Jesus to a Child

{{Infobox song

| name = Jesus to a Child

| cover = Jesus to a Child (George Michael single - cover art).jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = George Michael

| album = Older

| B-side = "One More Try" (live gospel version)

| released = {{start date|1996|1|8|df=y}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| genre = Bossa nova{{cite magazine|first=Paul|last=Lester|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/nothingelseon/53674491624/|title=Albums|magazine=Melody Maker|date=25 May 1996|page=50|access-date=14 May 2024|author-link=Paul Lester}}{{cite magazine|url=https://people.com/archive/picks-and-pans-review-older-vol-45-no-20/|title=Picks and Pans Review: Older|magazine=People|date=20 May 1996|access-date=9 March 2020}}

| length =

6:51 (album version)
4:35 (video version)
4:15 (special radio edit)

| label = Virgin

| writer = George Michael

| producer = George Michael

| prev_title = Killer

| prev_title2 = Papa Was a Rollin' Stone

| prev_year = 1993

| next_title = Fastlove

| next_year = 1996

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|zNBj4EV_hAo|"Jesus to a Child"}}}}

}}

"Jesus to a Child" is a song by English singer and songwriter George Michael. Written as a melancholic tribute to his late lover Anselmo Feleppa, it was released in January 1996 by Virgin Records as the first single from his third studio album, Older (1996). The song, both written and produced by Michael, received positive reviews from music critics, many praising it as one of the best songs of the album; both The Guardian and Music Week named it Single of the Week.Sullivan, Caroline (5 January 1996). "Music: CD single of the week - George Michael is back". The Guardian.{{cite magazine|title= Reviews: Singles - Single of the Week |magazine= Music Week |date= 6 January 1996 |page= 16 |access-date= 23 May 2021 |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1996/Music-Week-1996-01-06.pdf}} It peaked at number one in Australia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom; it was Michael's sixth UK number one and his third as a solo performer. It also reached the top three on several other European charts and peaked at number seven and number ten on the US Billboard Hot 100 and on the US Cash Box Top 100 respectively. The music video for "Jesus to a Child" was directed by Howard Greenhalgh.

After Michael's death in 2016, Dame Esther Rantzen, founder of the charity ChildLine, revealed that Michael had secretly donated all of the single's royalties to the charity. She said "George helped us to reach out to hundreds of thousands of children through his generosity. I met him a couple of times, he approached us, rather than us going cap in hand to him, but it was an intensely personal gift. He didn’t want it to be known or to be part of his image."{{cite web|last1=Jefferies|first1=Mark|title=Star-studded George Michael tribute concert to be held to thank him for £2million Childline donation|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/star-studded-george-michael-tribute-9523834?ICID=FB_mirror_main|website=Mirror|access-date=28 December 2016|date=27 December 2016}} She told BBC News that "he really wanted to keep his help secret, it was an intensely personal gift. It meant we could answer more children."{{cite web|title=George Michael's philanthropy comes to light after his death|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38442559|website=BBC News|access-date=28 December 2016|date=27 December 2016}}

Background

Although "Jesus to a Child" was not officially released until 8 January 1996,{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1996/Music-Week-1996-01-06.pdf|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=21|date=6 January 1996|access-date=2 July 2021}} Michael unveiled the song in November 1994 during the inaugural MTV Europe Music Awards, where he performed it in front of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate. According to Michael, the song was recorded "over five days", but written "in just a couple of hours".{{cite web|title=By George, He's Back (8 Days Magazine, 1996)|url=https://gmforever.com/by-george-hes-back-8-days-magazine-1996/|website=GMForever.com|access-date=12 January 2024|date=14 February 2019}}

The song was Michael's first self-penned hit in his homeland for almost four years, becoming his first solo single to enter the UK Singles Chart at number one.{{cite book | first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | page= 589}} On the US Billboard Hot 100, it became the highest new entry by a British artist for more than 25 years, entering at number seven. In Spain, the single held the top spot for seven non-consecutive weeks.

Content

The song was a melancholy tribute to Michael's Brazilian lover Anselmo Feleppa, whom he met when performing in Rio de Janeiro in 1991. Feleppa died two years later from an AIDS-related brain haemorrhage. Michael had been unable to write for the next 18 months as a consequence of his grief. The song is written with a rhythm and harmony that is influenced by the Brazilian bossa nova style.

