R&B number-one hits of 1986 (USA)
Encyclopedia
These are the Billboard magazine R&B singles chart number one hits of 1986:
See also: 1986 in music
, List of number-one R&B hits (United States)
See also: 1986 in music
1986 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1986.-January-June:*January 23 – The first induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame takes place...
, List of number-one R&B hits (United States)
| Issue Date | Song | Artist |
| January 4 | Don't Say No Tonight | Eugene Wilde Eugene Wilde Eugene Wilde is an American R&B singer and songwriter, who had two #1 hits on the US R&B charts in the 1980s.-Career:... |
| January 11 | Say You, Say Me Say You, Say Me "Say You, Say Me" is a Oscar winning song, written and recorded by Lionel Richie for the film White Nights, starring Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines. The single hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B singles charts in December 1985. It became Richie's ninth number one on the... |
Lionel Richie Lionel Richie Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records... |
| January 18 | Say You, Say Me | Lionel Richie |
| January 25 | That's What Friends Are For That's What Friends Are For "That's What Friends Are For" is a 1982 song written by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager and introduced by Rod Stewart for the soundtrack of the film Night Shift.-Dionne Warwick cover:... |
Dionne Dionne Warwick Dionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health.... and Friends |
| February 1 | That's What Friends Are For | Dionne and Friends |
| February 8 | That's What Friends Are For | Dionne and Friends |
| February 15 | Do Me, Baby Do Me, Baby "Do Me, Baby" is a Prince ballad, the third and final U.S. single from his 1981 album, Controversy. With a running time of almost eight minutes, it is the longest track on the album. The song was written by André Cymone, but credited to Prince.... |
Meli'sa Morgan Meli'sa Morgan Meli'sa Morgan is an African American R&B singer born in Queens, New York who had a string of urban contemporary and house music hits in the 1980s and 1990s. She got her start in the music industry whilst singing with a church gospel choir called the Starlets of Corona... |
| February 22 | Do Me, Baby | Meli'sa Morgan |
| March 1 | Do Me, Baby | Meli'sa Morgan |
| March 8 | How Will I Know How Will I Know "How Will I Know" is a song recorded by American recording artist Whitney Houston for her debut album, entitled Whitney Houston, which was released in February 1985. It was released by Arista Records in November that year, as the album's third single. Composed by George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam,... |
Whitney Houston Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among... |
| March 15 | Your Smile Your Smile "Your Smile" was the third single from René & Angela's album, Street Called Desire. "Your Smile" was the duo's second number-one single on Billboards R&B chart. It was also a minor hit on the Hot 100 peaking at number sixty-two. Along with the track, " Drive My Love", "Your Smile" was minor hit... |
René & Angela René & Angela René & Angela were an 1980s R&B duo consisting of artist/producers René Moore and Angela Winbush. The group dissolved by the mid 1980s. Both went on to successful solo careers as performers, songwriters, and producers.-Studio albums:-Compilation albums:... |
| March 22 | What Have You Done for Me Lately What Have You Done for Me Lately "What Have You Done for Me Lately?" is the lead single from Janet Jackson's third studio album, Control .-Song information:The song was written by Jackson and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and produced by Jam and Lewis. Jackson helped with the lyrics of the song and was credited as a "co-producer",... |
Janet Jackson Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years... |
| March 29 | What Have You Done for Me Lately | Janet Jackson |
| April 5 | Kiss Kiss (song) In 1988 Art of Noise released a cover of the song, featuring Tom Jones on vocals. The song became the band's biggest hit to that point, reaching number eighteen on the U.S. dance charts and number five on the UK Singles Chart, higher than the original in that country... |
