This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1986.

Specific locations

Specific genres

Events

Bands formed

Bands disbanded

Albums released

January–March

April–June

July–September

October–December

Release date unknown

Biggest hit singles

The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1986.

Top 40 Chart hit singles

Other Chart hit singles

• "All Cried Out" – Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam (# 8 US, # 3 US Hot Black Singles) • "Baby Love" – Regina Richards • "Bad Boy" – Miami Sound Machine • "Be Good to Yourself" – Journey • "Best of Both Worlds" – Van Halen • "Born Yesterday" – The Everly Brothers • "Brand New Lover" – Dead or Alive • "Breakout" – Swing Out Sister (charted in 1987 in U.S.) • "Bigmouth Strikes Again" – The Smiths • "Big Time" – Peter Gabriel (also charted in the U.S. in 1987) • "Bizarre Love Triangle" – New Order • "Brother Louie" – Modern Talking • "Both to Each Other (Friends and Lovers)" – Juice Newton and Eddie Rabbitt • "Burning Heart" – Survivor • "Calling America" – Electric Light Orchestra • "Candy" – Cameo • "Can't Wait Another Minute" – Five Star • "Capitaine abandonné" – Gold • "The Captain of Her Heart" – Double (released in 1985) • "Chain Reaction" – Diana Ross • "Cheap Love" – Juice Newton • "Coming Around Again" – Carly Simon (released in UK in 1987) • "Conga" – Miami Sound Machine • "Crush on You" – The Jets • "Cry to Heaven" – Elton John • "Dancing on the Ceiling" – Lionel Richie • "Danger Zone" – Kenny Loggins • "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)" – Glass Tiger • "Don't Stand So Close to Me '86" – The Police • "Dreams" – Van Halen • "The Edge of Heaven" – Wham! • "En Rouge et Noir" – Jeanne Mas • "Ève lève-toi" – Julie Pietri • "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" – Wang Chung • "The Final Countdown" – Europe • "Flash" – Princess Stéphanie of Monaco • "Friends and Lovers" – Gloria Loring and Carl Anderson • *also recorded as "Both to Each Other" by country music artists Juice Newton and Eddie Rabbitt • "French Kissin' In The USA" – Debbie Harry • "Girl Can't Help It" – Journey • "Glory of Love" – Peter Cetera • "Go Home" – Stevie Wonder • "Greatest Love of All" – Whitney Houston • "Harlem Shuffle" – The Rolling Stones • "Heartbeat" – Don Johnson • "He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask)" – Alice Cooper • "Higher Love" – Steve Winwood • "Hip to Be Square" – Huey Lewis and the News • "Holding Back the Years" (1985) – Simply Red (originally released in 1985) • "Human" – Human League • "I Can't Wait" – Nu Shooz • "(I Just) Died In Your Arms" – Cutting Crew (charted in 1987 in the U.S.) • "I Want to Wake Up with You" – Boris Gardiner • "If I Say Yes" – Five Star • "If She Knew What She Wants" – Bangles • "If You Leave" – Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark • "In the Army Now" – Status Quo • "In Too Deep" – Genesis (charted in 1987 in the U.S.) • "Invisible Touch" – Genesis • "Jody" – Jermaine Stewart • "Jumpin' Jack Flash" – Aretha Franklin • "A Kind of Magic" – Queen • "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" — The Georgia Satellites • "The Kid's American" – Jermaine Stewart • "Kiss" – Prince and the Revolution • "Kyrie" – Mr. Mister • "La Isla Bonita" – Madonna • "La puerta de Alcalá" – Ana Belén and Víctor Manuel • "The Lady in Red" – Chris de Burgh (charted in 1987 in the U.S.) • "Land of Confusion" – Genesis • "Le Sixième Jour" – Dalida • "Les Bêtises" – Sabine Paturel • "Les Démons de minuit" – Images • "Lessons in Love" – Level 42 • "Libertine" – Mylène Farmer • "Live to Tell" – Madonna • "Livin' On a Prayer" – Bon Jovi (also in 1987) • "Living In America" – James Brown • "Living Doll" – Cliff Richard and The Young Ones featuring Hank B. Marvin • "Locked In" – Judas Priest • "Love Touch" – Rod Stewart • "Love Walks In" – Van Halen • "Mad About You" – Belinda Carlisle • "Manic Monday" – The Bangles • "Master of Puppets" – Metallica • "A Matter of Trust" – Billy Joel • "Misfit" – Curiosity Killed the Cat • "Modern Woman" – Billy Joel • "Mountains" – Prince • "Move Away" – Culture Club • "My Hometown" (1984) – Bruce Springsteen • "Nasty" – Janet Jackson • "Never as Good as the First Time" – Sade • "The Next Time I Fall" – Peter Cetera and Amy Grant • "Nikita" – Elton John • "No One Is to Blame" (originally recorded in 1985) – Howard Jones • "No Promises" – Icehouse • "Nobody's Fool" – Cinderella • "Notorious" – Duran Duran • "Now and Forever (You and Me)" – Anne Murray • "Old Flame" – Juice Newton • "On My Own" – Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald • "Open Your Heart" – Madonna • "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" – Pet Shop Boys • "Ouragan" – Princess Stéphanie of Monaco • "Overjoyed" – Stevie Wonder • "Papa Don't Preach" – Madonna • "Peace Sells" – Megadeth • "Point of No Return" – Nu Shooz • "Pressure Down" – John Farnham • "Pretty in Pink" – The Psychedelic Furs • "Private Number" – The Jets • "A Question of Lust" – Depeche Mode • "A Question of Time" – Depeche Mode • "¿A quién le importa?" – Alaska • "The Rain" – Oran "Juice" Jones • "Rain or Shine" – Five Star • "Raining Blood" – Slayer • "Rock Me Amadeus" – Falco • "Rough Boy" (1985) – ZZ Top • "The Rumour" – Jeanette Jurado and George Michael • "Rumors" – Timex Social Club • "Ruthless People" – Mick Jagger • "Sara" (1985) – Starship • "Say You Really Want Me" – Kim Wilde (North American issue) • "Schoolgirl" – Kim Wilde • "Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend)" – Mel and Kim • "Silent Running" (1985) – Mike + The Mechanics • "Sledgehammer" – Peter Gabriel • "Slice of Heaven" – Dave Dobbyn • "Slow Rivers" – Cliff Richard and Elton John • "Small Town" (1985) – John Cougar Mellencamp • "So Far, So Good" – Sheena Easton • "Something About You" (1985) – Level 42 • "Sometimes" – Erasure • "Somewhere" – Barbra Streisand • "Stripped" – Depeche Mode • "Stuck with You" – Huey Lewis and the News • "Suburbia" – Pet Shop Boys • "Sweet Freedom" – Michael McDonald • "Sweet Love" – Anita Baker • "The Sweetest Taboo" (1985) – Sade • "System Addict" – Five Star • "Take Me Home Tonight" – Eddie Money • "Take My Breath Away" – Berlin • "Taken In" – Mike + The Mechanics • "Teenage Frankenstein" – Alice Cooper • "Tender Love" – Force MD's • "That Was Then, This Is Now" – The Monkees • "That's What Friends Are For" – Dionne Warwick (duets with Elton John, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder) • "The Themes from 'EastEnders' and 'Howards Way'" – The Shadows • "(There's Gonna Be) A Showdown" – The Johnnys • "These Dreams" (1985) – Heart • "Thorn in My Side" – Eurythmics • "Throw Your Arms Around Me" – Hunters & Collectors • "Throwing It All Away" – Genesis • "Turbo Lover" – Judas Priest • "True Blue"- Madonna • "True Colors" – Cyndi Lauper • "Twist and Shout" – The Beatles • "Two People" – Tina Turner • "Two of Hearts" – Stacey Q • "Typical Male" – Tina Turner • "Venus" – Bananarama • "Voyage, voyage" – Desireless • "Walk Like an Egyptian" – The Bangles (also in 1987) • "Walk This Way" – Run DMC featuring Aerosmith • "War" – Bruce Springsteen • "Wasted Years" – Iron Maiden • "The Way It Is" – Bruce Hornsby and the Range • "We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off" – Jermaine Stewart • "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" – Metallica • "We're Ready" (recorded 1981) – Boston • "What Have You Done for Me Lately" – Janet Jackson • "What You Need" – INXS • "When You Gonna" – Rick Astley • "When I Think of You" – Janet Jackson • "Who's Johnny" – El DeBarge • "Who Made Who" – AC/DC • "Why Can't This Be Love" – Van Halen • "Word Up!"- Cameo • "Words Get in the Way" – Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine • "You Can Call Me Al" – Paul Simon • "You Give Love a Bad Name" – Bon Jovi • "You Got It All" – The Jets (also in 1987) • "You Keep Me Hangin' On" – Kim Wilde (charted in the U.S. in 1987) • "Your Love" – The Outfield • "Your Wildest Dreams" – The Moody Blues • "You're the Voice" – John Farnham (#1 in Australia, South Africa, and Quebec; not released in Europe until 1987, released in USA in 1990)

Notable singles

Other Notable singles

• "You're So Fine" – Egyptian Lover

Published popular music

Classical music

Opera

Jazz

Musical theater

Musical films

Musical television

Music festivals

Births

Deaths

Awards

Charts