Number-one singles of 1986 (Ireland)

This is a list of singles which have reached number one on the Irish Singles Chart

Irish Singles Chart

The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...

in 1986.

Week ending	Song	Artist
4 January	Thank You Very Much Mr Eastwood	Dermot Morgan Dermot Morgan Dermot John Morgan was an Irish comedian, actor and former schoolteacher, who achieved international renown for his roles as Father Ted Crilly in the Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted and a strip club MC in Taffin....
11 January	Thank You Very Much Mr Eastwood	Dermot Morgan
18 January	The Sun Always Shines on T.V. The Sun Always Shines on T.V. "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." is a song by Norwegian pop band A-ha. It was released as the third single from the band's debut album, Hunting High and Low. In many countries the single was not as successful as the band's previous, "Take on Me", which hit #1 in the U.S. and several countries around...	a-ha A-ha A-ha were a Norwegian pop band formed in Oslo in 1982. The band was founded by Morten Harket , Magne Furuholmen , and Pål Waaktaar...
25 January	Walk of Life Walk of Life (Dire Straits song) "Walk of Life" is a 1985 song by the British rock band Dire Straits. It appeared on their best-selling album Brothers in Arms. It subsequently appeared on their live album On the Night. It was released as a single in November 1985 but had first been available as the b-side of "So Far Away" released...	Dire Straits Dire Straits Dire Straits were a British rock band active from 1977 to 1995, composed of Mark Knopfler , his younger brother David Knopfler , John Illsley , and Pick Withers .Dire Straits' sound drew from a variety of musical influences, including jazz, folk, blues, and came closest...
1 February	Borderline Borderline (song) "Borderline" is a song by American pop singer Madonna from her self-titled debut album. It was released on February 15, 1984 as the fifth single from the album, by Sire Records. Written and composed by producer Reggie Lucas, the song received remix treatment from Madonna's then boyfriend John...	Madonna Madonna (entertainer) Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
8 February	Only Love	Nana Mouskouri Nana Mouskouri Nana Mouskouri , born Ioánna Moúschouri on October 13, 1934, in Chania, Crete, Greece, is a Greek singer who has sold about 300 million records worldwide in a career spanning over five decades, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. She was known as Nána to her friends and...
15 February	When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going "When the going gets tough, the tough get going" is a popular English language proverb. A song of the same name was recorded by Billy Ocean in 1985 at Battery Studios North London.-Phrase:...	Billy Ocean Billy Ocean Billy Ocean is a Trinidad-born English Grammy Award winning popular music performer who had a string of rhythm and blues international pop hits in the 1970s and 1980s. He was the most popular British-based R&B singer / songwriter of the early to mid-1980s...
22 February	When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going	Billy Ocean
1 March	Chain Reaction Chain Reaction (song) "Chain Reaction" is a melodic Pop song, sung by Diana Ross, written by the Bee Gees, who also provided the backing vocals for the single. The track was released on the album Eaten Alive in 1985 and as a single twice - in 1985 and again in 1986....	Diana Ross Diana Ross Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
8 March	Chain Reaction	Diana Ross
15 March	Absolute Beginners Absolute Beginners (song) "Absolute Beginners" was the theme tune to the film of the same name , composed and performed by David Bowie....	David Bowie David Bowie David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
22 March	Absolute Beginners	David Bowie
29 March	Living Doll Living Doll (song) "Living Doll" is a song written by Lionel Bart made popular by Cliff Richard and the Shadows in 1959. It has topped the UK charts twice; in its original version and a new version recorded in 1986 in aid of Comic Relief....	Cliff Richard Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide.... and The Young Ones The Young Ones (TV series) The Young Ones is a British sitcom, first broadcast in 1982, which ran for two series on BBC2. Its anarchic, offbeat humour helped bring alternative comedy to television in the 1980s and made household names of its writers and performers...
