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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
10 Different Light The Bangles US
13 Premonition Peter Frampton -
14 Rich Mullins Rich Mullins Debut
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
Atomizer Big Black -
New Trails Riders in the Sky -
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 -
3 Mean Business The Firm -
4 Control Janet Jackson -
10 Live in New York City John Lennon Live 1972
The Ultimate Sin Ozzy Osbourne UK
13 Clairvoyance Screaming Trees Debut
Precious Moments Jermaine Jackson -
17 Fatal Portrait King Diamond -
18 Lives in the Balance Jackson Browne -
21 King of America Elvis Costello -
28 Pretty In Pink Various Artists Soundtrack
Greed Swans -
? Cinema Nazareth -
War Games Grave Digger -
Marilyn Martin Marilyn Martin -
Samhain III: November-Coming-Fire Samhain -
M
A
R
C
H
3 Master of Puppets Metallica -
Balance of Power Electric Light Orchestra -
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 -
21 Turbo Judas Priest US
24 5150 Van Halen -
Dirty Work The Rolling Stones -
Please Pet Shop Boys -
27 Innocent Eyes Graham Nash -
31 Parade Prince and the Revolution -
? Rendez-Vous Jean Michel Jarre -
Finyl Vinyl Rainbow Live/Studio
Big World Joe Jackson Live
9½ Weeks Various Artists Soundtrack
Born Sandy Devotional The Triffids -
Candy Apple Grey Hüsker Dü -
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 -
Gut Level Music Altar Boys -

April–June

Date Album Artist Notes
A
P
R
I
L
1 From Luxury to Heartache Culture Club -
Book of Love Book of Love Debut
New Kids on the Block New Kids on the Block Debut
The Way It Is Bruce Hornsby & the Range Debut
7 Absolute Beginners Various Artists Soundtrack
Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire Bonnie Tyler US
Animal Magic The Blow Monkeys -
14 In Visible Silence Art of Noise -
Like a Rock Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band -
Victorialand Cocteau Twins -
18 Rembrandt Pussyhorse Butthole Surfers -
21 Raised on Radio Journey -
The Other Side of Life The Moody Blues -
Russian Roulette Accept -
Tinderbox Siouxsie and the Banshees -
24 Back in Black Whodini -
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 -
Pleasure to Kill Kreator -
Ship of Fools Tuxedomoon -
Strength in Numbers 38 Special -
M
A
Y
5 Poolside Nu Shooz -
6 Love Zone Billy Ocean -
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 -
Home of the Brave Laurie Anderson Soundtrack
27 Into the Light Chris de Burgh -
Raising Hell Run-D.M.C. -
30 The Final Countdown Europe -
? Evol Sonic Youth -
GTR GTR US
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
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 Debut
11 The Thin Red Line Glass Tiger -
13 Criminal Tango Manfred Mann's Earth Band -
16 Change of Address Krokus -
The Queen Is Dead The Smiths -
20 Bring on the Night Sting Live
23 Bambini Forever Righeira -
Every Beat of My Heart Rod Stewart -
Solitude/Solitaire Peter Cetera -
24 Time's Incinerator Soul Asylum -
27 Music from the Edge of Heaven Wham! US
Rage for Order Queensrÿche -
30 True Blue Madonna -
The Seer Big Country -
Revenge Eurythmics -
The Divine Punishment Diamanda Galás -
Fight for the Rock Savatage -
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 -
If You Swear, You'll Catch No Fish SNFU -
Frantic Romantic Jermaine Stewart -
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
7 The Final Wham! Compilation + New Songs
Eat 'Em and Smile David Lee Roth Solo debut
Made in U.S.A. The Beach Boys Compilation
Oh, My God! Doug E. Fresh Debut
14 Knocked Out Loaded Bob Dylan -
22 The Collection Amy Grant Compilation
Word Up! Cameo -
25 The Bridge Billy Joel -
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 -
? Orgasmatron Motörhead -
QR III Quiet Riot -
Destiny Chaka Khan -
54–40 54-40 -
Color in Your Life Missing Persons -
East of Midnight Gordon Lightfoot -
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
4 Designer Beatnik Dr Calculus -
5 Dancing on the Ceiling Lionel Richie -
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 -
20 Fore! Huey Lewis and the News -
22 Fahrenheit Toto -
25 Graceland Paul Simon -
Press to Play Paul McCartney -
26 In the Army Now Status Quo -
? Camper Van Beethoven Camper Van Beethoven -
Vinnie Vincent Invasion Vinnie Vincent Invasion -
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 Gone to Earth David Sylvian -
Reivax au Bongo Hector Zazou -
2 Emotional Jeffrey Osborne -
5 Mind: The Perpetual Intercourse Skinny Puppy -
8 Break Every Rule Tina Turner -
Bouncing off the Satellites The B-52's -
Crash The Human League -
11 The Sport of Kings Triumph -
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 -
22 Blind Before I Stop Meat Loaf -
Filigree & Shadow This Mortal Coil -
24 Dancing Undercover Ratt -
26 Third Stage Boston -
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 -
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 -
One to One Howard Jones -
14 Mosaic Wang Chung -
17 Better Than Heaven Stacy Q -
Dreamtime The Stranglers -
20 Liverpool Frankie Goes To Hollywood -
Get Close The Pretenders -
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 -
27 Aretha Aretha Franklin -
Skylarking XTC -
31 Beyond the Gates Possessed -
Pearls of Passion Roxette Canada, Sweden Only Release
? Constrictor Alice Cooper -
Trilogy Yngwie Malmsteen -
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 They Might Be Giants They Might Be Giants -
5 Raw, Uncut and X-Rated Too Short -
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 Through the Barricades Spandau Ballet -
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
Stand Tall Killer Dwarfs -
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