Prince Prince (musician) Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of... and the Revolution The Revolution (band) The Revolution was an American rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1979 by Prince. Although widely associated with rock music, the band's sound incorporated heavy metal, pop, funk, R&B and hard rock elements. Before their official break-up, The Revolution had released one studio album,... |
| April 12 | Kiss | Prince and the Revolution |
| April 19 | Kiss | Prince and the Revolution |
| April 26 | Kiss | Prince and the Revolution |
| May 3 | I Have Learned to Respect the Power of Love I Have Learned to Respect the Power of Love "I Have Learned to Respect the Power of Love" is a song by R&B singer, Stephanie Mills, and is the second single from the singer's 1985 self-titled album. The song was written by Angela Winbush and René Moore, of the singing duo Rene & Angela.... |
Stephanie Mills Stephanie Mills Stephanie Dorthea Mills is an American R&B and soul singer, and a former Broadway star.-Career:Mills began her career appearing in her first play at the age of nine. Two years later, Mills won Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater a record six times... |
| May 10 | I Have Learned to Respect the Power of Love | Stephanie Mills |
| May 17 | On My Own | Patti LaBelle Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte-Edwards , better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry... and Michael McDonald Michael McDonald (singer) Michael McDonald is a five-time Grammy Award winning American singer and songwriter. McDonald is known for a soulful baritone singing style and a multi-octave range. He began his career singing back-up vocals with Steely Dan... |
| May 24 | On My Own | Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald |
| May 31 | On My Own | Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald |
| June 7 | On My Own | Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald |
| June 14 | Nasty Nasty (song) "Nasty" is the second single from Janet Jackson's third studio album, Control . Released in 1986, the single peaked at number three on Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and remains one of Jackson's signature songs. Paula Abdul choreographed the music video and appeared... |
Janet Jackson |
| June 21 | Nasty | Janet Jackson |
| June 28 | There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry) There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry) "There'll Be Sad Songs " is a 1986 single by Billy Ocean. The song was written and produced by Wayne Brathwaite and Barry Eastmond; Ocean was also credited as a co-writer for the song. It appears on Ocean's 1986 album Love Zone, which was released on Jive Records... |
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... |
| July 5 | There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry) | Billy Ocean |
| July 12 | Who's Johnny Who's Johnny "Who's Johnny" is a dance-pop hit recorded by El DeBarge. Released in 1986 off the Gordy label, the single was used for the film Short Circuit and reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot R&B Singles chart.... |
El DeBarge El DeBarge Eldra Patrick "El" DeBarge is an American R&B/pop falsetto singer and was the focal point and lead singer of the family group DeBarge throughout the early to mid-1980s.... |
| July 19 | Rumors | Timex Social Club Timex Social Club The Timex Social Club was an American R&B/Hip hop group, formed in 1982 by students of Berkeley High School in Berkeley, California. They are perhaps best known for their 1986 hit single, "Rumors" and for being major forerunners to the soon-incipient new jack swing movement.-History:Originally... |
| July 26 | Rumors | Timex Social Club |
| August 2 | Closer Than Close | Jean Carne Jean Carne Jean Carn is an American jazz and pop singer known for her unique vocalising and her impressive interpretative and improvisational skills... |
| August 9 | Closer Than Close | Jean Carne |
| August 16 | Do You Get Enough Love | Shirley Jones |
| August 23 | Do You Get Enough Love | Shirley Jones |
| August 30 | Love Zone | Billy Ocean |
| September 6 | Ain't Nothin' Goin' on But the Rent Ain't Nothin' Goin' on But the Rent "Ain't Nothin' Goin' on But the Rent" is a hit song recorded by R&B singer Gwen Guthrie. Released as a single in 1986 on Polydor Records, the song became the biggest hit of Guthrie's career, and the song's title became a semi-popular catchphrase among many women throughout the late 1980s and early... |
