1986 in music

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

List of years in music (table)
In radio
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
In television
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989

Specific locations

Specific genres

Events

Bands formed

Bands disbanded

Albums released

January–March

Date Album Artist Notes
J
A
N
U
A
R
Y
1 Atomizer Big Black -
New Trails Riders in the Sky -
2 Different Light The Bangles US
13 Premonition Peter Frampton -
18 Made to Be Broken Soul Asylum -
21 The Eyeball Show (Live In Japan) The Residents & Snakefinger -
27 Album Public Image Ltd. -
Does Humor Belong in Music? Frank Zappa Live
28 Seventh Star Black Sabbath -
? The Best of 10 Years – 32 Superhits Boney M. UK
Gap Band 8 The Gap Band -
Heyday The Church -
Tuff Enuff The Fabulous Thunderbirds -
Walking Through Fire April Wine -
F
E
B
R
U
A
R
Y
1 The Big Picture Michael W. Smith -
War Games Grave Digger -
3 Mean Business The Firm -
4 Control Janet Jackson -
10 Live in New York City John Lennon Live 1972
The Ultimate Sin Ozzy Osbourne -
13 Clairvoyance Screaming Trees Debut
Precious Moments Jermaine Jackson -
17 Balance of Power Electric Light Orchestra Germany
Fatal Portrait King Diamond -
18 Lives in the Balance Jackson Browne -
21 King of America Elvis Costello -
22 Cinema Nazareth -
28 Pretty In Pink Various Artists Soundtrack
Greed Swans -
? Marilyn Martin Marilyn Martin -
Samhain III: November-Coming-Fire Samhain -
M
A
R
C
H
1 Gut Level Music Altar Boys -
3 Master of Puppets Metallica -
5 Guitar Town Steve Earle -
11 Headed for the Future Neil Diamond -
12 Twitch Ministry -
14 Rrröööaaarrr Voivod -
17 Black Celebration Depeche Mode -
19 Who's Got the 10½? Black Flag -
20 Rapture Anita Baker -
24 5150 Van Halen -
Dirty Work The Rolling Stones -
Please Pet Shop Boys -
27 Innocent Eyes Graham Nash -
30 From Luxury to Heartache Culture Club -
31 Parade Prince and the Revolution -
? 9½ Weeks Various Artists Soundtrack
Big World Joe Jackson Live
Born Sandy Devotional The Triffids -
Candy Apple Grey Hüsker Dü -
Finyl Vinyl Rainbow Live + B-Side
Flaunt It Sigue Sigue Sputnik -
Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express The Go-Betweens -
Little Miss Dangerous Ted Nugent -
Monster Walks the Winter Lake David Thomas
& The Wooden Birds
-
The Pack Is Back Raven -
Shot in the Dark Great White -