The exact identity of the song's subject—and the nature of their relationship—was cause for a certain amount of innuendo at the time, as Michael had not confirmed his homosexuality and did not do so until 1998. Michael would consistently dedicate the song to Feleppa before performing it live.{{cn|date=December 2024}}

Critical reception

Barry Walters from The Advocate wrote that on the song, "Michael compares the emotion of a now-deceased lover to that of the Lord, who was, after all, a man. The tone is intensely elegiac, and it doesn't take a stretch of the imagination to consider this a love song to a boyfriend who has died of AIDS."Walters, Barry (20 February 1996). "He's back". The Advocate. Larry Flick from Billboard complimented it as a "gorgeous, quietly insinuating pop ballad." He noted that the words "are, by turns, melancholic and romantic and are delivered with delicate ease", adding that "musically, Michael layers light, shuffling percussion with mild acoustic guitar lines and sweetly understated strings."{{cite magazine|first=Larry|last=Flick|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/90s/1996/BB-1996-01-13.pdf|title=Single Reviews|magazine=Billboard|date=13 January 1996|access-date=5 February 2020|page=62|author-link=Larry Flick}} Steve Baltin from Cash Box declared it as a "lush ballad", adding that "he's never sounded more Adult Contemporary than he does here. 'Jesus to a Child' is a hit as surely as some sport will strike this year."{{cite magazine|first=Steve|last=Baltin|title=Pop Singles|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/90s/1996/CB-1996-01-20.pdf|magazine=Cash Box|date=20 January 1996|page=7|access-date=14 November 2022}} Daily Mirror named it "George's 'best-ever' song".Daily Mirror. 12 December 1995. p. 15. Sarah Davis from Dotmusic remarked that in the context of the album, "Jesus to a Child" "sets the scene for Michael's current direction—brooding, mature, reflective but not so downbeat as to disallow the good times."{{cite web|author=Davis, Sarah|title=George Michael - Older|work=Dotmusic|date=15 April 1996|access-date=8 April 2020|url=http://www.dotmusic.com/artists/GeorgeMichael/reviews/April1996/reviews11083.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000901223227/http://www.dotmusic.com/artists/GeorgeMichael/reviews/April1996/reviews11083.asp|archive-date=1 September 2000}} Entertainment Weekly gave it a C−, calling it a "dispirited, tortoise-paced ballad, which drags on for nearly seven minutes". The writer added that "there's only one retort—bring back Andrew Ridgeley!""The Week: Music". Entertainment Weekly. 19 January 1996. Issue 310. Caroline Sullivan for The Guardian felt it is "the best thing on the album" and named it Single of the Week. She said, "The tune itself is a Michael ballad in excelsis. The likes of 'Careless Whisper' (1984) and 'A Different Corner' (1986) can now be seen as trial runs for this one, which incorporates every GM hallmark from anguished upward vocal inflections to tasteful acoustic guitar."

Swedish Göteborgsposten concluded that here, Michael "showed that he still mastered the craft."Göteborgsposten. 10 May 1996. Jan DeKnock from Knight Ridder praised it as a "mesmerizing ballad" and a "stunning effort".{{cite magazine|first=Jan|last=DeKnock|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JOkyAAAAIBAJ|title=Boys II Men rise, Beatles sink on charts|magazine=Knight Ridder|date=11 January 1996|access-date=12 March 2020}} Paul Lester from Melody Maker said it is "all bossa nova rhythms and Spanish guitar over which George softly whispers a requiem for his departed lover". Music Week gave it four out of five and named it Single of the Week, writing, "A typically slushy ballad—with echoes of 'Careless Whisper'—it will, no doubt, do the business, whatever the critics think." People Magazine described it as "a long-winded bossa nova synth-pop concoction". Michael E. Ross from Salon Magazine complimented the song as one of the best on the Older album, adding it as "almost painfully thoughtful. In lush, silken musical settings, Michael speaks the world-weary language of scorned love."{{cite web|first= Michael E. |last= Ross |title= man in a minor key |work= Salon Magazine |access-date= 21 April 2020 |url= http://www.salon.com/weekly/michael960520.html|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080605110637/http://www.salon.com/weekly/michael960520.html |archive-date= 5 June 2008 }} David Sinclair from The Times opined that "the bittersweet lyric has a certain romantic appeal, but the message of hope comes swathed in layers of introspection and self-pity".Sinclair, David (23 December 1995). "Pop Single; Recordings". The Times. Ed Morales for Vibe felt that "the Sade-style synth chords that rule 'Jesus to a Child' bolster Michael's typically breathy but precise musings. {{'}}There's a sadness in my eyes{{'}}, he croons, and you can feel it."{{cite magazine|first=Ed|last=Morales|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dS4EAAAAMBAJ|title=George Michael - Older|magazine=Vibe|date=1 August 1996|access-date=2 March 2020}}{{Dead link|date=December 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} But, no matter what is said about George Michel or his song, I and hopefully you, the reader will re-listen to his musical genius of his work and hear him and his heart really sing.

