Whamageddon is a game played during the 24 days before Christmas in which players try to go from 1 December to the end of Christmas Eve (24 December) without hearing the song "Last Christmas" by British pop duo Wham!. Based on the Little Drummer Boy Challenge from the mid-1990s if the player hears the song between those days, they are out of the game and have to post "#Whamageddon" on social media to indicate that they have lost. The exceptions to this game are that the player can only listen to remixes and cover versions of the song. It is not against the rules to play or send the song to others, but players are not encouraged to do so. Whamageddon is described as a survival game, as opposed to a battle royale game.[1][2][3][4]
| Years active | 2010–present |
|---|---|
| Playing time | 1–24 December |
| Chance | Partially |
| Skills | Strategy |
History and background
edit"Last Christmas" has been a staple of most all-Christmas radio stations' playlists since the format became popular; in 2023, the song was the most heavily played song on adult contemporary stations that had adopted all-Christmas formats (adult contemporary itself being the most common format to flip to all-Christmas).[5] The song has generally been rotated more heavily later in the season, since most stations tend to favour older standards earlier in the season;[6] "Last Christmas" was among the least popular "first songs" to launch all-Christmas formats in 2024, with no stations choosing it.[5]
One of the earliest documented references of Whamageddon appeared on Maniac-Forum.de in November 2009, an online forum originally linked to German-language video game magazine M! Games.[7][8] In 2010, GTPlanet, a sim racing-themed online forum, started a similar challenge under the name "GTPlanet vs. Wham! - Last Christmas". The rules were nearly the same, apart from the game having no defined start date and ending at midnight on 31 December, and the presence of the song within the discussion thread itself being prohibited.[9]
In December 2023, the DJ at Sixfields Stadium in Northampton, England, played "Last Christmas" to a crowd of over 7,000 people, with the intention of making everyone present lose the Whamageddon game. He later apologized, after facing criticism.[10]
Gameplay
editRules from the official website of Whamageddon.[11]
- The player must go as long as possible without hearing Wham!'s Christmas song, "Last Christmas"
- The game starts on the 1st of December and ends at "the end of December 24th"
- Only the original version of "Last Christmas" applies, the player can listen to remixes and covers of the song
- The player is out as soon as they recognise the original version of the song
- The player may post "#Whamageddon" on social media as soon as they lose the game
- Players can play on a "player vs player" if they wish, by sending links to the song to friends to try and get them out of the game, although it is not encouraged
Once a player has lost they are sent to 'Whamhalla', in which they are unable to return until the game begins again the next year.[11]
Alternative variations
editOther variations of Whamageddon exist. In one variation called Wham!Hunter, players get a point each time they hear the song. This allows enjoyment of Christmas music and not having to worry when walking through a shopping centre or when the radio is playing in the car.[12]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Are you playing Whamageddon? The fight to avoid hearing Last Christmas is on". www.irishnews.com. 5 December 2018. Archived from the original on 7 December 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
- ^ Herbert, Tom (5 December 2018). "Here's how to play Whamageddon". www.standard.co.uk. Archived from the original on 7 December 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
- ^ Mason, Alistair (4 December 2018). "Are you playing Whamageddon? The fight to avoid hearing Last Christmas is on". www.independent.ie. Archived from the original on 5 December 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
- ^ "Whamageddon is the Christmas game you've never heard of but everyone is playing". www.heart.co.uk. Archived from the original on 9 December 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
- ^ a b Ross, Sean (2024-11-12). "The First Song of Christmas". RadioInsight. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
- ^ Rumore, Kori (2022-11-01). "'A Holly Jolly Christmas' for WLIT: Here's why the Chicago station switches to a holiday format now". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2024-08-18.
- ^ "-= maniac forum =-". www.maniac-forum.de. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
- ^ "Thema: Das "alte" Maniac Forum | MANIAC.de | Seite 2". www.maniac.de. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
- ^ "GTPlanet vs. Wham! - Last Christmas". GTPlanet. 2010-11-03. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
- ^ "Whamageddon: DJ sorry for playing Last Christmas by Wham!". www.bbc.co.uk. 9 December 2023. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ a b "Whamageddon". Archived from the original on 29 December 2019. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
- ^ "This year, we're playing Wham! Hunter". Magic Radio. Retrieved 2023-12-22.