George Michael Tries for Christmas Magic Again With "December Song"

George has gone quite whimsical with the music video.

Back in 1984, some of our readers weren't even born yet. And a new Christmas standard was born. Wham! was made up of Andrew Ridgely and the then-closeted George Michael, and they were pure pop confection. Their partnership didn't stand the test of time, but their new Christmas song sure did.

"Last Christmas" peaked at #2 in the U.K. 1984, unable to overcome the momentum of the Band Aid charity project, but still sold over 1 million copies, setting a record for sales for a song that didn't reach #1. It's been reissued and hit the Top 40 four times since.

But the real story is that it became a standard, alongside other contemporary songs like "White Christmas" and "Silver Bells" that we know and love. It's been covered at least 395 times. And it's one of the most enduring hits of my lifetime, charting for airplay every single year since 1997. Take that Andy Williams.

The video reflects the times, what with the hair, the clothes, and essentially a bunch of people running around a ski slope. Still, see if it doesn't make you smile.

Now George Michael has decided to see if he can make lightening strike twice, with another original Christmas song, "December Song" which comes out next week. The video is certainly upscale, with beautiful, whimsical animation, and seems aiming to remind you about the important parts of a holiday. But it doesn't set my toes tapping like "Last Christmas" does.

Is "December Song" something you'd buy? Is it an instant classic?