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)
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In radio 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 In television 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 In film 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
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Specific locations

• 1986 in British music
• 1986 in Norwegian music

Specific genres

• 1986 in country music
• 1986 in heavy metal music
• 1986 in hip hop music
• 1986 in jazz

Events

• January 30 – The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, holds its first induction ceremony with many rock pioneers attending.^[1]
• February 25
  • The 28th Annual Grammy Awards are presented in Los Angeles, hosted by Kenny Rogers. Phil Collins' No Jacket Required wins Album of the Year, while USA for Africa's "We Are the World" wins both Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Sade win Best New Artist.
  • Also, Whitney Houston wins her first GRAMMY award which she won the Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female.
• March 8 - For almost a year, Houston's debut album top the charts and remained for 7 weeks and another on May 17.
• May 3 – The 31st Eurovision Song Contest, held in Bergen, Norway, is won by Belgium with the song "J'aime la vie", performed by Sandra Kim. At 13 years old, Kim is the youngest-ever Eurovision winner.
• May 28 – The Monkees held a press conference at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York City to announce officially that they will embark on a 100-plus city tour. The tour became one of the biggest grossing tours of the year.^[2]
• June 10 – Bob Geldof is awarded an honorary UK knighthood in recognition of his work in organizing Live Aid and other concerts that raised millions of dollars for the starving people of Africa.^[3]
• June 15
  • The final show of the A Conspiracy of Hope benefit concert - organized by Amnesty International - took place at the Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The show was headlined by U2, Sting, and Bryan Adams, and also features Peter Gabriel, Lou Reed, Joan Baez, and The Neville Brothers.
  • Also, The Police would perform one last time on stage during the show before disbanding that same year.
• June 30 – Madonna releases her "True Blue" album, which tops the charts in over 28 countries & becomes the best selling album of 1986.^[4]
• August 9 – Queen performed the band's final concert of the Magic Tour at Knebworth Park, which would be the last performance of the band with singer Freddie Mercury and bassist John Deacon. Later Mercury would be diagnosed with AIDS in 1987, passing away in 1991, and Deacon would retire from the band in 1997.
• September 27 – A tour bus carrying the heavy metal band Metallica crashes in Sweden, killing their influential bassist, Cliff Burton.^[5]
• October – Popular music magazine Q is launched in the United Kingdom.
• November 17–18 – Billy Eckstine makes his final recordings, later released on his album Billy Eckstine Sings with Benny Carter.^[6]
• December 12 – The Smiths play Brixton Academy, the last gig before their dissolution.^[7]
• Approximate date – Axé (music) originates in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.

Bands formed

• See Musical groups established in 1986

Bands disbanded

• See Musical groups disestablished in 1986

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	US
	?	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	US
		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	-
	24	Finyl Vinyl	Rainbow	Live/Studio
	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	-
	24	5150	Van Halen	-
		Dirty Work	The Rolling Stones	-
		Please	Pet Shop Boys	-
	27	Innocent Eyes	Graham Nash	-
	31	Parade	Prince and the Revolution	-
	?	The Pack Is Back	Raven	-
		Shot in the Dark	Great White	-
		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	-
		Gut Level Music	Altar Boys	-

