George Michael’s big regret about David Gilmour
The late Wham! vocalist George Michael was much more than simply a pop star, and he exhibited this in many ways throughout his career. From his dedicated support of various charitable causes to the self-awareness he always espoused, Michael was a multifaceted character who never failed to surprise. One area in which he consistently provided new insight, however, was his taste in music.
Perhaps one of the most surprising moments in Michael’s career was when he appeared on BBC Radio 4 show Desert Island Discs and revealed the broad range of his taste. As part of his selection, Michael chose Nirvana’s era-defining 1991 hit ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ as one of the songs he’d take to the fictional island. Aware of the tremendous cultural impact of the record, he explained how it “changed everything” whilst also describing it as “the best-produced rock record” in history.
Michael said: “My fourth choice is Nirvana. This record is the best-produced rock record in the history of rock, I think. It’s not necessarily the greatest song – it’s a phenomenal record – obviously, it was a music industry-changing record, it changed everything in America overnight, you know, because it’s an absolute classic.”
As the track finished playing, the host Kirsty Young informed listeners that Michael had started headbanging along to the song. He responded by saying that if he ever found himself stranded on a desert island, he’d be enraged, so the 1991 song would be a fitting soundtrack. “If I was on an island, I’d be so furious I think I’d need to vent anger every once in a while, do you know what I mean?”
Elsewhere in the show, Michael also chose ‘Do the Strand’ by Roxy Music as one of his all-time favourites. When talking about his love for the art rock pioneers, he said it always came back to the natural sensuality of frontman Bryan Ferry. He explained: “At both ends of the spectrum, Bryan Ferry’s made some of the sexiest music of the last 30 years. It’s so original, so sexy, and so insistent.”
When sitting down with The Guardian for a Q&A in 2014, Michael provided one of the most welcome surprises of his career when he revealed himself to be a “massive fan” of one of the most influential British groups of all time, Pink Floyd.
Not only did the former Wham! leader admit his love for the prog heroes, but he also said that the one thing he would change if he could edit his past was taking the opportunity to sing with David Gilmour at New York’s Carnegie Hall. He said: “I should have sung with David Gilmour at Carnegie Hall because I’m a massive fan of Pink Floyd.”
