George Michael Debut Album “Faith” Turns 30

Renown English singer George Michael rose to worldwide fame as one half of the dance-pop duo Wham! with Andrew Ridgeley between 1981 and 1986, but his solo career made him one of the most acclaimed artists of all time. On this day in 1987, he released his debut album “Faith” by both Columbia Records and Epic Records. It hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart on three separate occasions in 1988 and spent a total of 12 weeks at the top. The record spawned six Top 5 singles—four of which topped the singles chart—including “Faith” [No. 1], “Father Figure” [No. 1], “One More Try” [No. 1], “Monkey” [No.1], “I Want Your Sex” [No. 2] and “Kissing a Fool” [No. 5]. “Faith” would go on to win several awards throughout the next two years, including the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1989. To date, the diamond certified record has sold more than 20 million copies.