By the time “Monkey” dropped in 1988, George Michael was already on fire. His Faith album had spun off multiple monster hits — “Father Figure”, “One More Try”, “I Want Your Sex”, and of course the title track. But when “Monkey” came along as the fourth single, things took a slightly different turn.
Not Your Average Pop Song
“Monkey” is probably one of the weirdest chart-toppers of George Michael’s career. Funky, twitchy, and a little bit paranoid, it came packed with restless energy and a production style that felt miles away from the ballads and smooth grooves he was best known for. It’s got squiggly synths, sharp drum machines, and that aggressive vocal delivery that sounds like George is both warning and pleading at the same time.
At its core, “Monkey” is about dealing with someone’s addiction — specifically, being in a relationship with someone who just can’t shake a habit. It’s dark subject matter, wrapped up in one of his most danceable beats. The song was remixed for single release by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (of Janet Jackson fame), which gave it even more punch and pop-radio power.
A Surprising #1
Here’s the twist: “Monkey” actually hit #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Yes, that’s right — this oddball, slightly aggressive track with no clear singalong chorus topped the charts in America. It was his fourth US #1 single from Faith, which is a pretty astonishing run. In the UK though, it wasn’t quite as adored — it peaked at a much more modest #13.
It’s one of those songs that doesn’t immediately scream “hit” when you hear it today. It’s edgy, twitchy, and hard to pin down. But maybe that’s exactly why it worked in 1988 — it stood out. It didn’t sound like anything else on the radio at the time.
Not the First George Michael Song People Mention
Despite its chart success, “Monkey” often gets overlooked when people talk about George Michael’s big singles. You’ll hear “Faith” and “Freedom! ’90” and “Careless Whisper” brought up all the time. “Monkey”? Not so much. It’s kind of like the weird cousin in the Faith family — the one you forget is part of the household until it shows up blasting through a club speaker, and then you remember: oh yeah, this thing SLAPS.
George Michael was a pop star who was never afraid to get a little weird or make a left turn. “Monkey” is proof of that — a funky little grenade of a song that somehow made it all the way to the top.