These are the Hot Black singles of 1986. The category term was usually some variation of soul or rhythm and blues until 1982, when it became Black Singles and then, in 1984, Hot Black Singles.
As before, I’m not going to list the songs I’ve already linked to on the singles charts, although I will list them.
KISS- Prince and the Revolution, four weeks at #1; #1 pop
On My Own – Patti Labelle and Michael McDonald, four weeks at #1; #1 pop
Tasty Love – Freddie Jackson, four weeks at #1
That’s What Friends Are For – Dionne and friends, three weeks at #1; #1 pop
Do Me Baby – Meli’sa Morgan, three weeks at #1
Word Up – Cameo, three weeks at #1
Say You Say Me – Lionel Richie, two weeks at #1, #1 pop
The youngest Jackson sibling
What Have You Done For Me Lately – Janet Jackson, two weeks at #1. From uDiscoverMusic: “To say that, back in 1985, Janet Jackson lived in her brother Michael’s shadow was something of an understatement. At that time Michael was at the height of his reign as the undisputed “King Of Pop” and was still basking in the success of his 1982 blockbuster album, Thriller. But that was before Control, the album that proved Janet Jackson had what it took to launch a formidable attack on the charts.” I bought this album, oddly, on cassette.
I Have Learned to Respect the Power of Love – Stephanie Mills, two weeks at #1
Nasty – Janet Jackson, two weeks at #1
Rumors – Timex Social Club, two weeks at #1
Closer Than Close – Jean Carne, two weeks at #1
Do You Get Enough Love – Shirley Jones, two weeks at #1
The Rain -Oran “Juice” Jones, two weeks at #1
Shake You Down – Gregory Abbott, two weeks at #1, #1 pop
Love You Down – Ready for the World, two weeks at #1
Girlfriend – Bobby Brown, two weeks at #1; I saw him perform in 2026
The rest are number one for one week
How Will I Know – Whitney Houston, #1 pop
Your Smile – René and Angela
Who’s Johnny – El Debarge; I have this on a Motown compilation CD
Love Zone – Billy Ocean
Ain’t Nothing Going On But The Rent – Gwen Guthrie
(Pop, pop, pop, pop) Goes My Mind – Levert
A Little Bit More – Melba Moore (with Freddie Jackson)
Here’s yet more Hot Country Hits of 1986, for July through mid-December, one week each at the top of the charts. There are many repeats of artists from the first half of the year.
Were there any country hot country hits of 1986? The year had 51 songs that went to number one. The only reason there weren’t 52 was that the charts remained “frozen” for the last week of the year.
The #1 Hot Adult Contemporary Hits of 1986 had been a category called easy listening for the latter half of the 1960s and most of the 1970s. It became Adult Contemporary in the spring of 1979, then Hot Adult Contemporary in the autumn of 1984.
I think I know many of the #1 pop hits of 1986 because I watched MTV regularly at home at the time. I certainly don’t own most of these, but I heard them enough to identify the vast majority of the tracks. And I eventually did buy some greatest hits albums for this new technology called the compact disc: Heart, Whitney Houston, Madonna, Prince, Steve Winwood.