Wham!

Band

Photo: Chris Craymer · Public domain
Active 1981-1986
Origin Bushey, England
Albums 3
Tracks 24
Most frequent collaborator Steve Brown · 8 tracks
Genres PopDance-PopPop-Soul
Artist
88%
Authorship

Holds writing credit on 21 of 24 tracks

Did Wham! write their own songs?

George Michael did. He is credited on 21 of the 24 tracks across three albums and writes 17 of them entirely alone. Andrew Ridgeley shares four songs, all from 1982 to 1986, and the remaining three tracks are covers by other writers.

By the Numbers

3
Studio Albums
24
Tracks Credited
88%
Self-Written
more than 30 million certified records worldwide
Records Sold
5
Years Active
11
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 21 / 24 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 24 tracks: how many Wham! wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.

Wham! has a writing credit88%
88%
13%
Sole author21tracks88%
Co-written0tracks0%
Outside writers3tracks13%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
Wham!'s roles across the catalogue

Share of all 24 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)88%
Composer (music)88%
Producer100%
Performer100%

Member Credit Breakdown share of tracks each member is credited on

Percentage of all 24 tracks, across every album, where each member holds a credit - split by role.

MemberPeriodLyricsMusicProductionPerformance
George Michael 1981-1986
88%
88%
100%
0%
Andrew Ridgeley 1981-1986
17%
17%
0%
0%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

Wham!'s writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.

avg 88%
88%
88%
88%
1983Fantastic
1984Make It Big
1986Music from the Edge of Heaven
Early · 88% written
Late · 88% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

88%
1980s
Fantastic, Make It Big +1 more

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where Wham! sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.

Wham!
Other artists on the site

Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.

Katseye0%
Ricky Martin25%
New Kids on the Block38%
Kylie Minogue46%
Cyndi Lauper60%
Rick Astley73%
Black Eyed Peas100%
88%Wham!
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Bad Boys
Fantastic
Written by George Michael, Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou
Wrote it
Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go
Make It Big
Written by George Michael, Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou
Wrote it
Careless Whisper
Make It Big
Written by George Michael, Andrew Ridgeley, Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, Andrew John Ridgeley
Wrote it
I'm Your Man
Music from the Edge of Heaven
Written by George Michael, Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou
Wrote it
The Edge of Heaven
Music from the Edge of Heaven
Written by George Michael, Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou
Wrote it
Where Did Your Heart Go?
Music from the Edge of Heaven
Written by Don Was, David Was, Dave Was
Outside writers

Discography 3 albums

All three studio albums. The farewell compilation The Final and the live releases sit outside this catalogue.

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

Wham!24 tracks
SB8Steve Brown, 8 tracks L8Linx, 8 tracks W"1Warren "Pete" Moore, 1 track BG1Billy Griffin, 1 track PM1Pete Moore, 1 track 1Ernie Isley, 1 track MI1Marvin Isley, 1 track CJ1Chris Jasper, 1 track DW1Don Was, 1 track DW1David Was, 1 track DW1Dave Was, 1 track

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. SB Steve Brown · L Linx · W" Warren "Pete" Moore · BG Billy Griffin · PM Pete Moore

Photo credits

Portraits in the web and the rail come from Wikimedia Commons. The artist's own photo carries its credit under the picture.

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

George Michael is credited on 21 of the 24 album tracks and writes 17 of them with nobody else at all. Andrew Ridgeley shares four, all of them early: two on the debut, "Careless Whisper", and the 1986 rewrite of "Wham Rap!". The three tracks with neither name are covers.

Quick Facts

  • One writerGeorge Michael on 21 of 24 album tracks
  • Alone most of the time17 of those 21 carry his name and nobody else's
  • Ridgeley's fourAndrew Ridgeley shares four songs, all before 1986
  • Three US number ones"Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go", "Careless Whisper" and "Everything She Wants"
  • Career salesMore than 30 million certified records worldwide
  • ChinaThe first Western pop group to play there, in 1985

Creative Fingerprint

One writer doing nearly everything, with his partner's name on four songs and none of them after 1986.

The Story

Two school friends, three albums, four years, and more than 30 million records. George Michael wrote almost all of it, and Andrew Ridgeley's name appears on four songs.

Frequently Asked Questions Wham!

Did Wham! write their own songs?
George Michael did. He is credited on 21 of the 24 tracks across three albums and writes 17 of them entirely alone. Andrew Ridgeley shares four songs, all from 1982 to 1986, and the remaining three tracks are covers by other writers.
Who wrote "Careless Whisper"?
George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley together. It is the last song they share, and it topped the Hot 100 in 1985.
Who wrote "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go"?
George Michael, alone. It was the duo's first American number one.
How many albums did Wham! release?
Three studio albums between 1983 and 1986, plus the farewell compilation The Final.
How many records did they sell?
More than 30 million certified records worldwide between 1982 and 1986.
What did Andrew Ridgeley write?
"Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)" and "Club Tropicana" on the debut, "Careless Whisper" on Make It Big, and the 1986 rewrite "Wham! Rap '86".
Which songs are covers?
"Love Machine" on Fantastic, "If You Were There" on Make It Big and "Where Did Your Heart Go?" on Music from the Edge of Heaven.
Why did they split up?
They disbanded in 1986. Michael wanted to write for an adult audience rather than the teenage one the duo had.
Is "Last Christmas" on an album?
Yes, on Music from the Edge of Heaven in 1986. George Michael wrote it alone and gave the proceeds to charity.
What happened in China?
Wham! played a ten-day visit in 1985, the first by a Western pop group, which was treated as a moment in China's relations with the West.

Sources

Wikipedia: Wham! Wikipedia: Wham! discography