1986 Classic Pop Track Hit No. 1 40 Years Ago Today

The follow-up to 1984's enduring hit "Careless Whisper" proved to be just as a boon for singer-songwriter George Michael's burgeoning solo career. Released via Epic Records in the UK and Columbia Records in the US on March 24, 1986, "A Different Corner" came to be when Wham! was at their apex. However, Michael was at a particularly low point in his personal life, and the 23-year-old drew upon his experiences to pen the lyrics for "A Different Corner."

Michael stated that the song was about a "here today, gone tomorrow" relationship. It was the "most honest" track he'd ever written at that point in his career. The tune took Michael an astonishing 14 hours to write and record.

"A Different Corner" is also part of Wham!'s Music from the Edge of Heaven record (in Japan and the US), the pop duo's third and final studio album, which debuted on June 27, 1986. It's also part of the group's compilation record The Final, which was released on July 7, 1986, to mark the end of Wham! Here, the tune was fully credited to Michael.

While the song peaked at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100, it reached No. 1 on the UK Singles chart on this day in 1986, with Michael making history as the first solo act in the country to have chart-topping singles as his first two releases. It certified Platinum in the Netherlands and Gold in the UK.

"A Different Corner" was also the first American top-10 single credited solely to Michael, since "Careless Whisper" was credited as "Wham! featuring George Michael." This paved the way for Michael's debut album, Faith (Oct. 30, 1987), since it proved to Epic Records that he would be profitable as a solo artist.

Michael went on to become one of the best-selling recording artists of all time, and was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023.