1986 in British music

This is a summary of 1986 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.

List of years in British music

Summary

The first number 1 single of 1986 was the breakthrough hit for London synthpop duo the Pet Shop Boys. Their song "West End Girls" had climbed the charts during late 1985 and reached number 1 for two weeks in January. They would have three more top 20 hits this year as well as two top 20 albums, and were still reaching the top 10 in 2006, twenty years later. Another popular synthpop duo this year were Erasure, with their song "Sometimes" reaching number two in the autumn; this success would be followed by many more hits throughout the decade.

After four successful years, the band Wham! split up in the spring. Made up of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, they finished with a farewell concert at Wembley Stadium, a greatest hits album The Final which reached number 2, and the single "The Edge of Heaven", their fourth number one, and their last until "Last Christmas" finally reached No. 1 in 2021. George Michael also reached number 1 this year with a solo release, A Different Corner, and went on to have a highly successful solo career.

The formation of the charity Comic Relief provided an unusual song from Cliff Richard, a singer with several huge hits in the 1950s and '60s. He teamed up with the cast of the popular sitcom The Young Ones (itself named after a Richard song) for a new version of his 1959 single "Living Doll", half sung by Richard and half shouted by the Young Ones cast. With proceeds going to the charity, it reached number one for three weeks and was Richard's first number 1 of the decade. Another novelty number one was "The Chicken Song", sung by the cast of satirical puppet show Spitting Image. With lyrics such as "Hold a chicken in the air, stick a deckchair up your nose" it was intended as a parody of novelty holiday songs which were popular at the time, and also topped the chart for three weeks.

American singer Madonna had the biggest-selling album of the year with "True Blue". All singles released from it made the top five, including the number 1s "Papa Don't Preach", "True Blue", and "La Isla Bonita" which topped the chart the year after. The biggest-selling single of the year went to The Communards, with a hi-NRG cover of the disco song "Don't Leave Me This Way". The band included singer Jimmy Somerville who had previously enjoyed success with Bronski Beat, and later started a solo career.

The Christmas number one single was something of a surprise, a re-issue of Jackie Wilson's 1957 single "Reet Petite". Wilson had died in 1984, but the song been re-issued after being used in a television advert for Levi's, with a new video made of a Claymation version of Wilson. Having first been released 29 years earlier, it broke the record for the longest time between a single being released and it hitting number 1, a record that would last until 2005 when Tony Christie's 1971 song "(Is This the Way to) Amarillo" topped the chart.

The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment was founded in London by a group of period music enthusiasts, going on to become one of the UK's leading orchestras. Harrison Birtwistle's innovative opera, The Mask of Orpheus, was premièred in London, to great critical acclaim. Michael Nyman also came up with a new opera, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, a chamber work with a minimalist score.

Events

Charts

Number one singles

[3]

Chart date
(week ending)
SongArtist(s)Weeks
4 January"Merry Christmas Everyone"Shakin' Stevens1
11 January"West End Girls"Pet Shop Boys2
18 January
25 January"The Sun Always Shines on TV"a-ha2
1 February
8 February"When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going"Billy Ocean4
15 February
22 February
1 March
8 March"Chain Reaction"Diana Ross3
15 March
22 March
29 March"Living Doll"Cliff Richard and The Young Ones3
5 April
12 April
19 April"A Different Corner"George Michael3
26 April
3 May
10 May"Rock Me Amadeus"Falco1
17 May"The Chicken Song"Spitting Image3
24 May
31 May
7 June"Spirit in the Sky"Doctor and the Medics3
14 June
21 June
28 June"The Edge of Heaven"Wham!2
5 July
12 July"Papa Don't Preach"Madonna3
19 July
26 July
2 August"The Lady in Red"Chris de Burgh3
9 August
16 August
23 August"I Want to Wake Up with You"Boris Gardiner3
30 August
6 September
13 September"Don't Leave Me This Way"The Communards4
20 September
27 September
4 October
11 October"True Blue"Madonna1
18 October"Every Loser Wins"Nick Berry3
25 October
1 November
8 November"Take My Breath Away"Berlin4
15 November
22 November
29 November
6 December"The Final Countdown"Europe2
13 December
20 December"Caravan of Love"The Housemartins1
27 December"Reet Petite"Jackie Wilson1

