List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1986

This is a list of the U.S. Billboard magazine Hot 100 number-one singles of 1986. The longest running number-one singles of 1986 are "That's What Friends Are For" by Dionne and Friends and "Walk Like an Egyptian" by The Bangles, which each logged four weeks at number-one. "Walk Like an Egyptian" logged two weeks at number-one in 1986 and two more weeks at number-one in 1987, summing up to four weeks at the top. "Say You, Say Me" by Lionel Richie concluded another four week run that began in 1985. 1986 is the year with the third largest number of number-one songs, with 30 songs reaching the #1 spot.

That year, 20 acts earned their first number one song, such as Heart, Falco, Robert Palmer, Pet Shop Boys, Simply Red, Genesis, Peter Gabriel, Steve Winwood, Bananarama, Berlin, Janet Jackson, Boston, Bon Jovi, Amy Grant, Bruce Hornsby & the Range, and The Bangles. Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, Michael McDonald, and Peter Cetera, already having hit number one with Gladys Knight & the Pips, Labelle, The Doobie Brothers, and Chicago, respectively, also earn their first number one songs as solo acts. Whitney Houston, Madonna, and Peter Cetera were the only acts to earn more than one number one song, with each of them hitting the top twice.

Chart history

Key
†	Indicates best-performing single of 1986

An asterisk (*) by a date indicates an unpublished, "frozen" week, due to the special double issues that Billboard published in print at the end of the year for their year-end charts.

No.	Issue date^[1]	Song	Artist(s)	Ref.
587	January 4*	"Say You, Say Me"	Lionel Richie	^[2]
587	January 11	"Say You, Say Me"	Lionel Richie	^[3]
588	January 18	"That's What Friends Are For"†	Dionne and Friends	^[4]
	January 25			^[5]
	February 1			^[6]
	February 8			^[7]
589	February 15	"How Will I Know"	Whitney Houston	^[8]
589	February 22	"How Will I Know"	Whitney Houston	^[9]
590	March 1	"Kyrie"	Mr. Mister	^[10]
590	March 8	"Kyrie"	Mr. Mister	^[11]
591	March 15	"Sara"	Starship	^[12]
592	March 22	"These Dreams"	Heart	^[13]
593	March 29	"Rock Me Amadeus"	Falco	^[14]
	April 5			^[15]
	April 12			^[16]
594	April 19	"Kiss"	Prince and the Revolution	^[17]
594	April 26	"Kiss"	Prince and the Revolution	^[18]
595	May 3	"Addicted to Love"	Robert Palmer	^[19]
596	May 10	"West End Girls"	Pet Shop Boys	^[20]
597	May 17	"Greatest Love of All"	Whitney Houston	^[21]
	May 24			^[22]
	May 31			^[23]
598	June 7	"Live to Tell"	Madonna	^[24]
599	June 14	"On My Own"	Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald	^[25]
	June 21			^[26]
	June 28			^[27]
600	July 5	"There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)"	Billy Ocean	^[28]
601	July 12	"Holding Back the Years"	Simply Red	^[29]
602	July 19	"Invisible Touch"	Genesis	^[30]
603	July 26	"Sledgehammer"	Peter Gabriel	^[31]
604	August 2	"Glory of Love"	Peter Cetera	^[32]
604	August 9	"Glory of Love"	Peter Cetera	^[33]
605	August 16	"Papa Don't Preach"	Madonna	^[34]
605	August 23	"Papa Don't Preach"	Madonna	^[35]
606	August 30	"Higher Love"	Steve Winwood	^[36]
607	September 6	"Venus"	Bananarama	^[37]
608	September 13	"Take My Breath Away"	Berlin	^[38]
609	September 20	"Stuck with You"	Huey Lewis and the News	^[39]
	September 27			^[40]
	October 4			^[41]
610	October 11	"When I Think of You"	Janet Jackson	^[42]
610	October 18	"When I Think of You"	Janet Jackson	^[43]
611	October 25	"True Colors"	Cyndi Lauper	^[44]
611	November 1	"True Colors"	Cyndi Lauper	^[45]
612	November 8	"Amanda"	Boston	^[46]
612	November 15	"Amanda"	Boston	^[47]
613	November 22	"Human"	The Human League	^[48]
614	November 29	"You Give Love a Bad Name"	Bon Jovi	^[49]
615	December 6	"The Next Time I Fall"	Peter Cetera and Amy Grant	^[50]
616	December 13	"The Way It Is"	Bruce Hornsby & the Range	^[51]
617	December 20	"Walk Like an Egyptian"	The Bangles	^[52]
617	December 27	"Walk Like an Egyptian"	The Bangles	^[53]