April–June

Date Album Artist Notes
A
P
R
I
L
1 Book of Love Book of Love Debut album
New Kids on the Block New Kids on the Block -
The Way It Is Bruce Hornsby & the Range -
7 Absolute Beginners Various Artists Soundtrack
Animal Magic The Blow Monkeys -
9 The Other Side of Life The Moody Blues -
14 In Visible Silence Art of Noise -
Turbo Judas Priest -
Victorialand Cocteau Twins -
15 Love Zone Billy Ocean -
18 Rembrandt Pussyhorse Butthole Surfers -
21 Raised on Radio Journey -
Russian Roulette Accept -
Tinderbox Siouxsie and the Banshees -
28 Winner in You Patti LaBelle -
30 The Final Frontier Keel -
? Big & Beautiful Fat Boys -
Cendres de Lune Mylène Farmer -
Classics Live I and II Aerosmith Live
Cocker Joe Cocker -
Like a Rock Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band -
Pleasure to Kill Kreator -
Rendez-Vous Jean Michel Jarre -
Ship of Fools Tuxedomoon -
Strength in Numbers 38 Special -
M
A
Y
3 Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire Bonnie Tyler -
5 Poolside Nu Shooz -
6 Standing on a Beach The Cure Compilation
7 Tom Cochrane & Red Rider Red Rider -
12 Sleight of Hand Joan Armatrading -
13 Top Gun Various Artists Soundtrack
19 Animal Boy The Ramones -
So Peter Gabriel -
23 Look What the Cat Dragged In Poison Debut
Who Made Who AC/DC Soundtrack
26 Emerson, Lake & Powell Emerson, Lake & Powell -
The Final Countdown Europe -
Home of the Brave Laurie Anderson Soundtrack
27 Raising Hell Run-D.M.C. -
31 The Final Wham! -
? Evol Sonic Youth -
Live In Brussels 02/1986 Blaine L. Reininger Live
Melvins Melvins EP
Mistrial Lou Reed -
Moonlight Shadows The Shadows -
Obsessed by Cruelty Sodom Debut album
Truthdare Doubledare Bronski Beat -
J
U
N
E
1 Into the Light Chris de Burgh -
2 A Kind of Magic Queen -
Wonderland Erasure -
3 Belinda Belinda Carlisle -
5 Afternoons in Utopia Alphaville -
6 Invisible Touch Genesis -
Storms of Life Randy Travis -
9 Night Songs Cinderella Debut
10 Epicus Doomicus Metallicus Candlemass -
11 The Thin Red Line Glass Tiger -
13 Criminal Tango Manfred Mann's Earth Band -
14 Destiny Chaka Khan -
15 If You Swear, You'll Catch No Fish SNFU -
16 Change of Address Krokus -
The Queen Is Dead The Smiths -
21 Frantic Romantic Jermaine Stewart -
23 Bambini Forever Righeira -
Every Beat of My Heart Rod Stewart -
Solitude/Solitaire Peter Cetera -
24 Time's Incinerator Soul Asylum -
30 The Divine Punishment Diamanda Galás -
Fight for the Rock Savatage -
Revenge Eurythmics -
True Blue Madonna -
The Twelve Inch Mixes Spandau Ballet Compilation
? As Close as You Think Kevin Ayers -
Back in the High Life Steve Winwood -
Bend Sinister The Fall -
Crowded House Crowded House -
Daring Adventures Richard Thompson -
Emerald City Teena Marie -
Gift The Sisterhood -
Home and Abroad The Style Council Live
Intermission Dio Live
Let the Snakes Crinkle Their Heads to Death Felt -

July–September

Date Album Artist Notes
J
U
L
Y
1 Music from the Edge of Heaven Wham! US
6 QR III Quiet Riot -
7 Eat 'Em and Smile David Lee Roth -
Made in U.S.A. The Beach Boys Compilation
Oh, My God! Doug E. Fresh Debut
9 The Bridge Billy Joel -
14 Knocked Out Loaded Bob Dylan -
Rage for Order Queensrÿche -
The Seer Big Country -
15 Through the Barricades Spandau Ballet -
22 The Collection Amy Grant Compilation
Word Up! Cameo -
25 The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are 2 Live Crew -
Lightning Strikes Loudness -
28 Landing on Water Neil Young -
Lifes Rich Pageant R.E.M. -
Rat in the Kitchen UB40 -
? 54–40 54-40 -
Bring on the Night Sting Live
Color in Your Life Missing Persons -
East of Midnight Gordon Lightfoot -
GTR GTR -
Montana Cafe Hank Williams Jr. -
No Guru, No Method, No Teacher Van Morrison -
Should the World Fail to Fall Apart Peter Murphy -
Sound of Confusion Spacemen 3 -
Sub Pop 100 Various Artists Compilation
Then & Now... The Best of The Monkees The Monkees Compilation + 3 new recordings
True Confessions Bananarama -
A
U
G
U
S
T
2 Vinnie Vincent Invasion Vinnie Vincent Invasion -
5 Dancing on the Ceiling Lionel Richie -
9 Dancing Undercover Ratt -
Orgasmatron Motörhead -
11 Now That's What I Call Music 7 Various Artists -
13 Feel My Power MC Hammer -
18 ABBA Live ABBA Live
Kicking Against the Pricks Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds -
Silk & Steel Five Star -
Slippery When Wet Bon Jovi -
True as Steel Warlock -
19 Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. Dwight Yoakam -
25 Graceland Paul Simon -
Press to Play Paul McCartney -
26 In the Army Now Status Quo -
? Camper Van Beethoven Camper Van Beethoven -
Fahrenheit Toto -
High Priest of Love Zodiac Mindwarp EP
In the Pines The Triffids -
Nasty Nasty Black 'N Blue -
Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine Daryl Hall -
S
E
P
T
E
M
B
E
R
1 Reivax au Bongo Hector Zazou -
2 Emotional Jeffrey Osborne -
5 Mind: The Perpetual Intercourse Skinny Puppy -
8 Bouncing off the Satellites The B-52's -
Crash The Human League -
11 The Sport of Kings Triumph -
13 Gone to Earth David Sylvian -
15 Blood & Chocolate Elvis Costello and the Attractions -
Express Love and Rockets -
This Side of Paradise Ric Ocasek -
True Colors Cyndi Lauper -
True Stories Talking Heads -
19 Give Me the Reason Luther Vandross -
Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? Megadeth -
20 Fore! Huey Lewis and the News -
Filigree & Shadow This Mortal Coil -
22 Constrictor Alice Cooper -
23 Break Every Rule Tina Turner -
Third Stage Boston -
26 Vigilante Magnum -
29 Brotherhood New Order -
Chicago 18 Chicago -
The Pacific Age Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark -
Somewhere in Time Iron Maiden -
? The Age of Quarrel Cro-Mags -
Another View The Velvet Underground Outtakes compilation
Back to the Street Petra -
Blind Before I Stop Meat Loaf -
Dangerous Games Alcatrazz -
Duotones Kenny G -
Fields of Fire Corey Hart -
Forever Breathes the Lonely Word Felt -
Inside the Electric Circus W.A.S.P. -
Menace to Society Lizzy Borden -
Talking with the Taxman About Poetry Billy Bragg -