Number one albums

[4]

Chart date
(week ending)
AlbumArtist(s)Weeks
4 JanuaryNow 6Various Artists2
11 January
18 JanuaryBrothers in ArmsDire Straits10
25 January
1 February
8 February
15 February
22 February
1 March
8 March
15 March
22 March
29 MarchHits 4Various Artists4
5 April
12 April
19 April
26 AprilStreet Life: 20 Great HitsBryan Ferry and Roxy Music5
3 May
10 May
17 May
24 May
31 MaySoPeter Gabriel2
7 June
14 JuneA Kind of MagicQueen1
21 JuneInvisible TouchGenesis3
28 June
5 July
12 JulyTrue BlueMadonna6
19 July
26 July
2 August
9 August
16 August
23 AugustNow 7Various Artists5
30 August
6 September
13 September
20 September
27 SeptemberSilk and SteelFive Star1
4 OctoberGracelandPaul Simon5
11 October
18 October
25 October
1 November
8 NovemberEvery Breath You Take: The SinglesThe Police2
15 November
22 NovemberHits 5Various Artists2
29 November
6 DecemberNow 84
13 December
20 December
27 December

Year-end charts

Best-selling singles

Based on sales from 30 December 1985 to 3 January 1987.[5]

No. Title Artist Peak
position
1 "Don't Leave Me This Way" The Communards 1
2 "Every Loser Wins" Nick Berry 1
3 "I Want to Wake Up with You" Boris Gardiner 1
4 "Living Doll" Cliff Richard & The Young Ones 1
5 "Chain Reaction" Diana Ross 1
6 "The Lady in Red" Chris de Burgh 1
7 "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going" Billy Ocean 1
8 "Papa Don't Preach" Madonna 1
9 "Take My Breath Away" (Love Theme from Top Gun) Berlin 1
10 "So Macho"/"Cruising" Sinitta 2
11 "True Blue" Madonna 1
12 "A Different Corner" George Michael 1
13 "Rock Me Amadeus" Falco 1
14 "We Don't Have to..." Jermaine Stewart 2
15 "Spirit in the Sky" Doctor and the Medics 1
16 "The Final Countdown" Europe 1
17 "Reet Petite (The Sweetest Girl in Town)" Jackie Wilson 1
18 "Rain or Shine" Five Star 2
19 "Caravan of Love" The Housemartins 1
20 "The Chicken Song" Spitting Image 1
21 "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." a-ha 1
22 "On My Own" Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald 2
23 "Walk Like an Egyptian" The Bangles 3
24 "In the Army Now" Status Quo 2
25 "Lessons in Love" Level 42 3
26 "Glory of Love" Peter Cetera 3
27 "The Edge of Heaven" Wham! 1
28 "Sledgehammer" Peter Gabriel 4
29 "All I Ask of You" Cliff Richard & Sarah Brightman 3
30 "Touch Me (I Want Your Body)" Samantha Fox 3
31 "Wonderful World" Sam Cooke 2
32 "A Kind of Magic" Queen 3
33 "Holding Back the Years" Simply Red 2
34 "You Keep Me Hangin' On" Kim Wilde 2
35 "Let's Go All the Way" Sly Fox 3
36 "Word Up!" Cameo 3
37 "Manic Monday" The Bangles 2
38 "I Can't Wait" Nu Shooz 2
39 "My Favourite Waste of Time" Owen Paul 3
40 "You Can Call Me Al" Paul Simon 4
41 "Livin' on a Prayer" Bon Jovi 4
42 "Sometimes" Erasure 2
43 "Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend)" Mel & Kim 3
44 "(I Just) Died in Your Arms" Cutting Crew 4
45 "You to Me Are Everything" (remix) The Real Thing 5
46 "Happy Hour" The Housemartins 3
47 "Starting Together" Su Pollard 2
48 "Thorn in My Side" Eurythmics 5
49 "Walk of Life" Dire Straits 2
50 "Borderline" Madonna 2

