George Michael’s ‘Careless Whisper’ Music Video Joins YouTube's Billion Views Club
George Michael may not ever dance again, but his music video for "Careless Whisper" has been replayed over and over.
The visual for the 1984 hit recently surpassed a billion views on YouTube, thanks to the help of hundreds of thousands of average views per day. In fact, the video averages more than 400,000 daily views globally.
The mid-80s video stars Michael – rocking gold earrings, a suit, and his trademark poofy hair – serenading the camera as he reflects on clips of him cheating on his significant other. The visual was directed by filmmaker Duncan Gibbins, who previously directed the video for the Wham! hit “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.” There’s vintage swimwear, sailboats, a fancy car, and Miami sunsets...not to mention lots of making out. It's a sultry and dramatic backdrop for the pop star to profess his regret over an affair, while that iconic saxophone solo blares in the background.
The ballad, which was credited to “George Michael” – or “Wham! featuring George Michael” depending on the country of release – served as Michael’s breakaway from Wham! into a successful solo career. “Careless Whisper” remains one of the musician’s most well-known songs of all time, spending three weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100.
Unfortunately, Michael is not here to see his music video's milestone. The two-time Grammy winner passed away in 2016 at the age of 53. In his last project, the autobiographical documentary Freedom, Michael professed he hoped to be remembered as “one of those last kind of big pop stars, in a sense that there was a certain glamour to it.”
"Careless Whisper" is the eighth song from the ’80s to join the YouTube Billion Views club. The first to do so was Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine." The others are A-ha’s “Take On Me," Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up," Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want To Have Fun," Europe’s “The Final Countdown,” and the Police’s “Every Breath You Take.”
Watch George Michael's video for "Careless Whisper" below.
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Article Image: George Michael holds a rope and stares at the camera in the "Careless Whisper" music video. (georgemichael via YouTube.)