Retrospective response

The Daily Vault's Melanie Love described the song as an "ode to his lost lover", adding that it is "haunting in its bareness and sentiment, while the restrained drums and winding synths are a perfect match for Michael's deep, pained voice as he promises, "So the words that you could not say, I'll sing them for you"."{{cite web|first= Melanie |last= Love |title= Older – George Michael |publisher= The Daily Vault |date= 29 November 2008 |access-date= 22 November 2020 |url= http://dailyvault.com/toc.php5?review=5740}} Tom Ewing of Freaky Trigger stated that "this is his monument, a work Michael needs his public to hear. Even though few at the time knew the story behind it, the sincerity, and the will to somehow pass on something extraordinary and vanished, is palpable. It's a heartfelt celebration of the effect love can have on a life, and it's a songwriter consciously setting himself his hardest possible task, and achieving it."{{cite web|first=Tom|last=Ewing|url=http://freakytrigger.co.uk/popular/2013/08/george-michael-jesus-to-a-child/#more-25400|title=George Michael – "Jesus to a Child"|publisher=Freaky Trigger|access-date=6 March 2020}} Victoria Segal from NME viewed it as "irresistibly maudlin."{{cite web|first= Victoria |last= Segal |title= George Michael – Ladies And Gentlemen - The Best Of George Michael |url= http://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/19981006103726reviews.html |work= NME |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20000817211528/http://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/19981006103726reviews.html |access-date= 24 November 2020|archive-date= 17 August 2000 }} In 2017, Dave Fawbert from ShortList named it "one of the most beautiful songs ever written".{{cite web|url=https://www.shortlist.com/news/now-that-s-what-i-call-music-96-vs-now-that-s-what-i-call-music-34|last=Fawbert|first=Dave|title=Who would win in a fight: 'Now That's What I Call Music! 96' vs 'Now That's What I Call Music! 34'|website=ShortList|date=31 March 2017|access-date=21 April 2020}} Eric Henderson from Slant Magazine wrote, "'Jesus to a Child' is among the most haunting of Michael's ballads, and one whose meaning could only fully emerge after his coming out. A slow-motion flamenco cry, written following the death of his lover, Anselmo Feleppa, 'Jesus to a Child' still remains supernaturally clear-eyed about what it means to love and to lose. "I've been loved so I know just what love is/And the lover that I kissed is always by my side/The lover I still miss was Jesus to a child".{{cite magazine|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/the-15-best-george-michael-songs/2/|title=The 15 Best George Michael Songs|magazine=Slant Magazine|access-date=3 March 2020}}

Music video

File:George Michael-Jesus to a Child (music video).png

The accompanying music video for "Jesus to a Child" was directed by British director Howard Greenhalgh.{{cite magazine|title=Production Notes|magazine=Billboard|volume=108|issue=4|page=114|date=27 January 1996}} The atmospheric and delicately surreal video features the lithe bodies of male and female ballet dancers, for whom collapsing piles of dust and a swooping pendulum ball signify the passing of time and the loss of love, as well as their own mortality.Steele, Robert (4 September 2017). "Careless Whispers: The Life & Career of George Michael: Revised & Updated". Omnibus Press. It also feature images of flames, waves, and shadow in languid slow motion. The scenes of Michael shows him standing alone in a dark room, with a small light on his face as he performs. In the beginning of the video, two shirtless boys appears holding hands through the frames of separate wooden boxes. This image reappears near the end. While Michael sings, "You will always be my love", the boys vanish from their boxes as if they were ghosts.

The BBC insisted on pixillating the nipples of the dancers for broadcast, while MTV restricted it to late-night play.

