Wikipedia

The Edge of Heaven

"The Edge of Heaven" is a song by the English pop duo Wham!, released on 9 June 1986 by Epic Records in the United Kingdom and most of the world, and Columbia Records in the United States. It was written and produced by George Michael, one half of the duo, and was promoted in advance as Wham!'s farewell single.

"The Edge of Heaven"
A purple gradient background featuring the name "Wham!" in the bottom-right corner, typeset in white font
Artwork for the UK release of the single
Single by Wham!
from the album The Final and Music from the Edge of Heaven
B-side
Released9 June 1986 (1986-06-09)[1]
Recorded1986
StudioSarm West (London)[2]
Genre
Length4:34
Label
SongwriterGeorge Michael
ProducerGeorge Michael
Wham! singles chronology
"I'm Your Man"
(1985)		 "The Edge of Heaven"
(1986)		 "Where Did Your Heart Go?"
(1986)
Music video
"The Edge of Heaven" on YouTube
Alternative cover
Artwork for the US release of the single
Artwork for the US release of the single

The single, a five-minute tale of emotional and physical frustration within a relationship, featured a guest appearance by Elton John on piano, and became Wham!'s fourth No. 1 hit on the UK singles chart[4] and their final US top-ten hit.

Background

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Between 1982 and 1985, the pop duo Wham! had released two studio albums, and enjoyed a string of success, with three of their singles reaching number one on the UK singles chart.[5] With the known desire of George Michael to move into a more adult market, Wham! announced in early 1986 that Michael and his musical partner Andrew Ridgeley would go their separate ways after a farewell single, album, and a concert.[6]

The farewell concert, entitled the Final, was held in front of 72,000 fans at London's Wembley Stadium on 28 June 1986.[7] The accompanying album, also entitled The Final, was released on 7 July 1986. In North America, a pared-down version of the album (entitled Music from the Edge of Heaven) was issued instead.

Production

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Prior to its official release, "The Edge of Heaven" had been performed during Wham!'s Whamamerica! tour in 1985.[8] Michael said the lyrics to the song were "deliberately and overtly sexual, especially the first verse". The reason for this, he said, was he thought no one would care "because no one listens to a Wham! lyric. It had got to that stage."[9]

Release

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Epic released a double record set in the UK, with an updated version of Wham!'s early signature song "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)" on the flip of disc one, and two new songs—"Battlestations" and a cover of the Was (Not Was) song "Where Did Your Heart Go?"—on the flip-side of the second disc. "Where Did Your Heart Go?" was later given an equal billing and reached the UK top 40 as a result.

In the United States, "The Edge of Heaven" was backed with a live version of "Blue" from Wham!'s tour of China. "Where Did Your Heart Go?" was released separately as the fourth and final single from the Music from the Edge of Heaven album, and charted at number 50.

Critical reception

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Reviewing "The Edge of Heaven", Cash Box said that "the live-wire, uptempo track moves along at a "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" pace."[10] Amy Hanson of AllMusic opined that the song "emerges snappy and sexy and somehow subversive as Michael put fans through his paces with this breathless come-on that left everyone waiting for more."[11]

In 2021, "The Edge of Heaven" was included on The Guardian's list of George Michael's 30 greatest songs.[12] Ranking the song 20th, reviewer Alexis Petridis stated that it is a "sophisticated example of Michael's way with an irrepressible 60s soul pastiche, with lyrics that played on the duo's imminent demise: 'One last time might be for ever.'"[12]

Music video

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The official music video for "The Edge of Heaven" was directed by Andy Morahan[13] and filmed at stage 1, Twickenham Film Studios in June 1986.[14] It features a performance in front of a crowd and is filmed in black and white.[15] It features a brief early appearance by Danny John-Jules, emerging from the audience to dance alongside Michael onstage, as well as appearances by David Austin on guitar and Deon Estus on bass.

Track listing

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All tracks are written by George Michael, except where noted.