April–June

Date		Album	Artist	Notes
A P R I L	1	Rendez-Vous	Jean Michel Jarre	-
		From Luxury to Heartache	Culture Club	-
		Book of Love	Book of Love	Debut
		New Kids on the Block	New Kids on the Block	Debut
	7	Turbo	Judas Priest	UK
		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	The Way It Is	Bruce Hornsby & the Range	Debut
		GTR	GTR	US
		Back in Black	Whodini	-
	28	Winner in You	Patti LaBelle	-
	30	The Final Frontier	Keel	-
	?	Classics Live I and II	Aerosmith	Live
		Cocker	Joe Cocker	-
		Mistrial	Lou Reed	-
		Big & Beautiful	Fat Boys	-
		Cendres de Lune	Mylène Farmer	-
		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	-
	15	Top Gun	Various Artists	Soundtrack
	19	Animal Boy	The Ramones	-
		So	Peter Gabriel	-
	23	Look What the Cat Dragged In	Poison	Debut
	26	Who Made Who	AC/DC	Soundtrack
		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	-
	?	Melvins	Melvins	Debut/EP
		Evol	Sonic Youth	-
		Live In Brussels 02/1986	Blaine L. Reininger	Live
		Moonlight Shadows	The Shadows	-
		Obsessed by Cruelty	Sodom	Debut album
		Truthdare Doubledare	Bronski Beat	-
J U N E	2	A Kind of Magic	Queen	-
		Emerson, Lake & Powell	Emerson, Lake & Powell	-
		Wonderland	Erasure	-
	3	Belinda	Belinda Carlisle	-
	5	Afternoons in Utopia	Alphaville	-
	6	Storms of Life	Randy Travis	-
	9	Invisible Touch	Genesis	-
		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
	?	Intermission	Dio	Live
		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
		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	-
	21	Orgasmatron	Motörhead	-
	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	-
	?	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	-
	21	Dangerous Games	Alcatrazz	-
	22	Fahrenheit	Toto	-
	25	Graceland	Paul Simon	-
		Press to Play	Paul McCartney	US
	26	In the Army Now	Status Quo	-
	?	The Sport of Kings	Triumph	-
		Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine	Daryl Hall	-
		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	-
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	-
	15	True Colors	Cyndi Lauper	-
		True Stories	Talking Heads	-
		Blood & Chocolate	Elvis Costello and the Attractions	-
		Express	Love and Rockets	-
		This Side of Paradise	Ric Ocasek	-
	19	Give Me the Reason	Luther Vandross	-
	22	Blind Before I Stop	Meat Loaf	-
		Filigree & Shadow	This Mortal Coil	-
	24	Third Stage	Boston	-
		Constrictor	Alice Cooper	-
		Dancing Undercover	Ratt	-
	25	Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?	Megadeth	-
	26	Vigilante	Magnum	-
	29	Somewhere in Time	Iron Maiden	-
		Blah-Blah-Blah	Iggy Pop	-
		Brotherhood	New Order	-
		Chicago 18	Chicago	-
		The Pacific Age	Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark	-
	?	Another View	The Velvet Underground	Outtakes compilation
		Inside the Electric Circus	W.A.S.P.	-
		The Age of Quarrel	Cro-Mags	-
		Back to the Street	Petra	-
		Duotones	Kenny G	-
		Fields of Fire	Corey Hart	-
		Forever Breathes the Lonely Word	Felt	-
		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	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	Reign in Blood	Slayer	-
		Liverpool	Frankie Goes To Hollywood	-
		Get Close	The Pretenders	-
		Between Two Fires	Paul Young	-
		Whiplash Smile	Billy Idol	-
		Whispering Jack	John Farnham	Australia
	21	Polka Party!	"Weird Al" Yankovic	-
		Stars & Hank Forever!	The Residents	-
	24	Radio Musicola	Nik Kershaw	-
		To Hell with the Devil	Stryper	-
	27	Aretha	Aretha Franklin	-
		Skylarking	XTC	-
	28	Power	Kansas	-
	31	Beyond the Gates	Possessed	-
		Pearls of Passion	Roxette	Canada, Sweden Only Release
	?	Trilogy	Yngwie Malmsteen	-
		Strange Charm	Gary Numan	-
		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	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	The Whole Story	Kate Bush	Compilation + 2 new tracks
		Live/1975–85	Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band	Live Box Set
		Brighter Than a Thousand Suns	Killing Joke	-
		Morbid Visions	Sepultura	-
	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	-
		Strong Persuader	Robert Cray	-
		Think Visual	The Kinks	-
		Saint of the Pit	Diamanda Galás	-
	20	Holy Money	Swans	-
	24	Notorious	Duran Duran	-
		August	Eric Clapton	-
		Deep in the Heart of Nowhere	Bob Geldof	-
		Utter Madness	Madness	Compilation
		Now That's What I Call Music 8	Various Artists	-
	?	Pleasure to Kill	Kreator	-
		Medusa	Clan of Xymox	-
		Chronicle, Vol. 2	Creedence Clearwater Revival	-
		The Doctor	Cheap Trick	-
		3.V	Zebra	-
		The 20 Greatest Christmas Songs	Boney M.	Compilation/Remix
		Famous Blue Raincoat	Jennifer Warnes	Canada
		Hot Together	Pointer Sisters	-
		I Against I	Bad Brains	-
		No More the Fool	Elkie Brooks	-
		Trick or Treat	Fastway	Soundtrack
		Stand Tall	Killer Dwarfs	-
D E C E M B E R	1	Live Magic	Queen	Live
		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
	?	Eine kleine Nachtmusik	Venom	Live
		Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know	Dead or Alive	US
		What Do You Know, Deutschland?	KMFDM	-

