George Michael named UK’s most popular artist as Careless Whisper tops poll again

George Michael's track "Careless Whisper" has topped Smooth Radio's annual All Time Top 500 list for an unprecedented eighth consecutive year, solidifying his status as the UK's most beloved music artist. The late singer, who passed away almost a decade ago, also claimed the second position with his 1986 single "A Different Corner" and had 20 entries across the chart, including six with Wham!. Michael Jackson and Sir Elton John each had 14 entries in the countdown, with Jackson's "Man In The Mirror" reaching number four, while Whitney Houston was named the most popular female artist with 12 songs. Rock band Queen made history by being voted the most popular group for the first time ever, sharing joint first place with Abba with 11 entries each. Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" achieved its highest ever position on the Smooth Radio Top 500 list at number 10, following its resurgence in popularity after featuring in the Netflix series Stranger Things.