George Michael first gained critical acclaim and worldwide stardom as one half of the duo Wham! He quickly gained mass popularity with songs like “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go”, “Father Figure” and “Faith”. The pinnacle of his career spanned from the late 80s to early 90s. His image evolved over the years. George Michael started out as a starry eyed teeny bop crooner, then transitioned into more of a sensual artist. However, he had his share of socially conscious songs and even got in a trouble a few times for speaking his mind too much. Nonetheless, his imprint on the music industry will forever be remembered. George Michael was found dead at his home in Oxfordshire, England on Christmas day. He was only 53 years old. Here’s a look back at some of the most memorable music of George Michael’s career.

“I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” 

George Michael won a Grammy for this song in 1988. The soul stirring track was a rousing duet with the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. The song remains one of his biggest hits.

“Faith”

When you say George Michael, this is one of the songs people immediately associate with him. This bluesy guitar song was the title track of the album by the same name. Oh yeah, that same album just happened to take home the honor of Album of the Year at the 1989 Grammy Awards.

“Father Figure”

This is one of the more sexually driven songs from George Michael. Or was it just about love? I think most people made it more about sex. But then there’s that awkward moment where he refers to himself as his lover’s father. Seemed weird, but fans still listened….and liked it anyway. The music video won Best Direction of a Video (George Michael and Andy Morahan) at the 1988 MTV Video Music Awards.

“I Want Your Sex” 

Welp, it’s pretty self explanatory what George Michael wanted here. Ironically, this video was ridiculed for being too racy in its heyday. This is child’s play compared to today’s sexual innuendo (or lack thereof). This was yet another big hit featured on George Michael’s most successful album, Faith.

“If I Told You That”

This song wasn’t a huge single from Whitney Houston’s My Love Is Your Love album. However, the original version was one of the best tracks on that album. The music video version with George gave it an extra zing. Sadly, this was truly a missed opportunity for another surefire hit from that album.