Release date unknown

Annual Waltz - John Hartford Awaken the Guardian – Fates Warning American Girls – American Girls Armed and Dangerous – Matthew Ward (singer) As It Is" – Owen Paul Back in Line – Steeleye Span Back to the Street – Petra Bares y Fondas - Los Fabulosos Cadillacs Between the Earth & Sky – Luba The Blind Leading the Naked – Violent Femmes Bloodgood – Bloodgood BTO's Greatest – Bachman–Turner Overdrive Captured in Time and Space – Petra Certain Things Are Likely – Kissing the Pink Charlotte for Ever – Charlotte Gainsbourg Chasing Shadows – The Comsat Angels The Circle & The Square – Red Box The Colour of Spring – Talk Talk Concrete Blonde – Concrete Blonde Crimson Glory - Crimson Glory A Date with Elvis – The Cramps David Foster – David Foster Discover – Gene Loves Jezebel Dreaming in Sequence – Chrome Don't Wait for the Movie – White Heart Emotional – Juice Newton Escape from the Fallen Planet – Crumbächer Especially for You – The Smithereens Good Earth – The Feelies Gruts – Ivor Cutler Hand to Mouth – General Public Hey... Bo Diddley in Concert – Bo Diddley with Mainsqueeze Highlights of a Dangerous Life – The Johnnys Horse Bites Dog Cries – D.I. Horse Rotorvator – Coil House of Miracles – The Vels Hwgr Grawth-Og – Datblygu Idle Cure – Idle Cure In America EP – Britny Fox Inside – Matthew Sweet Isyu! – Ebiet G. Ade Journey to The Urge Within – Courtney Pine (debut) Keys to Imagination – Yanni Kings of Punk – Poison Idea Klymaxx – Klymaxx The Knife Feels Like Justice – Brian Setzer The Lace - Benjamin Orr The Last of the True Believers - Nanci Griffith Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares – Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares Le sixième Jour – Dalida Le Visage de l'Amour – Dalida Letters Home – News from Babel Live Chronicles – Hawkwind London 0 Hull 4 – The Housemartins Love in Bright Landscapes – The Triffids Lyle Lovett – Lyle Lovett Mad – Raven The Man – Bill Drummond Matt Bianco – Matt Bianco Mind's Eye – Vinnie Moore

