Top Songs of 1986

The musical landscape of 1986

Music television, large tours and highly polished production helped a group of global performers cross radio formats and national markets.

Mr Mister appears 2 times in the Top 20, making the artist one of the clearest recurring presences in this year’s list.

What to listen for

Listen for maximal production, prominent choruses and records designed to work simultaneously on radio, television and large concert stages.

This list contains 18 different credited artists. The number gives a quick indication of whether the year was concentrated among repeat hitmakers or spread across a wider field.

Billboard Year-End Top 20 songs of 1986

Build a 1986 playlist

Start with “Thats What Friends Are For” by Dionne and Friends, then alternate familiar high-ranking records with contrasting selections from the lower half of the list.

Open the playlist builder

How this page should be used

Year-End charts summarize performance across an extended chart year. They are not simply a list of songs that reached number one, and historical methodology has changed. Treat this page as a guided listening resource and compact chart-history reference rather than a mathematical comparison with other eras.