Wham!

Wham! followed the parallel path of most of their British pop peers, celebrating colorful, candied hooks and big, effervescent beats at a time most emerging U.K. groups were dedicated to stylish, detached synth pop. George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, the childhood friends who comprised Wham!, didn't ignore fashion -- their flashy visuals were tailor-made for MTV -- but they shunned the arty and dour portions of new wave, building their persona on American dance music and pop, even dabbling in a bit of rap on their first single "Wham! Rap (Enjoy What You Do)." That single, alo...