Minuteflag – Minutemen/Black Flag Nerve War – Front Line Assembly Nine Lives – Bonnie Raitt Not of This Earth – Joe Satriani Nuovi eroi – Eros Ramazzotti On the Beach – Chris Rea One Foot in Hell – Cirith Ungol Ordered To Kill - At War Paint Your Wagon – Red Lorry Yellow Lorry People of the World - Burning Spear Permanent Sleep – Lowlife Pictures of Starving Children Sell Records – Chumbawamba Prince Ivor – Ivor Cutler R&B Skeletons in the Closet – George Clinton The Rainmakers – The Rainmakers Reivax Au Bongo – Hector Zazou The River is Rising – Greg X. Volz Romeo Unchained – Tonio K Running the Endless Mile – John Parr The Sanctuary – Motherlode Sex Mad – NoMeansNo Shakin' Like a Human Being – Kim Mitchell Show No Mercy – Bride Siempre Contigo – José José Songs from Liquid Days – Philip Glass Strange Behavior – Animotion Streetlight – DeGarmo and Key Tacky Souvenirs of Pre-Revolutionary America – Culturcide They Don't Make Them Like They Used To – Kenny Rogers Thrill of a Lifetime – King Kobra Throwing Muses – Throwing Muses Time's End – Saint (band) Tones – Eric Johnson Total Terror – Front Line Assembly The Touch – Alabama Transit – Ira Stein and Russel Walder Tutu – Miles Davis U-Vox – Ultravox Velvet & Steel – Dion DiMucci Vicious Pink – Vicious Pink Vicious Rumors – Timex Social Club Walkabout – The Fixx Wants You – Rough Cutt Wear Your Colors – Rick Cua The Wedge – Pallas Weird Love – The Scientists Welcome Home – 'Til Tuesday What Price Paradise - China Crisis While the City Sleeps... – George Benson White Fields – The Escape Club The Wild Frontier – Randy Stonehill Yemenite Songs – Ofra Haza Yesterday Started Tomorrow (EP) – Angry Samoans Zangalewa - Golden Sounds

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		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		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		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		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

• "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
• "Leave Me Alone" – Michael Jackson
• "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

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

• "You're So Fine" - Egyptian Lover

Published popular music

• "All I Ask of You" w.m. Andrew Lloyd Webber
• "Crush On You"     w.m. Jerry Knight & Aaron Zigman
• "I Used To Be An Animal, But I'm Alright Now" w.m. Eric Burdon
• "The Lady in Red"     w.m. Chris de Burgh
• "True Colors" Cyndi Lauper
• Montego Bay Amazulu – a minor hit in the U.S. in September.

Classical music

• Malcolm Arnold – Symphony No. 9
• Pascal Bentoiu – Symphony No. 7 ("Volume"), Op.29
• Elliott Carter – String Quartet No.4
• George Crumb – An Idyll for the Misbegotten (Images III) for amplified flute and percussion (three players).
• George Crumb – Federico's Little Songs for Children for soprano, flute/piccolo/alto flute/bass flute, and harp
• Mario Davidovsky – Salvos for flute, clarinet, harp, percussion, violin and cello
• Jacob Druckman – Reflections on the Nature of Water, for solo marimba
• Ludovico Einaudi – Movimento
• Peter Eötvös – Chinese Opera
• Morton Feldman
  • For Christian Wolff, for flute and piano/celesta
  • For Stefan Wolpe, for choir and 2 vibraphones
• Lorenzo Ferrero
  • La fuga di Foscolo
  • Anemia (film score)
  • Passacaglia, for flute, clarinet, and string quartet
  • Intermezzo "Portella della Ginestra"
  • Ninna-nanna
• Karel Goeyvaerts –
  • De Heilige Stad (The Holy City), for chamber orchestra
  • De Zeven Segels (The Seven Seals), for string quartet
• Martun Israelyan
  • Violin Concerto
  • Sonata No. 2 for cello and piano
• Wojciech Kilar – Orawa, a symphonic poem for a string orchestra
• György Kurtág – Three Ancient Inscriptions, for voice and piano
• Alvin Lucier – Hommage to James Tenney, for double bass and pure wave oscillator
• Witold Lutoslawski – Chain 3 for orchestra
• Per Nørgård
  • Viola Concerto No. 1 Remembering Child
  • Najader (The Naiads)
• Krzysztof Penderecki – The Song of Cherubin
• Paul Schoenfield – Café Music for Piano Trio