Track listings

UK CD1 and cassette single (VSCDG 1571; VSC 1571){{cite AV media notes|title=Jesus to a Child|others=George Michael|year=1996|type=UK CD1 liner notes|publisher=Virgin Records|id=VSCDG 1571, 7243 8 93272 2 9}}{{cite AV media notes|title=Jesus to a Child|others=George Michael|year=1996|type=UK CD2 liner notes|publisher=Virgin Records|id=VSC 1571, 8-93272-4}}
US CD single (SKGDS-58000){{cite AV media notes|title=Jesus to a Child|others=George Michael|year=1996|type=US CD single liner notes|publisher=DreamWorks SKG Records|id=SKGDS-58000}}
Australian CD and cassette single (8932702; 8932724){{cite AV media notes|title=Jesus to a Child|others=George Michael|year=1996|type=Australian CD single liner notes|publisher=Virgin Records|id=8932702}}{{cite AV media notes|title=Jesus to a Child|others=George Michael|year=1996|type=Australian cassette single sleeve|publisher=Virgin Records|id=8932724}}

"Jesus to a Child" – 6:50
"One More Try" (live gospel version at Concert of Hope '93) – 5:21
"Older" (instrumental version) – 5:18

UK CD2 (VSCDX 1571){{cite AV media notes|title=Jesus to a Child|others=George Michael|year=1996|type=UK CD2 liner notes|publisher=Virgin Records|id=VSCDX 1571, 7243 8 93273 2 8}}

"Jesus to a Child" – 6:50
"Freedom '94" (live version at MTV Europe Music Awards) – 6:04
"One More Try" (live gospel version at Concert of Hope '93) – 5:21
"Older" (instrumental version) – 5:18

European CD single (VSCDE 1571){{cite AV media notes|title=Jesus to a Child|others=George Michael|year=1996|type=European CD single liner notes|publisher=Virgin Records|id=VSCDE 1571, 7243 8 93271 2 0}}
US 7-inch and cassette single (SKGS7-59000; SKGCS-59000){{cite AV media notes|title=Jesus to a Child|others=George Michael|year=1996|type=US 7-inch single vinyl disc|publisher=DreamWorks SKG Records|id=SKGS7-59000}}{{cite AV media notes|title=Jesus to a Child|others=George Michael|year=1996|type=US cassette single sleeve|publisher=DreamWorks SKG Records|id=SKGCS-59000}}

"Jesus to a Child" – 6:50
"One More Try" (live gospel version at Concert of Hope '93) – 5:21

