On this day August 27 1988, Monkey by George Michael officially reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It became his fourth consecutive chart topper from the Faith album, further cementing his dominance in late 80s pop.
Monkey stood out with its punchy remix production by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Unlike the softer ballads on the album, this track brought a harder funk edge with a more urgent vocal delivery. George tackled themes of emotional frustration and dependency, blending a dancefloor groove with sharp lyrical undertones.
The success of Monkey made George Michael the first male solo artist to land four number one hits from a debut solo album. It was a defining moment in a career already filled with milestones, pushing his image from pop idol to boundary breaking superstar.
80s insight: Monkey was one of the first major pop singles to chart with a completely reworked radio remix, setting a new precedent for how hits were packaged for mainstream success.
Monkey stood out with its punchy remix production by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Unlike the softer ballads on the album, this track brought a harder funk edge with a more urgent vocal delivery. George tackled themes of emotional frustration and dependency, blending a dancefloor groove with sharp lyrical undertones.
The success of Monkey made George Michael the first male solo artist to land four number one hits from a debut solo album. It was a defining moment in a career already filled with milestones, pushing his image from pop idol to boundary breaking superstar.
80s insight: Monkey was one of the first major pop singles to chart with a completely reworked radio remix, setting a new precedent for how hits were packaged for mainstream success.