Opera

• Harrison Birtwistle's opera The Mask of Orpheus is premiered in London, UK on May 21
• Rudolf Brucci – Gilgamesh
• Lorenzo Ferrero's opera Salvatore Giuliano is premiered at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma on January 25
• Lee Hoiby – The Tempest
• Gian-Carlo Menotti – Goya
• Michael Nyman – The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat

Jazz

Main article: 1986 in jazz

Musical theater

• La Cage aux Folles – London production
• Charlie Girl – London revival
• Chess – London production
• Me and My Girl – Broadway revival
• The Phantom Of The Opera – London production
• Time (musical) – London production
• Sweet Charity – Broadway revival

Musical films

• Absolute Beginners
• HMS Pinafore
• Labyrinth
• Long Da Lishkara
• Little Shop of Horrors
• Naam
• Otello
• Round Midnight

Musical television

• Barnum

Music festivals

• Inaugural Festival International de Louisiane

Births

• January 1
  • Lee Sung-min, South Korean singer and actor
  • Karol Conká, Brazilian rapper and songwriter
• January 2 – Trombone Shorty, American trumpet and trombone player
• January 3 – Lloyd Polite, American singer (N-Toon)
• January 5 – Teppei Koike, Japanese singer and actor
• January 6 – Alex Turner, English singer and guitarist (Arctic Monkeys)
• January 7 – Megan Washington, Australian musician and singer-songwriter
• January 9 - Wengie, a Chinese Australian YouTuber, vlogger, pop singer, and voice actress.
• January 11 – Mithoon, Indian film score composer and singer
• January 17 – Chloe Rose Lattanzi, American singer and actress
• January 20
  • Olga Buzova, Russian singer
  • Victoria Asher, American keyboard player
  • Kevin Parker, Australian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer (Tame Impala)
• January 22 – Ella Edmondson, British musician
• January 24
  • Raviv Ullman, Israeli-American actor and musician
  • Katie Waissel, English singer-songwriter
• January 26
  • Hero, Korean singer (TVXQ)
  • Matt Heafy, singer and guitarist (Trivium)
• January 28 – Michael Paynter, Australian singer-songwriter and musician (the Veronicas, Delta Goodrem)
• February 2 – Blaine Larsen, American country singer
• February 5 – Kevin Gates, American rapper, singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur
• February 6 – U-Know, Korean singer (TVXQ)
• February 8 – Anderson .Paak, American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and drummer
• February 11 - Hudson Mohawke, a Scottish producer, composer, and DJ
• February 14 – Tiffany Thornton, American actress
• February 15 – Amber Riley, American actress, stage performer, singer and author
• February 19 – Maria Mena, Norwegian singer
• February 21 – Charlotte Church, Welsh singer-songwriter, activist and actress
• February 23 – Skylar Grey, American singer-songwriter
• February 25 – Danny Saucedo, Swedish singer
• February 26
  • Crystal Kay, Japanese singer-songwriter, radio host and actress
  • Juliet Simms, American singer-songwriter and model (front woman of Automatic Loveletter)
  • Oscar Holter, a Swedish record producer and songwriter based in the United States (Taylor Swift, Charli XCX, Hailee Steinfeld, The Weeknd)
• February 27 – Ashthon Jones, American singer
• March 3 – Stacie Orrico, American singer-songwriter and occasional actress
• March 4 – Saif Nabeel, Iraq singer
• March 6
  • Ginny Blackmore, New Zealand singer-songwriter
  • Maya Postepski, Canadian musician and producer
• March 9
  • Brittany Snow, American actress, producer and singer
  • Young Fyre, American record producer (Britney Spears, Tech N9ne, Jaden Smith)
• March 12 – Danny Jones, British musician, singer and guitarist (McFLY)
• March 13 – Rose Elinor Dougall, English singer-songwriter and musician (Mark Ronson, The Pipettes)
• March 14 – Este Haim, American multi-instrumentalist and singer (member of sisterhood and Los Angeles pop rock band Haim)
• March 15
  • Adrianne Leon, American actress and singer