October–December

Date Album Artist Notes
O
C
T
O
B
E
R
1 Eye of the Zombie John Fogerty -
2 Whites Off Earth Now!! Cowboy Junkies Debut album
6 The Dark Metal Church -
Scoundrel Days A-ha -
7 Reign in Blood Slayer -
United Commodores -
13 Count Three & Pray Berlin -
Rock the Nations Saxon -
14 Mosaic Wang Chung -
17 Better Than Heaven Stacy Q -
Dreamtime The Stranglers -
20 Liverpool Frankie Goes To Hollywood -
Whiplash Smile Billy Idol -
Whispering Jack John Farnham Australia
21 Polka Party! "Weird Al" Yankovic -
Stars & Hank Forever! The Residents -
23 Blah-Blah-Blah Iggy Pop -
24 Radio Musicola Nik Kershaw -
To Hell with the Devil Stryper -
25 Back in Black Whodini -
One to One Howard Jones -
27 Aretha Aretha Franklin -
Skylarking XTC -
31 Beyond the Gates Possessed -
Pearls of Passion Roxette Canada, Sweden Only Release
? Alive and Screamin' Krokus Live
Can't Hold Back Eddie Money -
Fame and Fortune Bad Company -
Greetings from Timbuk3 Timbuk3 -
London 0 Hull 4 The Housemartins -
No. 10, Upping St. Big Audio Dynamite -
Repossessed Kris Kristofferson -
Shake You Down Gregory Abbott -
N
O
V
E
M
B
E
R
1 Medusa Clan of Xymox -
3 Another Step Kim Wilde -
Christmas with The Jets The Jets Christmas
Forever Kool & the Gang -
Leather Jackets Elton John -
Menlove Ave. John Lennon -
Your Funeral... My Trial Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds -
4 Get Close The Pretenders -
They Might Be Giants They Might Be Giants -
Trilogy Yngwie Malmsteen -
5 Raw, Uncut and X-Rated Too Short -
9 Stand Tall Killer Dwarfs -
10 Live/1975–85 Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band Live Box Set
Morbid Visions Sepultura -
The Whole Story Kate Bush Compilation
11 Heartbeat Don Johnson
15 Jazz from Hell Frank Zappa -
Licensed to Ill Beastie Boys -
Live Alive Stevie Ray Vaughan Live
17 Darkness Descends Dark Angel -
Infected The The -
Think Visual The Kinks -
Saint of the Pit Diamanda Galás -
20 Holy Money Swans -
21 Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know Dead or Alive -
Notorious Duran Duran -
24 August Eric Clapton -
Now That's What I Call Music 8 Various Artists -
Utter Madness Madness Compilation
? 3.V Zebra -
The 20 Greatest Christmas Songs Boney M. Compilation/Remix
Between Two Fires Paul Young -
Brighter Than a Thousand Suns Killing Joke -
Chronicle, Vol. 2 Creedence Clearwater Revival -
Deep in the Heart of Nowhere Bob Geldof -
The Doctor Cheap Trick -
Famous Blue Raincoat Jennifer Warnes Canada
Hot Together Pointer Sisters -
I Against I Bad Brains -
No More the Fool Elkie Brooks -
Power Kansas -
Strange Charm Gary Numan -
Strong Persuader Robert Cray -
Trick or Treat Fastway Soundtrack
D
E
C
E
M
B
E
R
1 Live Magic Queen Live
5 Anything The Damned -
8 Hot, Cool & Vicious Salt-N-Pepa -
Mechanical Resonance Tesla -
9 Good Music Joan Jett and the Blackhearts -
16 Electric Café Kraftwerk -
Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide Guns N' Roses Live EP
? Chris Isaak Chris Isaak -
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik Venom Live
What Do You Know, Deutschland? KMFDM -