7-inch: Epic / A FIN 1 (UK)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Edge of Heaven" 4:37
2."Wham! Rap '86"
6:33
7-inch: Columbia / 38-06182 (US)
No.TitleLength
1."The Edge of Heaven"4:37
2."Blue" (Live in China)5:18
2×7-inch: Epic / FIN 1 (UK) – Limited edition double 7-inch pack
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Edge of Heaven" 4:37
2."Wham! Rap '86"
  • Michael
  • Ridgeley
6:33
3."Battlestations" 5:25
4."Where Did Your Heart Go?"
5:43
12-inch: Epic / FIN T1 (UK)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Battlestations" 5:25
2."Where Did Your Heart Go?"
  • David Was
  • Don Was
5:43
3."The Edge of Heaven" 4:37
4."Wham! Rap '86"
  • Michael
  • Ridgeley
6:33

Personnel

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Credits adapted from Music from the Edge of Heaven album liner notes.[16]

Charts

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Certifications

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Certifications for "The Edge of Heaven"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[48]
The Edge of Heaven/Where Did Your Heart Go? 		Silver 519,894[49]

References

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  1. ↑ "New Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 7 June 1986. p. 6. Retrieved 16 August 2024 – via World Radio History.
  2. ↑ Buskin, Richard (March 2013). "Classic Tracks: George Michael 'Faith'". Sound on Sound. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  3. ↑ Berger, Arion (2004). "Wham!". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 868. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  4. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 463. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  5. ↑ "Wham!: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  6. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Wham! Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  7. ↑ "When George Michael performed with Wham! for the last time and said it was 'most important day of my life'". Smooth Radio. 22 December 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  8. ↑ Ridgeley 2020, p. 320.
  9. ↑ Michael & Parsons 1991, p. 170.
  10. ↑ "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. 28 June 1986. p. 9. Retrieved 4 August 2022 – via World Radio History.
  11. ↑ Hanson, Amy. "The Edge of Heaven – Wham!". AllMusic.
  12. 1 2 Petridis, Alexis (9 December 2021). "George Michael's 30 greatest songs – ranked!". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
  13. ↑ Garcia, Alex S. "mvdbase.com – Wham! – "The edge of Heaven"". Music Video DataBase. Archived from the original on 26 March 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  14. ↑ Voller, Debbi (28 June 1986). "Whispers". No. 1. No. 158. p. 14. Retrieved 19 April 2026 – via Flickr.
  15. ↑ Michael & Parsons 1991, p. 171.
  16. ↑ Music from the Edge of Heaven (LP liner notes). Wham!. North America: Columbia Records. 1986. C 40285.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  17. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  18. ↑ "Wham! – The Edge of Heaven" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  19. ↑ "Wham! – The Edge of Heaven" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  20. ↑ "Las canciones más populares en Latinoamérica". La Opinión. 27 October 1986. Retrieved 28 January 2025 – via Google Books.
  21. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Image 0719". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  22. ↑ "European Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 19 July 1986. p. 12. Retrieved 26 June 2021 – via World Radio History.
  23. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Wham!". Sisältää hitin – 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 280. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  24. ↑ "Wham! – The Edge of Heaven" (in French). Le classement de singles. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  25. ↑ "Top 3 in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 3, no. 36. 13 September 1986. p. 18. OCLC 29800226. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2022 – via World Radio History.
  26. ↑ "Wham! Chart History". RÚV. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  27. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Wham!". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  28. ↑ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Wham!".
  29. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 28, 1986" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  30. ↑ "Wham! – The Edge of Heaven" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  31. ↑ "Wham! – The Edge of Heaven". VG-lista. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  32. ↑ "Wham! – The Edge of Heaven". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  33. ↑ "Wham! – The Edge of Heaven". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  34. ↑ "Wham! – The Edge of Heaven". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  35. ↑ "Official Singles Chart on 28/6/1986 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  36. ↑ "Wham! Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  37. ↑ "Wham! Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  38. ↑ "The Back Page – National Airplay / August 8, 1986 – Adult Contemporary". Radio & Records. No. 647. Los Angeles, CA: Harte-Hanks Communications. 8 August 1986. p. 95. ISSN 0277-4860.
  39. ↑ "The Back Page – National Airplay / August 1, 1986 – Contemporary Hit Radio". Radio & Records. No. 646. Los Angeles, CA: Harte-Hanks Communications. 1 August 1986. p. 88. ISSN 0277-4860.
  40. ↑ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts (West Germany)" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  41. ↑ "National Top 100 Singles for 1986". Kent Music Report. No. 650. December 1986. Retrieved 24 January 2023 – via Imgur.
  42. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1986" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  43. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Image 0760". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  44. ↑ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1986" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  45. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1986". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  46. ↑ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1986". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  47. ↑ "Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1986" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  48. ↑ "British single certifications – Wham! – The Edge of Heaven". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Formats field. Type The Edge of Heaven Wham! in the "Search:" field.
  49. ↑ "George Michael on the charts". Music Week. Intent Media. 11 January 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2024.

Works cited

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