  • Natalie Prass, American singer-songwriter
• March 17 – Andrew Goldstein, American singer-songwriter and record producer
• March 18 – Lykke Li, Swedish singer-songwriter and model
• March 20
  • Dean Geyer, South African–Australian singer-songwriter and actor
  • Oscar Görres, Swedish songwriter, record producer and musician
  • Ruby Rose, Australian model, DJ, recording artist, actress, television presenter, MTV VJ
• March 22 – Amy Studt, English singer-songwriter and musician
• March 26
  • Jonny Craig, Canadian singer-songwriter
• March 28 – Lady Gaga, American singer-songwriter, activist, pianist and actor
• April 1 – Kid Ink, American rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer
• April 2
  • Mykki Blanco, American rapper, performance artist, poet and activist
  • Lee DeWyze, American singer-songwriter
• April 4 – Eunhyuk, Korean singer (Super Junior)
• April 8
  • Bridget Kelly, American singer-songwriter
  • Erika Sawajiri, Japanese actress and singer
• April 9 - Leighton Meester, An American actress, singer and model
• April 16 – Penny, American R&B singer (Git Fresh)
• April 23
  • Laura Mvula, British singer
  • Cirkut, Canadian musician, songwriter and producer (Ava Max)
• April 24 - Kellin Quinn, American singer-songwriter and musician (He is the lead vocalist and keyboardist of the Post-Hardcore band Sleeping with Sirens. Duet with Maggie Lindemann )
• April 28 – Jenna Ushkowitz, South Korean-born American actress, singer and podcast host
• April 29 - Qveen Herby, American rapper, singer, songwriter and entrepreneur.
• April 30 – Dianna Agron, American actress, singer and dancer
• May 5 – Bart Baker, American parody artist
• May 8 - Tommy English (producer), American songwriter and producer
• May 12 – Emily VanCamp, Canadian French actress, dancer and martial artist
• May 13 – Alexander Rybak, Norwegian singer
• May 14
  • Alyosha, Ukrainian singer
  • Joseph Attieh, Lebanese singer
  • Amy Shark, Australian indie singer-songwriter and producer
• May 16
  • Andy Morin, Audio engineer for Death Grips
  • Charlie Fink, British songwriter, producer and filmmaker
• May 17 – Hannah Lux Davis, American music video director
• May 21
  • Myra, American singer
  • Da'Vine Joy Randolph, American actress and singer
• May 30
  • Claudia Beni, Croatian pop singer
  • Jade Novah, American singer-songwirter
• May 31
  • Sopho Khalvashi, Georgian musician
  • Waka Flocka Flame, American rapper
• June 5 – Gin Wigmore, New Zealand singer-songwriter
• June 6 - Leslie Carter, American pop singer (Sister of Aaron Carter and Nick Carter) (D. 2012)
• June 9
  • Kary Ng, Hong Kong singer, former member of Cookies
  • Luis Felber, British-Peruvian musician
• June 10
  • Tinchy Stryder, English rapper and producer
  • Keith Harkin, Northern Irish singer, former member of Celtic Thunder
• June 13
  • DJ Snake, French DJ and record producer
  • Måns Zelmerlöw, Swedish singer-songwriter
• June 17 – Lingua Ignota, born Kristin Hayter, American classically trained neoclassical industrial multi-instrumentalist and activist against abuse
• June 24 – Solange Knowles, American singer-songwriter, activist, model and actress (Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams)
• June 25 – Aya Matsuura, Japanese singer
• June 26 - Jordan Fish, British keyboardist, singer-songwriter and producer
• June 27 – Drake Bell, American actor/singer/musician
• June 28 – Kellie Pickler, American Idol singer
• June 29 – Austin Drage, British actor and singer
• July 1 – Agnez Mo, Indonesian diva singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress.
• July 2 – Lindsay Lohan, American actress, musician, singer-songwriter, documentary-maker, businesswoman and model (Samantha Ronson, Hilary Duff, Aliana Lohan)
• July 5 – Adam Young, American singer-songwriter and producer (Owl City, Sky Sailing)
• July 16 – Misako Uno, Japanese singer (Attack All Around)