5 April	Living Doll	Cliff Richard and The Young Ones
12 April	Living Doll	Cliff Richard and The Young Ones
19 April	Living Doll	Cliff Richard and The Young Ones
26 April	Rock Me Amadeus Rock Me Amadeus "Rock Me Amadeus" is a 1985 song by Austrian pop musician Falco from his album Falco 3. It topped the singles charts on both sides of the Atlantic. It was Falco's only number one hit in either the United States or the United Kingdom, despite his popularity in Germany, his native Austria, and much...	Falco
3 May	Look Away Look Away (Big Country song) "Look Away" was the first single taken from The Seer, the third studio album by the Scottish rock band Big Country.Released in April 1986, it gave the group their fourth UK top 10 hit, and proved to be their highest charting single in the UK, peaking at #7."Look Away" was an even bigger success in...	Big Country Big Country Big Country are a Scottish rock band formed in Dunfermline, Fife in 1981. They were most popular in the early to mid-1980s, but they still release material for a cult following...
10 May	Make It Work	Christy Moore Christy Moore Christopher Andrew "Christy" Moore is a popular Irish folk singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is well known as one of the founding members of Planxty and Moving Hearts... , Paul Doran and the Self Aid Band
17 May	The Chicken Song The Chicken Song -12" vinyl:-Chart performance:...	Spitting Image Spitting Image Spitting Image is a British satirical puppet show that aired on the ITV network from 1984 to 1996. It was produced by Spitting Image Productions for Central Television. The series was nominated for 10 BAFTA Awards, winning one for editing in 1989....
24 May	The Chicken Song	Spitting Image
31 May	Rollin' Home	Status Quo
7 June	Holding Back the Years Holding Back The Years "Holding Back the Years" is the 7th track of Simply Red's debut studio album Picture Book. The song was a smash success for the group and quickly rose to the top of charts across the world. It remains their most successful single, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending 12...	Simply Red Simply Red Simply Red were a British soul band that sold more than 50 million albums over a 25-year career. Their style drew influences from blue-eyed soul, new romantic, rock, reggae and jazz...
14 June	Spirit in the Sky Spirit in the Sky "Spirit in the Sky" is a song written and originally recorded by Norman Greenbaum and released in 1969. The single sold two million copies in 1969 and 1970 and reached number three in the U.S. Billboard chart, as well as number one on the UK, Australian and Canadian charts in 1970. Rolling Stone...	Doctor and the Medics Doctor and the Medics Doctor and the Medics are a London based psychedelic rock band which enjoyed greatest success in the 1980s and are best known for their UK No. 1 song, "Spirit in the Sky"...
21 June	The Edge of Heaven The Edge of Heaven "The Edge of Heaven" is a song by British pop duo Wham!, released on Epic Records in 1986. It was written by George Michael, one half of the duo, and was promoted in advance as Wham!'s farewell single.-History:...	Wham! WHAM! Wham! were a short-lived British musical duo formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK due to a naming conflict with an American band....
28 June	Papa Don't Preach Papa Don't Preach "Papa Don't Preach" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. The song was written by Brian Elliot with additional lyrics by Madonna, and produced by Stephen Bray and Madonna for her third studio album True Blue, released in June 1986...	Madonna
5 July	Papa Don't Preach	Madonna
12 July	The Lady in Red	Chris de Burgh Chris de Burgh Chris de Burgh is a British/Irish singer-songwriter. He is most famous for his 1986 love song "The Lady in Red".-Early life:...
19 July	Lady in Red	Chris de Burgh
26 July	Lady in Red	Chris de Burgh
2 August	Lady in Red	Chris de Burgh
9 August	Lady in Red	Chris de Burgh
16 August	Lady in Red	Chris de Burgh
23 August	Lady in Red	Chris de Burgh