Charts

=Weekly charts=

scope="col"\| Chart (1996) ! scope="col"\| Peak position
class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
{{single chart\|Australia\|1\|artist=George Michael\|song=Jesus to a Child\|rowheader=true\|access-date=4 January 2017}}
{{single chart\|Austria\|11\|artist=George Michael\|song=Jesus to a Child\|rowheader=true\|access-date=4 January 2017}}
{{single chart\|Flanders\|3\|artist=George Michael\|song=Jesus to a Child\|rowheader=true\|access-date=4 January 2017}}
{{single chart\|Wallonia\|2\|artist=George Michael\|song=Jesus to a Child\|rowheader=true\|access-date=4 January 2017}}
{{single chart\|Canadatopsingles\|10\|chartid=2933\|rowheader=true\|access-date=11 June 2018}}
{{single chart\|Canadaadultcontemporary\|1\|chartid=2907\|rowheader=true\|access-date=11 June 2018}}
scope="row"\| Czech Republic (IFPI CR){{cite magazine\|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1996/MM-1996-04-20.pdf\|title=Top National Sellers\|magazine=Music & Media\|volume=13\|issue=16\|date=20 April 1996\|page=20\|access-date=25 June 2018}} \| 8
scope="row"\| Denmark (IFPI) \| 4
scope="row"\| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Gw8EAAAAMBAJ&q=Hits+of+the+world\|title=Hits of the World\|magazine=Billboard\|volume=108\|issue=7\|page=69\|date=17 February 1996\|issn=0006-2510}} \| 2
{{single chart\|Finland\|1\|artist=George Michael\|song=Jesus to a Child\|rowheader=true\|access-date=4 January 2017}}
{{single chart\|France\|7\|artist=George Michael\|song=Jesus to a Child\|rowheader=true\|access-date=4 January 2017}}
{{single chart\|Germany\|12\|artist=George Michael\|song=Jesus to a Child\|songid=3149\|rowheader=true\|access-date=4 January 2017}}
scope="row"\| Hungary (Mahasz){{cite magazine\|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1996/MM-1996-03-30.pdf\|title=Top National Sellers\|magazine=Music & Media\|volume=13\|issue=13\|date=30 March 1996\|page=23\|access-date=24 June 2018}} \| 1
scope="row"\| Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40){{cite news\|url=https://timarit.is/page/2935205#page/n39/mode/2up\|title=Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (23.12.1995 – 5.1.1996)\|newspaper=Dagblaðið Vísir\|language=is\|page=44\|date=23 December 1995\|access-date=3 April 2018}} \| 14
{{single chart\|Ireland2\|1\|song=Jesus to a Child\|rowheader=true\|access-date=4 January 2017}}
scope="row"\| Israel (IBA){{cite magazine\|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1996/Music-Week-1996-02-10.pdf\|title=UK World Hits: Israel\|magazine=Music Week\|date=10 February 1996\|page=18\|access-date=27 May 2021}} \| 1
scope="row"\| Italy (Musica e dischi){{cite magazine\|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1996/MM-1996-02-03.pdf\|title=Top National Sellers\|magazine=Music & Media\|volume=13\|issue=5\|date=3 February 1996\|page=13\|access-date=26 November 2019}} \| 2
scope="row"\| Japan (Oricon){{cite web\|url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/88084/ranking/cd_single/\|title=ジョージ・マイケルのシングル売り上げランキング\|publisher=Oricon\|language=ja\|url-status=dead\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111051316/http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/88084/ranking/cd_single/\|archive-date=11 January 2012\|access-date=5 December 2020}} \| 62
{{single chart\|Dutch40\|3\|year=1996\|week=4\|rowheader=true\|access-date=4 January 2017}}
{{single chart\|Dutch100\|2\|artist=George Michael\|song=Jesus to a Child\|rowheader=true\|access-date=4 April 2018}}
{{single chart\|New Zealand\|5\|artist=George Michael\|song=Jesus to a Child\|rowheader=true\|access-date=4 January 2017}}
{{single chart\|Norway\|1\|artist=George Michael\|song=Jesus to a Child\|rowheader=true\|access-date=4 January 2017}}
{{single chart\|Scotland\|1\|date=19960114\|rowheader=true\|access-date=11 June 2018}}
scope="row"\| Spain (AFYVE){{cite book\|last=Salaverri\|first=Fernando\|title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002\|edition=1st\|date=September 2005\|publisher=Fundación Autor-SGAE\|location=Spain\|isbn=84-8048-639-2}} \| 1
{{single chart\|Sweden\|2\|artist=George Michael\|song=Jesus to a Child\|rowheader=true\|access-date=4 January 2017}}
{{single chart\|Switzerland\|4\|artist=George Michael\|song=Jesus to a Child\|rowheader=true\|access-date=4 January 2017}}
{{single chart\|UKsinglesbyname\|1\|artist=George Michael\|artistid=3\|rowheader=true\|access-date=5 December 2020}}
{{single chart\|Billboardhot100\|7\|artist=George Michael\|rowheader=true\|access-date=4 January 2017}}
{{single chart\|Billboardadultcontemporary\|5\|artist=George Michael\|rowheader=true\|access-date=4 January 2017}}
{{single chart\|Billboardadultpopsongs\|20\|artist=George Michael\|rowheader=true\|access-date=4 January 2017}}
{{single chart\|Billboardrandbhiphop\|22\|artist=George Michael\|rowheader=true\|access-date=4 January 2017}}
{{single chart\|Billboardpopsongs\|20\|artist=George Michael\|rowheader=true\|access-date=4 January 2017}}
scope="row"\| US Cash Box Top 100{{cite book\|title=Cash Box Pop Hits: 1952–1996\|last=Whitburn\|first=Joel\|author-link=Joel Whitburn\|year=2014\|publisher=Record Research}} \| 10

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

scope="col"| Chart (1996)

