George Michael wasn’t your usual pop star. He had the voice, charisma, and musical talent to go the whole nine yards, of course, but he also embraced the kind of cut-throat honesty that simultaneously wrapped him in a lighthearted demeanour. As with most queer musicians, Michael’s life wasn’t without its challenges, but most of the time, he knew he was it. As he once said, “My music is some of the most honest music that’s been released in the last four or five years, and I think that’s why people buy it.”
Looking at the early days of pop music, it’s clear that an artist like Michael could only emerge shaped by a specific time and place. The term ‘pop’ itself has evolved continuously—even The Beatles were considered ‘pop’ during their era, but when Michael arrived on the scene years later, the musical landscape, despite the progressive trends of the 1980s and beyond, wasn’t always prepared for someone with his level of overt talent.
That’s not to say that Michael has nothing in common with the early players. In fact, he often wished he had grown up knowing all about an act like The Beatles, even if it would only be for studious purposes. The Beatles, in Michael’s view, were “the best” because they knew exactly what they intended to do and did it with all the grace and intellect of those who had been in the business for many years before their breakthrough.
But Michael wasn’t just about the obvious choices. There were some favourites that could be deemed relatively surprising, particularly when you look at the spaces he infiltrated compared with those he praised. For instance, while Michael had and continues to have a considerably broad audience, it’s intriguing that he once regarded an Oasis gig as the best live experience he ever had—well, “with the possible exception of U2.”
However, a lot of the music Michael enjoyed continuously could be viewed as more traditional American music, likely because of how much it generally monopolies listening habits for both musicians and music lovers, but also because some of its impact is impossible to extract from the sounds of contemporary pop and rock music. In that respect, Michael’s music did exactly the same thing by blending various genres, a lot of which came from many American music legends.
However, on the topic of favourite songwriters, Michael once picked his favourites, who weren’t from overseas at all. These two came from much closer to home, showcasing how he often appreciated those who emerged from the very same arena. “The two writers that I really wanted to acknowledge in a way were Sting and Bono because I think they’re the two best writers of the time that I think my career has spanned,” he once shared during an interview with Capital.
At the time, he was referring to a cover of ‘Roxanne’ he once performed, which appeared much more slower paced and considered than The Police’s original effort. He admitted it wasn’t his favourite song, not by a long shot, but he felt the overwhelming urge to “tip my hat” to Sting because he admired him greatly, and so performing that song felt like the right thing to do at the time.
Though all influential figures in pop and rock, Michael’s appreciation for Sting, Bono, The Beatles, and even Oasis seemed to stem from a uniquely British perspective. This appreciation reflected a mutual understanding of creating great music rooted in shared cultural experiences. This connection became clearer in the ways it bred shared artistic collaborations and mutual respect despite their distinct backgrounds and upbringings.