30 August	I Want to Wake Up with You I Want To Wake Up With You "I Want to Wake Up with You" is a song made popular by Boris Gardiner.Written by Ben Peters and produced by Ken Lindo, veteran reggae artist Boris Gardiner took the song to #1 on the UK Singles Chart for three weeks in August 1986. The song has subsequently been covered by John Holt and Engelbert...	Boris Gardiner Boris Gardiner Boris Gardiner is a Jamaican singer, songwriter and bass guitarist.-Career:Gardiner performed on the tourist circuit for much of the 1960s and was a member of Carlos Malcolm & the Afro Caribs and Byron Lee's Dragonaires...
6 September	I Want to Wake Up with You	Boris Gardiner
13 September	Don't Leave Me This Way Don't Leave Me This Way "Don't Leave Me This Way" is an R&B/soul/disco song written by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, and Cary Gilbert. First charting as a hit for Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, an act on Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International label in 1975, "Don't Leave Me This Way" was later a hit single for both...	The Communards The Communards The Communards were a British pop duo active from 1985 to 1988. They are most famous for their cover of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' song, "Don't Leave Me This Way" as well as "Never Can Say Goodbye".-History:...
20 September	Don't Leave Me This Way	The Communards
27 September	Don't Leave Me This Way	The Communards
4 October	True Blue	Madonna
11 October	True Blue	Madonna
18 October	In the Army Now In The Army Now (song) "In the Army Now" is a song by the South African-born Dutch duo Rob and Ferdi Bolland, recorded in 1981. The song was also later recorded by the British rock band Status Quo on their 1986 album, In the Army Now, and their version peaked at number 2 in the UK Singles Chart.Lead singer of English...	Status Quo
25 October	All I Ask of You	Cliff Richard Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide.... and Sarah Brightman Sarah Brightman Sarah Brightman is an English classical crossover soprano, actress, songwriter and dancer. She is famous for possessing a vocal range of over 3 octaves and singing in the whistle register...
1 November	Take My Breath Away Take My Breath Away American pop singer Jessica Simpson covered "Take My Breath Away" and released it as the third single from the album In This Skin in 2004. Her version was produced by Billy Mann. Simpson chose to cover this song because she felt that it was the theme song of her relationship with her then husband,...	Berlin Berlin (band) Berlin is an American New Wave/Synthpop band. The group was formed in Los Angeles in 1978 by John Crawford . The band contained Crawford, Terri Nunn , David Diamond , Ric Olsen , Matt Reid and Rod Learned . Learned left during the first EU tour and was replaced by Rob Brill...
8 November	Take My Breath Away	Berlin
15 November	Take My Breath Away	Berlin
22 November	Take My Breath Away	Berlin
29 November	The Final Countdown The Final Countdown (song) "The Final Countdown" is a rock song by the Swedish band Europe released in 1986. Written by Joey Tempest, it was the first single from the band's third studio album which was also named The Final Countdown. It is considered by some to be the band's most recognizable and popular song. The song...	Europe Europe (band) Europe is a Swedish rock band formed in Upplands Väsby in 1979 under the name Force by vocalist Joey Tempest, guitarist John Norum and drummer Tony Reno. Although widely associated with glam metal, the band's sound incorporates heavy metal and hard rock elements...
6 December	The Final Countdown	Europe
13 December	Caravan of Love Caravan of Love "Caravan of Love" is a 1985 R&B hit originally recorded by Isley-Jasper-Isley, the second half of The Isley Brothers' 3 + 3 lineup of the 1970s.-Isley-Jasper-Isley version:...	The Housemartins The Housemartins The Housemartins were an English indie pop band that was active in the 1980s. Many of the Housemartins' lyrics were a mixture of Marxist politics and Christianity, reflecting singer Paul Heaton's beliefs at the time .-Formation:The band was formed in late 1983 by Paul Heaton and...
20 December	Caravan of Love	The Housemartins
27 December	Caravan of Love	The Housemartins

27 Number Ones
Most weeks at No.1 (song): "The Lady in Red" - Chris de Burgh (7)
Most weeks at No.1 (artist): Chris de Burgh (7)
Most No.1s: Madonna (3)

See also