It held the number one position on Billboard Hot 100 chart for four weeks and, according to Billboard magazine, it was the number one single of the year in the United States in 1988.

Having disbanded Wham! the previous year, there was a keen expectation for Michael's solo career and "Faith" would go on to become one of his most popular and enduring songs, as well as being the most simplistic in its production. It was the second of six singles released from the well-received album.

As with the rest of the album, the track was written, arranged, and produced by Michael. It is claimed that the idea came from producer Dick Leahy's suggestion that Michael write a rock and roll pastiche. The song incorporates the famous Bo Diddley beat, a classic rock and roll rhythm. It begins with organ played by Chris Cameron, referencing Wham's song "Freedom", followed by guitar strumming, finger clicking, hand-claps, tambourine and hi-hat.

The song was featured in the film Bitter Moon, directed by Roman Polanski.

The official music video for the song was directed by Andy Morahan. It features Michael, with noticable stubble on his face, wearing Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses and a pair of Levi's blue jeans with cowboy boots, playing a guitar near a classic-design Wurlitzer jukebox. Writers Bob Batchelor and Scott Stoddart say the music video positions him as a "masculine sex object", breaking him up into individual body parts such as "stubbled" [sic] chin and butt.

The music video also features parts of two other songs by Michael. The jukebox starts by playing "I Want Your Sex", and then is interrupted by a pipe organ version of Wham!'s "Freedom" before starting into the song.

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Wikipedia