particularly the relationship between Tony Blair and George W. Bush, and their involvement in the War on Terror.
February 2003: Recording "The Grave" in protest of the Iraq War
In February 2003, George Michael recorded Don McLean's "The Grave" in protest against the looming Iraq war.
March 2003: Performance on Top of the Pops
On March 7, 2003, George Michael made his first studio appearance on Top of the Pops since 1986, performing "The Grave". There was conflict with producers due to anti-war t-shirts.
2003: Appearance on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
In 2003, George Michael appeared on the UK edition of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? with Ronan Keating, winning £32,000 for charity after answering a question incorrectly.
2003: Context for "Shoot the Dog" Release
In 2003, George Michael's single "Shoot the Dog" was released during the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq.
May 2004: Appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show
On May 26, 2004, George Michael appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show to promote his album, Patience, performing "Amazing", "Father Figure", and "Faith". He also spoke about his arrest and the public revelation of his homosexuality.
2004: Release of Patience
In 2004, George Michael released the album Patience, continuing his successful career with another significant album release.
2005: Performance at Live 8 with Paul McCartney
During the 2005 Live 8 concert at Hyde Park, London, George Michael joined Paul McCartney on stage, harmonizing on The Beatles' "Drive My Car".
2005: Patron of Swan Lifeline Charity
From 2005 until his death, George Michael was a patron of the Swan Lifeline charity, becoming involved after moving to his home in Highgate and learning about the charity through a neighbor.
2005: Release of A Different Story
In 2005, the documentary A Different Story, which covered George Michael's career and personal life, was released, providing insight into his journey.
November 2006: Release of Twenty Five
In November 2006, George Michael released Twenty Five, his second greatest hits album, celebrating the 25th anniversary of his music career. It debuted at no. 1 in the UK.
2006: Start of 25 Live Tour
George Michael reportedly earned £48.5 million from his 25 Live tour between 2006 and 2008.
2006: Free Concert for NHS Nurses
In 2006, George Michael performed a free concert for NHS nurses in London to thank them for caring for his late mother. He also used the opportunity to advocate for government recognition of their contributions.
2006: Release of Twenty Five
In 2006, George Michael released the album Twenty Five, marking another milestone in his music career.
June 2007: Performance at the newly renovated Wembley Stadium
On June 9, 2007, George Michael became the first artist to perform live at the newly renovated Wembley Stadium in London.
2007: John Lennon's Piano "Peace Tour"
In 2007, George Michael sent the piano that John Lennon used to write "Imagine" on a "peace tour" around the United States, displaying it at sites of violence, such as Dealey Plaza in Dallas.
March 2008: Announcement of North American leg of 25 Live Tour
On March 25, 2008, a third part of the 25 Live Tour was announced for North America, with 21 dates in the US and Canada.
June 2008: George Michael expresses excitement regarding California's legalisation of same-sex marriage
On June 17, 2008, George Michael publicly expressed his excitement about California's legalisation of same-sex marriage, stating that it was "way overdue".
December 2008: Release of "December Song (I Dreamed of Christmas)"
On December 25, 2008, George Michael released a new Christmas-themed track, "December Song (I Dreamed of Christmas)", on his website for free.
2008: End of 25 Live Tour
George Michael reportedly earned £48.5 million from his 25 Live tour between 2006 and 2008.
February 2010: First concerts in Australia since 1988
In early February 2010, George Michael performed his first concerts in Australia since 1988. On February 20, 2010, he performed his first show in Perth at the Burswood Dome to an audience of 15,000.
2010: Anonymous IVF Treatment Payment
In 2010, George Michael anonymously paid for IVF treatment for a woman after she discussed her difficulties conceiving on an episode of 'This Morning'.
March 2011: Release of "True Faith" cover for Comic Relief
On March 2, 2011, George Michael announced the release of his cover version of New Order's 1987 hit "True Faith" in aid of the UK charity telethon Comic Relief. Michael appeared on Comic Relief itself, featuring in the first Carpool Karaoke sketch of James Corden, with the pair singing songs while Corden drove around London.