Best-selling albums

Based on sales from 29 December 1985 to 3 January 1987.[6]

No. Title Artist Peak
position
1 True Blue Madonna 1
2 Brothers In Arms Dire Straits 1
3 Now 8 Various Artists 1
4 Graceland Paul Simon 1
5 Whitney Houston Whitney Houston 2
6 Now 7 Various Artists 1
7 Hunting High and Low a-ha 2
8 A Kind of Magic Queen 1
9 Silk & Steel Five Star 1
10 Revenge Eurythmics 3
11 Hits 5 Various Artists 1
12 Hits 4 1
13 The Final Wham! 2
14 Invisible Touch Genesis 1
15 Every Breath You Take: The Singles The Police 1
16 The Whole Story Kate Bush 2[lower-alpha 1]
17 Into the Light Chris de Burgh 2
18 Street Life: 20 Great Hits Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music 1
19 So Peter Gabriel 1
20 Picture Book Simply Red 2
21 Once Upon a Time Simple Minds 6[lower-alpha 2]
22 No Jacket Required Phil Collins 2[lower-alpha 3]
23 World Machine Level 42 3
24 Dancing on the Ceiling Lionel Richie 2
25 London 0 Hull 4 The Housemartins 3
26 Slippery When Wet Bon Jovi 6
27 Top Gun Original Soundtrack Various Artists 3
28 Like a Virgin Madonna 3[lower-alpha 4]
29 Fore! Huey Lewis and the News 8
30 Be Yourself Tonight Eurythmics 3
31 Scoundrel Days a-ha 2
32 Communards The Communards 7
33 Go West/Bangs & Crashes Go West 8
34 Please Pet Shop Boys 3
35 Greatest Hits Queen 17[lower-alpha 5]
36 Different Light The Bangles 3
37 Love Zone Billy Ocean 2
38 Live Magic Queen 5[lower-alpha 6]
39 Riptide Robert Palmer 5
40 Island Life Grace Jones 4
41 The Dream of the Blue Turtles Sting 5[lower-alpha 7]
42 South Pacific Kiri te Kanawa/José Carreras/Sarah Vaughan/
Mandy Patinkin/London Symphony Orchestra
5
43 The Broadway Album Barbra Streisand 3
44 Rocky IV Original Soundtrack Various Artists 3
45 Luxury of Life Five Star 12
46 Suzanne Vega Suzanne Vega 11
47 Hounds of Love Kate Bush 6[lower-alpha 8]
48 Break Every Rule Tina Turner 2
49 In the Army Now Status Quo 7
50 Every Beat of My Heart Rod Stewart 5

Notes:

  1. Reached number 1 in 1987
  2. Reached number 1 in 1985
  3. Reached number 1 in 1985
  4. Reached number 1 in 1985
  5. Reached number 1 in 1981
  6. Reached number 3 in 1987
  7. Reached number 3 in 1985
  8. Reached number 1 in 1985

Classical music: new works

Opera

Musical films

Births

Deaths

Music awards

BRIT Awards

The 1986 BRIT Awards winners were:

See also

References

  1. Delius Society Journal, Spring 1987, no 93, p10
  2. Queen live on tour: Magic tour Queen Concerts. Retrieved June 4, 2011
  3. "1986 The Number One Singles". Official Charts Company.
  4. "1986 The Number One Albums". Official Charts Company.
  5. "Top 100 Singles". Music Week. London, England: Spotlight Publications. 24 January 1987. p. 24.
  6. "Top 100 Albums". Music Week. London, England: Spotlight Publications. 24 January 1987. p. 25.
  7. "EXCLUSIVE: X Factor finalist Rebecca Ferguson's family on the childhood that encouraged her to become a star". ECHO. 25 November 2010. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  8. Music and Musicians - Volume 35 1987 - Page 45 "Obituaries MAURICE HANDFORD : A Personal Tribute The premature death of the conductor Maurice Handford, at the age of 57, has left the musical world a good deal the poorer. Those of us who were privileged to know him as a friend are ..."
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