Gwen Guthrie Gwen Guthrie Gwen Guthrie was an American singer-songwriter, who also sang backing vocals for Aretha Franklin, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, and Madonna, among others, and who wrote songs made famous by Ben E. King, and Roberta Flack.... |
| September 13 | (Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop) Goes My Mind (Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop) Goes My Mind " Goes My Mind" is a song by LeVert, released as a single in 1986. The single peaked at number one on the Billboard Black Singles chart for one week.... |
LeVert LeVert LeVert is a R&B/pop music singing group, formed in Ohio in 1984, comprising Sean and Gerald Levert, the sons of O'Jays founder Eddie Levert, as well as Marc Gordon.-Biography:The group released their first single, "I'm Still", for Harry Coombes' Tempre label... |
| September 20 | The Rain The Rain (Oran "Juice" Jones song) "The Rain" is a 1986 crossover hit single by R&B singer and rapper Oran "Juice" Jones, from his debut album Juice. The song's lyrics involve a man confronting his girlfriend regarding her infidelity.The single was Jones' biggest hit... |
Oran "Juice" Jones |
| September 27 | The Rain | Oran "Juice" Jones |
| October 4 | Word Up Word Up! (song) "Word Up!" is a funk/hip hop song written and originally recorded by Cameo in 1986. Due to its heavy play on American dance and R&B radio, as well as music video play on MTV , the single became the band's most well-known hit.From the album of the same name, "Word Up!" was Nick's first US Top 40... |
Cameo Cameo (band) Cameo is an American soul-influenced funk group that formed in the early 1970s. Cameo was initially a 13-member group known as the New York City Players; this name was later changed to Cameo to avoid a lawsuit from Ohio Players, another group from that era. Since then, Cameo has recorded several... |
| October 11 | Word Up | Cameo |
| October 18 | Word Up | Cameo |
| October 25 | Shake You Down Shake You Down "Shake You Down" is the title track from Gregory Abbott's debut album, released in 1986. As a single, it became Abbott's biggest hit and was certified platinum by the RIAA. Abbott went on the chart with several other songs as well.-Origin:... |
Gregory Abbott Gregory Abbott Gregory Abbott is an American soul musician , singer, composer and producer. He currently lives in both New York and the San Francisco Bay Area.- Biography :... |
| November 1 | Shake You Down | Gregory Abbott |
| November 8 | A Little Bit More | Melba Moore Melba Moore Beatrice Melba Smith , known by her stage name, Melba Moore is an American disco, R&B singer and actress. She is the daughter of saxophonist Teddy Hill and R&B singer Bonnie Davis.-Early life:... with Freddie Jackson Freddie Jackson Frederick Anthony "Freddie" Jackson is an American soul singer. He was an important figure in R&B during the 1980s and early 1990s... |
| November 15 | Tasty Love | Freddie Jackson |
| November 22 | Tasty Love | Freddie Jackson |
| November 29 | Tasty Love | Freddie Jackson |
| December 6 | Tasty Love | Freddie Jackson |
| December 13 | Love You Down Love You Down "Love You Down" is the title of an R&B song written by Melvin Riley Jr. Riley's former band, Ready for the World, originally recorded the song in 1986 and released it as the lead single from their second album, Long Time Coming produced by Gary Spaniola... |
Ready for the World Ready for the World Ready for the World is an American R&B band from Flint, Michigan who scored several moderate pop, soul, and dance hits in the mid to late 1980s... |
| December 20 | Love You Down | Ready for the World |
| December 27 | Girlfriend King of Stage King of Stage is the debut album by American R&B singer Bobby Brown.-Reception:Released in December 11, 1986 on MCA Records. It spawned the singles "Girlfriend" and "Girl Next Door".-Track listing:#"Girlfriend" – 6:16... |
Bobby Brown Bobby Brown Robert Barisford "Bobby" Brown is an American R&B singer-songwriter, occasional rapper, and dancer. After success in pop group New Edition, Brown began his solo career in 1987 and had a string of Top 10 Billboard hits, culminating in a Grammy Award. He was a pioneer of New Jack Swing music, a... |
Chart comparisons
- Seven songs reached number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Six of the songs topped the chart the same year: "Say You, Say Me," "That's What Friends Are For," "How Will I Know," "Kiss" "On My Own" and "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)." The seventh song, "Shake You Down," did not peak at that chart until the year after.