Top 40 Chart hit singles

Song title Artist(s) Release date(s) US UK Highest chart position Other Chart Performance(s)
" Absolute Beginners" David Bowie March 1986 53 2 1 (Europe, Finland, Ireland) See chart performance entry
" Addicted To Love" Robert Palmer January 1986 1 5 1 (Australia, United States) See chart performance entry
" All I Ask of You" Cliff Richard and Sarah Brightman September 1986 n/a 3 1 (Ireland, South Africa) 24 (Australia)
" All I Need Is a Miracle" Mike + The Mechanics February 1986 5 53 5 (United States) See chart performance entry
"All the Things She Said" Simple Minds April 1986 28 9 4 (Ireland) See chart performance entry
" Amanda" Boston September 1987 1 84 1 (Canada, United States) See chart performance entry

Other Chart hit singles

Notable singles

Song title Artist(s) Release date(s) Other Chart Performance(s)
" Behind the Wall of Sleep" The Smithereens July 1986 8 (UK Indie Chart) - 23 (U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock)
" Bigmouth Strikes Again" The Smiths May 1986 26 (UK Singles Chart) - 38 (Belgium)
" Wide Open Road" The Triffids February 1986 26 (UK Singles Chart) - 64 (Australia)

Other Notable singles

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

References

  1. ^ "1986 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony".
  2. ^ "1986 20th Anniversary Reunion Tour". Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  3. ^ "Queen Knights Bob Geldof, but Don't Call Him Sir Bob". Associated Press. June 10, 1986. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  4. ^ Emery, Mark. "1986 flashback: Remembering the year of the Mets' last title, from Reagan to Ruxpin". New York Daily News. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  5. ^ "Metallica History Part 2". Metallica. Archived from the original on August 3, 2011. Retrieved December 23, 2006.
  6. ^ Cary Ginell (August 1, 2013). Mr. B: The Music and Life of Billy Eckstine. Hal Leonard. ISBN  978-1-4803-6679-4.
  7. ^ Greene, Andy. "Flashback: The Smiths Play Their Last-Ever Gig". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 3, 2016.