George Michael Posthumously Hits A Billboard Chart For The First ...

BERLIN - FEBRUARY 16: Singer George Michael poses at the "George Michael: A Different Story" ... [+] Photocall during the 55th annual Berlinale International Film Festival on February 16, 2005 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

George Michael passed away on Christmas Day in 2016, but the music he made during his lifetime continues to be loved by people all around the world. Their non-stop listening, buying, and even their interacting with some of his biggest hits have helped him return to the Billboard charts regularly. This week, the singer manages to debut on one tally he’s never reached before, nearly a decade since his death.

On the current edition of the TikTok Billboard Top 50, Michael earns his first hit. The tally ranks the most successful songs on TikTok, which has become increasingly important to the music industry in only the past few years. Tunes are listed based on how users of the social media platform hear and even use certain cuts in specific ways.

Michael debuts on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 as a credited artist on “Careless Whisper.” That cut launches at No. 44 on the tally. Michael is credited alongside Wham!, the pop duo he was a part of that produced the song.

“Careless Whisper” marks the first hit on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 for not just Michael, but also Wham! The chart is only a few months old, so it’s common for older, beloved acts to debut on the tally, which wasn’t around when many of them were in their heyday.

Wham! and Michael are responsible for one of more than a dozen debuts on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart this week. There is often a lot of turnover on this social-focused tally, but 14 spaces featuring new entrants–out of only 50 available slots–is quite a lot. The two join names like Bobby Caldwell, Djo, and AC/DC, who all also score their first hit as well.

“Careless Whisper” was first released in the summer of 1984, so it’s about to turn 40 years old. The track was released as Michael’s first solo hit in some territories, like the U.K., but as a duet between Wham! and the singer in other places, like the U.S. The smash reached No. 1 in both countries, regardless of how it was credited.

MORE FROM FORBESGeorge Michael Returns To The Billboard Charts With One Of His Biggest HitsBy Hugh McIntyre