Providing Disco & Karaoke Since 19770113 266 8963 0113 266 8963

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

Posted by: In: Other 30 Jan 2025 Comments: 0

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

342-George Michael-Outside.

1998-Number 2 single.

Best Bit-At 1.41. If you’re having your dinner on his kitchen table, give it a wipe first.

George Michael was born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, on June 25th, 1963, in East Finchley, Middlesex, England, he died on December 25th, 2016, at the age of, 53, his death was attributed to natural causes due to dilated cardiomyopathy, with myocarditis, and a fatty liver. It was just prior to his breakthrough success in the early 1980’s with Wham! (see also best songs 991 and 142) that he changed his name legally to George Michael, as he thought it would fit better with his ‘Pop’ profile. With sales in excess of 130 million records sold worldwide, (30 million with Wham! & 100 million solo) George Michael is one of the worlds all time best selling artists. His numerous awards and achievements include five ‘Brit Awards,’ and two ‘Grammy Awards.’ In November 2023 he was posthumously inducted into the ‘Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,’ with his former Wham! partner Andrew Ridgeley as his induction presenter. The ‘Radio Academy’ have stated that George Michael was the most frequently played artist on British radio during the period 1984–2004.

George Michael was an ‘LGBT’ rights campaigner and ‘HIV/AIDS’ charity fundraiser, the proceeds from the 1991 single ‘Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me’ were divided among 10 different charities for children, AIDS and education. Following his death various charities revealed that George Michael had privately supported them for many years. Those charities included ‘Childline,’ to whom he had donated ‘millions,’ the ‘Terrence Higgins Trust,’ and ‘Macmillan Cancer Support.’ He also donated to individuals, he reportedly called the production team of the British television quiz show ‘Deal or No Deal’ after a contestant had revealed that she needed £15,000 to fund ‘IVF’ treatment, and anonymously paid for the treatment. On January 3rd, 2017, another woman came forward, and with the permission of his family, revealed that George Michael had anonymously paid for her ‘IVF’ treatment, after seeing her talk about her problems conceiving on an episode of the British television magazine programme ‘This Morning’ in 2010. The woman gave birth to a girl in 2012.

The solo discography of George Michael includes five studio Albums released between 1987-2004, and 44 singles released between 1984-2020, there is also one extended play, (EP) two official compilation Albums, and one live Album available. In the UK, four of his studio Albums have reached Number 1, with the other ‘Songs from the Last Century’ making Number 2, while 36 of his singles have reached the top 40, with seven of those all making the Number 1 position. In America on Billboard his only studio Album to reach Number 1 is his debut ‘Faith’ from 1987, while 17 of his singles have made the Billboard Hot 100, with eight of those tracks all reaching Number 1. ‘Outside’ has never charted on the Billboard Hot 100, having never been issued as a physical single, and only being released to radio. Some of George Michael’s hit singles have been in collaboration with other major artists, including ‘I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me’) with Aretha Franklin, (1987-UK & US Number 1) Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,’with Elton John, (1991-UK & US Number 1) and ‘Somebody to Love,’with Queen (1993-UK Number 1 & US Number 30.)

‘Outside’ was the first of two singles released from ‘Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael,’ from November 1998, which was the first official compilation Album by George Michael. ‘Outside’ was one of only two new tracks recorded for the compilation, with ‘As,’ a duet with Mary J Blige, (1999-UK-Number 4) being the other single released. ‘Outside’ was written by George Michael, with the production being by George Michael and Jon Douglas, who was born Jonathan Simon Douglas, on April 4th, 1970, in Kingston Upon Hull, Yorkshire, England. Jon Douglas is credited as working with several other high profile artists, including Kylie Minogue, (see also best songs 928) and has recordings he has worked on estimated as selling in excess of 70 million.

In 1998 George Michael had been arrested by an undercover police officer in the public lavatory of the ‘Will Rogers Memorial Park,’ in Beverley Hills, California, an incident which led him to finally declare his homosexuality. George Michael wrote ‘Outside’ about that incident in a humorous, and self deprecating manner, which is aided by the tracks memorable official video. The songs self mocking lyrics include ‘I’d service the community, but I already have you see.’ Along with a fine, George Michael had been sentenced to 80 hours community service for the offence. The Album’s title ‘Ladies and Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael’ was also a pun on what had happened in the lavatory, as ‘The Ladies,’ and ‘The Gentlemen’ are a British colloquial term for a gender pacific public toilet. In the UK the Album has sold in excess of 2.7 million copies, and in excess of four million copies worldwide. George Michael donated all British profits from the Album to the ‘Terence Higgins Trust.’

‘So my angel she says ‘don’t you worry’ about the things they’re saying, yeah. Got no friends in high places, and the game that you gave away wasn’t worth playing.’