4 Things to Know About Wham!'s Make It Big

Live drums, not a drum machine Most songs were cut with a real rhythm section, giving the album a warmth that stands out from typical mid-80s pop production.

It sounds alive The live playing makes the record feel energetic and organic in a way programmed drums from that era often don’t.

A deliberate production choice The band chose to record with session musicians rather than rely on the drum machines common in 1984 pop.

The result is timeless This approach helped the album age better than many synth-heavy contemporaries that now sound dated.