• July 17 – Jason Aalon Butler, American musician (Letlive, Fever 333, Pressure Cracks), married to Gin Wigmore
• July 21 – Rebecca Ferguson, British singer-songwriter
• July 28 – Alexandra Richards, American DJ
• August 1 – Marissa Paternoster, American artist, singer and guitarist (Screaming Females)
• August 19 – Christina Perri, American singer/songwriter, musician and artist
• August 23
  • Neil Cicierega, American singer/songwriter, musician (Lemon Demon)
  • Sky Blu, American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, DJ and dancer
• August 26
  • Big K.R.I.T., American rapper and record producer
  • Cassie, American singer, dancer
  • Laza Morgan, singer
• August 27 – Mario, American R&B singer and songwriter
• August 28 – Florence Welch, English musician, singer-songwriter, music producer, author, poet and performer (Florence and the Machine)
• August 29 – Lea Michele, American singer, actress
• September 3 – OMI, Jamaican singer
• September 6
  • Anna von Hausswolff, Swedish singer, songwriter, musician, composer, and pipe organist
  • Illy, Australian rapper
• September 8 – Leah LaBelle, Canadian-born American singer
• September 10 – Ashley Monroe, American country music singer-songwriter (Pistol Annies)
• September 12 – Emmy Rossum, American actress and singer
• September 12 – Kobasolo, Japanese singer
• September 15
  • George Watsky, American hip hop artist, author and poet (Anna Akana)
  • Heidi Montag, American reality television personality, model, singer and actress
• September 17 – SOPHIE, Scottish music producer, songwriter, and DJ
• September 19 – Ilya Salmanzadeh, Swedish music producer
• September 21 – Lindsey Stirling, American violinist, dancer, YouTuber, record producer and performance artist
• September 22 - Casisdead, a UK rap and grime MC, songwriter, record producer, music video director and entrepreneur from Tottenham, London.
• September 27 – Alison Wonderland, Australian electronic dance music DJ, producer and singer
• October 1 – Jurnee Smollett-Bell, American actress and singer
• October 6 – Meg Myers, American singer-songwriter
• October 12 – Boi-1da, Canadian record producer and songwriter
• October 24 – Drake, Canadian rapper
• October 25 – Didi Benami, American singer
• October 28 – Aki Toyosaki, Japanese actress and singer (K-On!)
• October 29 – Nataly Dawn, American musician
• November 2 – Ryan Hurd, American singer and songwriter
• November 3
  • Jermaine Jones, American singer
  • Jasmine Trias, Filipino-American singer-entertainer
• November 4 - Alexz Johnson, Canadian musician, actress, and philanthropist
• November 5 – BoA, South Korean singer, dancer, songwriter and producer
• November 7 – Toro y Moi, American singer-songwriter, record producer and graphic designer
• November 8 – Nikola Rachelle, British recording artist and songwriter
• November 11 – Jon Batiste, American jazz musician
• November 14 - Yuna (singer), Malaysian singer-songwriter.
• November 15 – Jerry Roush, American singer-songwriter (Of Mice & Men, Sky Eats Airplane, Glass Cloud)
• November 20 – Oliver Sykes, English heavy metal vocalist, British/Brazilian singer and songwriter (Bring Me the Horizon)
• November 21 – Colleen Ballinger, American comedian, actress, singer and YouTube personality
• November 25 – Katie Cassidy, American actress, singer, voice actress
• November 27 - Christina Novelli, English DJ, Singer and songwriter
• December 8 – Kate Voegele, American singer-songwriter and actress
• December 10 – Natti Natasha, Dominican singer
• December 11 – Shuta Sueyoshi, Japanese singer
• December 15 – Xiah, Korean singer (TVXQ)
• December 20 – Anoop Desai, American singer-songwriter
• December 26 – Marina Satti, Greek singer, songwriter, and music producer
• December 30
  • Ellie Goulding, English singer-songwriter
  • Caity Lotz, American singer, dancer, actor, martial artist
• Unknown: Samantha McClymont, Australian singer-songwriter (Brooke McClymont)

