How a 1988 Pop Smash Became the Year's Best—and Launched a Legend’s Solo Career

Flash back to 1988, and you will see an era dominated by pop music, heavy metal, leg warmers, and acid-washed jeans. The music and the fashion defined the era.

And one song that rose to the top of the charts effectively launched a pop legend's solo career. It was Faith by George Michael. And there was a lot of competition for the best song that year. Although the greatest song of 1988 is disputed, there is a strong argument for Faith, and it's ranked at the top of some lists.

According to Classic Pop, Faith reinvented Michael as an artist outside the shadow of Wham! "Shedding his past for Faith, George Michael ditched the fun and sunshine of Wham!, looked inwards for inspiration and bared all in order to create his first true masterpiece," that site reported.

George Michael Was Changing Personally When He Wrote 'Faith'

Michael was struggling with some mental health issues at the time, according to Classic Pop. Faith was a more "personal" journey for him.

“I was finding it increasingly difficult to write for the group image,” George said, according to Classic Pop. “I was writing much more personal lyrics, and it felt increasingly strange for me to be singing those lyrics as head of this two-man group. Things were going downhill because we were growing up; neither of us were teenagers anymore. There was never any question that Wham! was going to end earlier than a group’s normal lifespan because it was not a musical entity – it was an image entity."

He added, “It was a group that was based around an image and music, but one wouldn’t work without the other. And for it to work, the image had to be two guys having a laugh, having a good time, and as soon as that got boring for us it would get boring for other people.”

Rounding out the top singles of 1988:

• "Need You Tonight" (INXS)

• “Got My Mind Set on You” (George Harrison)

• “Never Gonna Give You Up” (Rick Astley)

• "Sweet Child o' Mine" (Guns N' Roses)
• "So Emotional" (Whitney Houston)

George Michael Died Young on Christmas Day 2016. What Was His Cause of Death?

Tragically, Michael did not live a very long life. George Michael died suddenly of natural causes on Christmas Day 2016, according to People. He was only 53 years old.

What was his cause of death? Although initially undetermined but not suspicious, an autopsy later declared that Michael had a series of health ailments and was suffering "from dilated cardiomyopathy with myocarditis and fatty liver," People reported.

He had struggles in his personal life. “He had some issues at the end of his life, but he always had a good heart, and he was a fine man who really believed in helping people,” Michael’s former partner Kenny Goss told PEOPLE in 2022. “‘Who needs to be a d*mn billionaire when people are starving? How much money do you really need in your account?’ His philosophy was if he didn't have the cash to help the hospitals, he'd say, ‘Borrow the d*mn money. I can always make more money. I'm a talented man."

Related: