Make It Big

If Fantastic and its singles had won over the UK, Wham! turned into a legit worldwide pop supernova with Make It Big, near instantly becoming one of the 1980s most iconic albums and with the hits to match. George Michael’s instantly charming charisma and serious pop/soul songwriting chops, on top of his even stronger vocals and, unlike with Fantastic, his full control of the production, contained hit after hit: “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,” the sax-and-strings angst of “Careless Whisper,” the snaky, sleek “Everything She Wants” and so much more.