Deaths

• January 4 – Phil Lynott, bassist/singer and co-founder of Thin Lizzy, 36 (heart failure & pneumonia)
• January 6 – Joe Farrell, jazz saxophonist, 48 (bone cancer)
• January 8 – Pierre Fournier, cellist, 79
• February 2 – Francisco Mignone, composer, 88
• February 14 – Edmund Rubbra, composer, 84
• February 15 – Galliano Masini, operatic tenor, 90
• March 4
  • Richard Manuel (The Band), 42 (suicide)
  • Howard Greenfield, songwriter, 49 (AIDS)
• March 11 – Sonny Terry, blues musician, 74
• March 21 – Raymond Burke, jazz clarinetist, 81
• March 22 – Mark Dinning, US singer, 52 (heart attack)
• March 30 – James Cagney, US actor, singer and dancer, 86
• March 31 – O'Kelly Isley of the Isley Brothers, 48 (heart attack)
• April 1 – Donald Grobe, operatic tenor, 56
• April 3 – Peter Pears, opera singer and partner of Benjamin Britten, 75
• April 6 – Boris Gutnikov, violinist, 54
• April 8 – Yukiko Okada, singer, 18 (suicide)
• April 13 – Dorothy Ashby, jazz harpist and composer, 53 (cancer)
• April 19
  • Dag Wirén, composer, 80
  • Estelle Yancey, blues singer, 90
• June 3 – Anna Neagle, actress, singer and dancer, 81
• June 13 – Benny Goodman, bandleader, 77
• June 14 – Alan Jay Lerner, lyricist, 67
• June 16 – Maurice Duruflé, composer, 84
• June 17 – Kate Smith, singer, 79
• June 29 – Dusolina Giannini, operatic soprano, 83
• July 3 – Rudy Vallee, American singer, 84
• July 18 – Don Wilkerson, American saxophonist
• July 23 – Kazimierz Sikorski, Polish composer, 91
• July 31 – Teddy Wilson, American jazz pianist, 73
• September 27 – Cliff Burton (Metallica), 24 (tour bus accident)
• September 28 – Robert Helpmann, dancer and choreographer, 77
• October 16 – Arthur Grumiaux, violinist, 65
• October 22 – Thorgeir Stubø, Norwegian jazz guitarist, 42
• October 29 – Abel Meeropol ('Lewis Allan'), American lyricist, 83
• November 1 – Sippie Wallace, blues singer, 88
• November 3 – Eddie Davis, saxophonist, 64
• November 6 – Elisabeth Grümmer, operatic soprano, 75
• November 7 – Tracy Pew, bass guitarist, 28 (brain hemorrhage)
• November 13 – Rudolf Schock, operatic tenor, 71
• November 18 – Lajos Bárdos, composer and conductor, 87
• November 22 – Scatman Crothers, singer, dancer and musician, 76
• December 1 – Horace Heidt, pianist and bandleader, 85
• December 10 – Kate Wolf, folk singer and songwriter, 44 (leukemia)
• December 30 – Charles Magnante, accordionist, composer, arranger, author, and educator, 81

Awards

• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opened; the following artists were the first inductees: Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Fats Domino, The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and record producer Sam Phillips.
• Grammy Awards of 1986
• 1986 Country Music Association Awards
• Eurovision Song Contest 1986
• 28th Japan Record Awards

Charts

• List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1986
• 1986 in British music#Charts
• List of Oricon number-one singles of 1986

See also

• Record labels established in 1986

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.