Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 8

Well, this is rather embarrassing—or, it would be if it mattered. This post was supposed to be published last week, but I got totally confused about the dates, and missed it. On the other hand, the same song was also Number One this week in 1985, too, so, it’s all good, I think.

On May 25, 1985, “Everything She Wants” (video up top) by British pop duo Wham! reached Number One on the USA’s Billboard “Hot 100”, and remained there for the following week, too. The song was a Double A-side released with “Last Christmas”. It was the band’s third consecutive million-selling number-one hit in the USA, and was the fourth single from their second album, Make It Big.

I remember this song very well, and I liked it. While I personally always thought the song’s meaning is pretty obvious, the Wikipedia areticle to linked to above quotes George Michael’s explanation, which is quite detailed:

It's a lyric about a man who is six or eight months into a marriage which obviously isn't going well. He's faced with the 'happy' news of an arriving baby. So he's in that situation where he can't back out. [The song] talks about the situation [in which] many men find themselves, working really hard to support a family… and see it as a kind of trap. It's a situation I've seen. It's not the kind of thing I usually write about. Our lyrics are usually a lot closer to the kind of pop lightweight lyric we enjoy, but it's a departure, and I think it worked.

I think that in those days I heard the song on the radio more often than I saw the video, though of course I did see it. In any case, as is so often true about pop songs and me, I liked the overall sound of the song, the arrangement, and the vocals. George Michael was an amazing singer, in my opinion.

“Everything She Wants” reached Number 7 in Australia, Number 5 and Canada (Gold), Number 6 in New Zealand, Number 2 in the UK (Gold), and Number One on the USA’s Billboard “Hot 100”, and also reached Number One on the USA’s Cash Box “Top 100” chart, and Number One on Radio & Records “Contemporary Hit Radio” chart. The song was certified Gold in the USA.

The album Make It Big reached Number One in Australia (Platinum), Canada (6x Platinum), New Zealand (Platinum), in the UK (4x Platinum), and on the USA’s “Billboard 200”. It was Certified 6x Platinum in the USA.

This series will return next week—no, for real!—with a brand new Number One single for the week of June 8, 2025.

Previously in the “Weekend Diversion – 1985” series:

Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 1 – February 2, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 2 – February 16, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 3 – March 12, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 4 – March 30, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 5 – April 13, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 6 – May 11, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 7 – May 18, 2025