! scope="col"| Position

scope="row"| Australia (ARIA){{cite web|url=http://i.imgur.com/t1PYbhG.jpg|title=The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles 1996|publisher=Australian Record Industry Association|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151102010347/http://i.imgur.com/t1PYbhG.jpg|archive-date=2 November 2015|access-date=10 July 2019}}

| 90

scope="row"| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders){{cite web|url=http://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1996|title=Jaaroverzichten 1996|publisher=Ultratop|language=nl|access-date=11 June 2018}}

| 49

scope="row"| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia){{cite web|url=http://www.ultratop.be/fr/annual.asp?year=1996|title=Rapports annuels 1996|publisher=Ultratop|language=fr|access-date=11 June 2018}}

| 12

scope="row"| Canada Top Singles (RPM){{cite magazine|url=http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.9730&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.9730.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.9730|title=RPM Year End Top 100 Hit Tracks|magazine=RPM|via=Library and Archives Canada|access-date=11 June 2018}}

| 71

scope="row"| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM){{cite magazine|url=http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.9742&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.9742.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.9742|title=RPM Year End Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks|magazine=RPM|via=Library and Archives Canada|access-date=11 June 2018}}

| 10

scope="row"| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1996/MM-1996-12-21.pdf|title=1996 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|magazine=Music & Media|volume=13|issue=51/52|date=21 December 1996|page=12|access-date=18 December 2019}}

| 11

scope="row"| France (SNEP){{cite web|url=http://snepmusique.com/les-tops/le-top-de-lannee/top-singles-annee/?annee=1996|title=Tops de L'année {{!}} Top Singles 1996|publisher=SNEP|language=fr|access-date=5 September 2020}}

| 58

scope="row"| Germany (Media Control){{cite web|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/single-jahr/for-date-1996|title=Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1996|publisher=GfK Entertainment|language=de|access-date=7 August 2015}}

| 89

scope="row"| Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40){{cite news|url=https://timarit.is/page/2949469#page/n15/mode/2up|title=Árslistinn 1996|newspaper=Dagblaðið Vísir|language=is|page=16|date=2 January 1997|access-date=30 May 2020}}

| 98

scope="row"| Italy (Musica e dischi){{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2w8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA58|title=Chart Watch – Top Selling Singles of 1996|magazine=Billboard|volume=109|issue=24|date=14 June 1997|page=58|access-date=5 September 2020}}

| 8

scope="row"| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40){{cite web|url=https://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/top-100-jaaroverzichten/1996|title=Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1996|publisher=Dutch Top 40|access-date=26 February 2020}}

| 87

scope="row"| Netherlands (Single Top 100){{cite web|url=http://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1996&cat=s|title=Jaaroverzichten – Single 1996|publisher=MegaCharts|language=nl|access-date=11 June 2018}}

| 60

scope="row"| Sweden (Topplistan){{cite web|url=https://www.sverigetopplistan.se/chart/43?dspy=1996&dspp=1|title=Årslista Singlar, 1996|publisher=Sverigetopplistan|language=sv|access-date=30 May 2020}}

| 51

scope="row"| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade){{cite web|url=http://swisscharts.com/charts/jahreshitparade/1996|title=Swiss Year-End Charts|website=swisscharts.com|language=de}}

| 27

scope="row"| UK Singles (OCC){{cite magazine|title=Top 100 Singles 1996|magazine=Music Week|page=25|date=18 January 1997}}

| 38

scope="row"| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard){{cite magazine|title=Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Adult Contemporary Singles & Tracks|magazine=Airplay Monitor|volume=4|issue=53|page=33|date=27 December 1996}}

| 40

Certifications

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Belgium|type=single|access-date=4 September 2018|relyear=1996|award=Gold|certyear=1996}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=France|type=single|artist=George Michael|access-date=25 July 2012|relyear=1996|award=Gold|certyear=1996}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=single|artist=George Michael|relyear=1996|award=Gold|id=1996-03-22|source=newchart|access-date=2024-11-20|certyear=1996}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Norway|type=single|access-date=25 July 2012|relyear=1996|award=Gold|certyear=1996|nosales=true}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|type=single|artist=George Michael|access-date=25 July 2012|relyear=1996|award=Gold|certyear=1996|certref=}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=George Michael|title=Jesus to a Child|award=Gold|relyear=1996|certyear=2019|id=3489-1018-1|access-date=11 October 2019}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|artist=George Michael|access-date=25 July 2012|relyear=1996|award=Gold|certyear=1996}}