1984 No. 1, An Earworm Deemed 'Stupid' By Its Own Frontman, Topped The Charts 42 Years Ago Today

The kind of song with so many hooks that it burrows into the brain and stays there, "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" by the British pop duo Wham! was the No. 1 song in the United States on November 11, 1984, early in its three-week residency atop the Billboard Hot 100. It's bouncy, silly, and effervescent, and it instructs someone not to forget about her doting partner if they're to go out dancing that evening. The '60s soul-referencing horns, finger-snaps, and attempts at low register singing made "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" irresistible to countless Americans 42 years ago, but many more were turned off, including its singer, writer, and producer, George Michael.

One of three Wham! songs to ascend the pop chart in the U.S., "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" was the first, and, with the exception of "Careless Whisper," probably the most famous song ever released by the duo consisting of Michael and childhood friend Andrew Ridgeley. Michael, a musician who can't stand his own hit song, had a theory about why that came to pass. "I think 'Go-Go' is undoubtedly the most remembered Wham! song because it is that much more stupid than anything else," he once said, per Rolling Stone. Nevertheless, while "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" may sound like it came from the '60s, it's a nearly perfect '80s song that almost everyone agrees on.

Wham! mates George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley grew up in the northern suburbs of London in the 1970s. By the end of the decade, they were aspiring musicians who frequented the discotheques of the era. They made plans to head out one night and met up at Ridgeley's home. While Ridgeley prepared, Michael noticed a note his friend had left out for his mother, asking her, "Wake me up-up before you go-go." Thinking that there was a song in there, Michael inquired into its origin and Ridgeley explained that he hadn't intended to double the "up" but to make up for it, doubled-down on the go."

Michael eventually did write that song, altering the inspiration to just "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go." Wham! included it on their second album, "Make it Big." It was very important and meaningful for both Michael and Ridgeley to break through in the U.S. because they both adored American-made music — '60s Motown and Elvis Presley's records, respectively. Prior to "Make It Big," the only Wham! song that had gotten any traction in the U.S. was the "Fantastic" cut "Bad Boys," a hit on Los Angeles pop radio. Some of those same outlets readily began playing "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" on its way to becoming a No. 1 hit in the U.K., with the rest of America following suit, sending the song to No. 1 in the fall of 1984, the decade's best year for music.