Release date unknown

Biggest hit singles

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

# Artist Title Year Country Chart entries
1 Falco "Rock Me Amadeus" 1985 Austria UK 1 – Mar 1986, US BB 1 – Feb 1986, Canada 1 – Dec 1985, Sweden 1 – Aug 1985, Sweden (alt) 1 – Sep 1985, Austria 1 – May 1985, Germany 1 – Jun 1985, Republic of Ireland 1 – Apr 1986, New Zealand 1 for 5 weeks Mar 1986, France 2 – Nov 1985, Switzerland 2 – Jun 1985, Netherlands 3 – May 1986, South Africa 3 of 1986, Norway 6 – Apr 1986, Italy 18 of 1985, US CashBox 19 of 1986, Poland 24 – Jun 1985, POP 29 of 1986, US BB 30 of 1986, Germany 50 of the 1980s, RYM 63 of 1985, Scrobulate 65 of 80s, KROQ 74 of 1986
2 Madonna "Papa Don't Preach" 1986 United States UK 1 – Jun 1986, US BB 1 – Jul 1986, Sweden 1 – Aug 1986, Norway 1 – Jul 1986, Italy 1 of 1986, Republic of Ireland 1 – Jun 1986, Australia 1 for 6 weeks Mar 1987, Netherlands 2 – Jun 1986, Switzerland 2 – Jul 1986, Poland 2 – Aug 1986, Germany 2 – Jul 1986, Austria 4 – Aug 1986, Australia 9 of 1986, US CashBox 18 of 1986, US BB 19 of 1986, POP 35 of 1986, 37 in 2FM list, RYM 43 of 1986, Germany 215 of the 1980s, Acclaimed 761
3 Berlin "Take My Breath Away" 1986 United States UK 1 – Oct 1986, US BB 1 – Jul 1986, Netherlands 1 – Sep 1986, Sweden 1 – Sep 1986, Republic of Ireland 1 – Oct 1986, Oscar in 1986, Switzerland 2 – Oct 1986, Germany 3 – Sep 1986, Austria 4 – Nov 1986, Norway 4 – Oct 1986, Poland 4 – Nov 1986, Australia 6 of 1986, POP 7 of 1986, US BB 13 of 1992, RYM 16 of 1986, US CashBox 21 of 1986, Italy 37 of 1986, TOTP 37, Scrobulate 80 of 80s, OzNet 251, Germany 310 of the 1980s
4 Pet Shop Boys "West End Girls" 1985 United Kingdom UK 1 – Nov 1985, US BB 1 – Mar 1986, Norway 1 – Jan 1986, New Zealand 1 for 4 weeks Feb 1986, US CashBox 2 of 1986, Switzerland 2 – Jan 1986, Netherlands 3 – Jan 1986, Sweden 3 – Jan 1986, Germany 3 – Jan 1986, Austria 5 – Feb 1986, France 7 – Oct 1985, KROQ 11 of 1984, Poland 14 – Jan 1986, RYM 15 of 1985, US BB 16 of 1986, South Africa 18 of 1986, Scrobulate 32 of 80s, POP 43 of 1986, Germany 232 of the 1980s, WXPN 478, OzNet 694, Acclaimed 890

Notable hits

Published popular music

Classical music

Opera

Jazz

Musical theater

Musical films

Musical television

Music festivals

Births

Deaths

Awards

Charts

List of no. 1 hits

See also


This page was last updated at 2022-11-24 17:33 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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