April 2011: Release of "You and I" cover as a gift to Prince William and Catherine Middleton
On April 15, 2011, George Michael released a cover of Stevie Wonder's 1972 song, "You and I", as an MP3 gift to Prince William and Catherine Middleton on the occasion of their wedding on April 29, 2011.
August 2011: Start of the Symphonica Tour
On August 22, 2011, George Michael's Symphonica Tour began at the Prague State Opera House.
February 2012: Surprise appearance at the Brit Awards
In February 2012, George Michael made a surprise appearance at the 2012 Brit Awards at the O2 Arena in London, where he received a standing ovation and presented Adele with the award for Best British Album.
October 2012: Final concert of the Symphonica Tour
On 17 October 2012, the final concert of George Michael's Symphonica Tour, which was also the final concert of his life, was performed at London's Earls Court.
2012: Final Concert at Earls Court
In 2012, George Michael performed his final concert at London's Earls Court, concluding his live performances.
2013: Sales Update for 'Ladies & Gentlemen'
As of 2013, the album Ladies & Gentlemen had reached worldwide sales of approximately 15 million copies.
March 2014: Release of Symphonica
On 17 March 2014, George Michael's album Symphonica was released, becoming his seventh solo No. 1 album in the UK, and ninth overall including his Wham! chart-toppers. The album was produced by Phil Ramone and Michael.
2015: Completion of "This Is How (We Want You to Get High)"
In 2015, George Michael completed the song "This Is How (We Want You to Get High)", which was later released on the Last Christmas soundtrack album in 2019.
November 2016: Announcement of a second documentary
In November 2016, George Michael's management team announced that a second documentary on his life, entitled Freedom, was set to be released in March 2017.
March 2017: Documentary "Freedom" set to be released
In March 2017, a second documentary on George Michael's life, entitled "Freedom", was set to be released, as announced by his management team in November 2016.
September 2017: Release of "Fantasy"
On 7 September 2017, George Michael's estate released the single "Fantasy", a reworked version by Nile Rodgers, from Listen Without Prejudice / MTV Unplugged (2017).
October 2017: Release of music video for "Fantasy"
On 18 October 2017, a music video for George Michael's song "Fantasy" was released on Vevo.
March 2019: Auction of Art Collection
In March 2019, George Michael's art collection was auctioned in England for £11.3 million. The proceeds were donated to philanthropic organizations Michael had supported during his lifetime.
November 2019: Release of Last Christmas film and soundtrack album
In November 2019, the Emma Thompson-written film Last Christmas was released, along with an official soundtrack album containing 14 Wham! and solo George Michael songs, including "This Is How (We Want You to Get High)".
2020: Mural in Brent
In 2020, George Michael was commemorated with a mural in his native borough of Brent, commissioned as part of the Brent Biennial to pay tribute to his contributions to music, entertainment, and the LGBTQ+ community.
January 2021: "Last Christmas" reached number one in the UK
In January 2021, more than 36 years after its initial release, George Michael's "Last Christmas" finally reached number one in the UK Singles Chart.
June 2022: Release of documentary film Freedom Uncut
On 22 June 2022, the documentary film Freedom Uncut, on which George Michael had been working shortly before his death, was released.
September 2022: Release of remastered and expanded version of Older
On 30 September 2022, a remastered and expanded version of George Michael's Older was released, comprising the original album, the Upper disc, and three bonus CDs.
October 2022: Older charted at number 2
On 7 October 2022, George Michael's remastered album Older charted at number 2 on the UK Official Albums Chart Top 100.
2023: "Last Christmas" becomes UK Christmas number one for the first time
In 2023, George Michael's "Last Christmas" became the UK Christmas number one for the first time.
2024: "Last Christmas" hit number one again at Christmas
In 2024, George Michael's "Last Christmas" hit number one again at Christmas, making it the first song to top the Christmas chart in consecutive years.
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