Top songs of 1986

What was the number one song of 1986?

The number one song of 1986 was “That's What Friends Are For” by Dionne and Friends (Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, Elton John and Stevie Wonder), the top song on Billboard's year-end Hot 100 for 1986. It spent 4 weeks at number one on the weekly chart, starting with the chart dated January 18, 1986.

“That's What Friends Are For” by Dionne and Friends was number one for the most weeks of 1986: 4 of the year's 52 weekly charts, starting with the chart dated January 18, 1986.

Born in 1986? The birthday number one finder shows the song at number one in the exact week of your birthday, and the number one on every birthday since.

Chart data: Billboard Hot 100, as compiled on Wikipedia (number ones of 1986, year-end Hot 100 of 1986).

How many songs reached number one in 1986?

30 songs reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time in 1986. Counting “Say You, Say Me”, which was already at number one when the year began, 31 songs held the top spot across the year's 52 weekly charts.

Of the songs that first reached number one in 1986, “That's What Friends Are For” by Dionne and Friends stayed there longest: 4 weeks in total, from the chart dated January 18, 1986.

Weeks at No. 1 counts every week the song spent at the top, including weeks in other years; the number in brackets is the weeks on charts dated 1986. Dates are chart issue dates.

Which artists had more than one number one in 1986?

3 acts had more than one number one in 1986, counting lead and featured credits. Madonna, Peter Cetera and Whitney Houston had 2 each.

• Madonna: “Live to Tell” and “Papa Don't Preach”
• Peter Cetera: “Glory of Love” and “The Next Time I Fall”
• Whitney Houston: “How Will I Know” and “Greatest Love of All”

What were the biggest songs of 1986?

The five biggest songs of 1986 on Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 were “That's What Friends Are For” by Dionne and Friends (Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, Elton John and Stevie Wonder), “Say You, Say Me” by Lionel Richie, “I Miss You” by Klymaxx, “On My Own” by Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald and “Broken Wings” by Mr. Mister.

The year-end chart ranks songs by how they performed on the weekly Hot 100 across Billboard’s chart year, so a song that peaked late in the year can rank lower than its weekly peak suggests, or count toward the next year’s list. The top 30 below show each song’s length where we could match the recording.

Numbers 31 to 100

31. “When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going” Billy Ocean
32. “When I Think of You” Janet Jackson
33. “These Dreams” Heart
34. “Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)” Glass Tiger
35. “Live to Tell” Madonna
36. “Mad About You” Belinda Carlisle
37. “Something About You” Level 42
38. “Venus” Bananarama
39. “Dancing on the Ceiling” Lionel Richie
40. “Conga” Miami Sound Machine
41. “True Colors” Cyndi Lauper
42. “Danger Zone” Kenny Loggins
43. “What Have You Done For Me Lately” Janet Jackson
44. “No One Is to Blame” Howard Jones
45. “Let's Go All the Way” Sly Fox
46. “I Didn't Mean to Turn You On” Robert Palmer
47. “Words Get in the Way” Miami Sound Machine
48. “Manic Monday” The Bangles
49. “Walk of Life” Dire Straits
50. “Amanda” Boston
51. “Two of Hearts” Stacey Q
52. “Crush on You” The Jets
53. “If You Leave” Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
54. “Invisible Touch” Genesis
55. “The Sweetest Taboo” Sade
56. “What You Need” INXS
57. “Talk to Me” Stevie Nicks
58. “Nasty” Janet Jackson
59. “Take Me Home Tonight” Eddie Money
60. “We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off” Jermaine Stewart
61. “All Cried Out” Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
62. “Your Love” The Outfield
63. “I'm Your Man” Wham!
64. “Perfect Way” Scritti Politti
65. “Living in America” James Brown
66. “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.” John Cougar Mellencamp
67. “Who's Johnny” El DeBarge
68. “Word Up!” Cameo
69. “Why Can't This Be Love” Van Halen
70. “Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)” Mike + The Mechanics
71. “Typical Male” Tina Turner
72. “Small Town” John Cougar Mellencamp
73. “Tarzan Boy” Baltimora
74. “All I Need Is a Miracle” Mike + The Mechanics
75. “Sweet Freedom” Michael McDonald
76. “True Blue” Madonna
77. “Rumors” Timex Social Club
78. “Life in a Northern Town” Dream Academy
79. “Bad Boy” Miami Sound Machine
80. “Sleeping Bag” ZZ Top
81. “Tonight She Comes” The Cars
82. “Love Touch” Rod Stewart
83. “A Love Bizarre” Sheila E.
84. “Throwing It All Away” Genesis
85. “Baby Love” Regina
86. “Election Day” Arcadia
87. “Nikita” Elton John
88. “Take Me Home” Phil Collins
89. “Walk This Way” Run–D.M.C. featuring Aerosmith
90. “Sweet Love” Anita Baker
91. “Your Wildest Dreams” Moody Blues
92. “Spies Like Us” Paul McCartney
93. “Object of My Desire” Starpoint
94. “Dreamtime” Daryl Hall
95. “Tender Love” Force MDs
96. “King for a Day” Thompson Twins
97. “Love Will Conquer All” Lionel Richie
98. “A Different Corner” George Michael
99. “I'll Be Over You” Toto
100. “Go Home” Stevie Wonder

Chart data: Billboard Hot 100, as compiled on Wikipedia (number ones of 1986, year-end Hot 100 of 1986).

What songs should go on a 1986 mix CD?

A 1986 mix that fits one 80-minute CD holds 16 of the year's biggest songs, opening with “Say You, Say Me” by Lionel Richie and closing with “Glory of Love” by Peter Cetera, for 76:05 of music.

We built it from the year-end top 30 and every number one of 1986, taking songs in year-end order until the disc was full, then sequenced it to follow the year: the number ones in the order they reached the top, with the year’s other big hits placed between them. With a 2-second gap before each track it runs 76:37, under the 79 minutes we fill a CD to.

Lengths are the recordings matched in Deezer’s catalog. Single edits, album versions and remasters can run a little longer or shorter, so check your own playlist before you burn it.

Turn 1986 into a CD. Send us this list, or your own 1986 songs, and we burn it to a real audio CD, test-play it and post it. It makes a good gift for a birth year, a graduation year or a wedding year.

To change the songs, paste the list into the playlist length calculator to keep it under 80 minutes, then print an insert with the CD case template. Our guide to making a mixtape covers sequencing, and nostalgic gift ideas has more ways to give a year as a present.

What was popular music like in the 1980s?

Popular music in the 1980s was led by pop stars built for music video, with synth-pop, arena rock, dance-pop and big ballads sharing the top of the chart. MTV launched in August 1981, and acts such as Michael Jackson, Madonna, Prince and Whitney Houston became the decade's biggest names.

From 1980 to 1989, 231 songs reached number one on the Hot 100, and 1 song stayed there for 10 weeks or more. Of those 231, “Physical” by Olivia Newton-John spent the most weeks at number one: 10 in total. Michael Jackson had the most number ones that reached the top in these years, with 9. The typical number one of these years ran 4:13 (the median of the 202 with a known length).