Number-one artists

List of number-one artists by total weeks at number one
Position	Artist	Weeks at No. 1
1	Whitney Houston	5
2	Dionne Warwick	4
	Elton John
	Stevie Wonder
	Gladys Knight
6	Falco	3
	Madonna
	Patti Labelle
	Michael McDonald
	Huey Lewis and the News
	Peter Cetera
12	Lionel Richie	2
	Mr. Mister
	Prince and the Revolution
	Janet Jackson
	Cyndi Lauper
	Boston
	The Bangles
19	Starship	1
	Heart
	Robert Palmer
	Pet Shop Boys
	Billy Ocean
	Simply Red
	Genesis
	Peter Gabriel
	Steve Winwood
	Bananarama
	Berlin
	The Human League
	Bon Jovi
	Amy Grant
	Bruce Hornsby & the Range

References

^ "Billboard Charts Archive: Hot 100 – 1986 Archive". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 3, 2019. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
^ "January 4, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "January 11, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "January 18, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "January 25, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "February 1, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "February 8, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "February 15, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "February 22, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "March 1, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "March 8, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "March 15, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "March 22, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "March 29, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "April 5, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "April 12, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "April 19, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "April 26, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "May 3, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "May 10, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "May 17, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "May 24, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "May 31, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "June 7, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "June 14, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "June 21, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "June 28, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "July 5, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "July 12, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "July 19, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "July 26, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "August 2, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "August 9, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "August 16, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "August 23, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "August 30, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "September 6, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "September 13, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "September 20, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "September 27, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "October 4, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "October 11, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "October 18, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "October 25, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "November 1, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "November 8, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "November 15, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "November 22, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "November 29, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "December 6, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "December 13, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "December 20, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.
^ "December 27, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

Additional sources

Fred Bronson's Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits, 5th Edition (ISBN 0-8230-7677-6)
Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-2008, 12 Edition (ISBN 0-89820-180-2)
Joel Whitburn Presents the Billboard Hot 100 Charts: The Eighties (ISBN 0-89820-079-2)
Additional information obtained can be verified within Billboard's online archive services and print editions of the magazine.

[1] "Billboard Charts Archive: Hot 100 – 1986 Archive". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 3, 2019. Retrieved October 3, 2019.

[2] "January 4, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[3] "January 11, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[4] "January 18, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[5] "January 25, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[6] "February 1, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[7] "February 8, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[8] "February 15, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[9] "February 22, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[10] "March 1, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[11] "March 8, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[12] "March 15, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[13] "March 22, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[14] "March 29, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[15] "April 5, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[16] "April 12, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[17] "April 19, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[18] "April 26, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[19] "May 3, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[20] "May 10, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[21] "May 17, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[22] "May 24, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[23] "May 31, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[24] "June 7, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[25] "June 14, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[26] "June 21, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[27] "June 28, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[28] "July 5, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[29] "July 12, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[30] "July 19, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[31] "July 26, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[32] "August 2, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[33] "August 9, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[34] "August 16, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[35] "August 23, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[36] "August 30, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[37] "September 6, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[38] "September 13, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[39] "September 20, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[40] "September 27, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[41] "October 4, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[42] "October 11, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[43] "October 18, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[44] "October 25, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[45] "November 1, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[46] "November 8, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[47] "November 15, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[48] "November 22, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[49] "November 29, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[50] "December 6, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[51] "December 13, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[52] "December 20, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

[53] "December 27, 1986". Billboard Hot 100.

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v t e Lists of Billboard number-one singles
1940–1959	1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
1960–1979	1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
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See also	List of Your Hit Parade number-one songs (1930s) Top-ten singles Hot 100 Year-end List of Billboard Hot 100 chart achievements and milestones

List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1986

Chart history

Number-one artists

See also

References

Additional sources