Every song that charted in 1986

Combined ranking of all 218 songs from the rock year-end countdowns of 1986. ← Top 100 of 1986

#	Song	Strength	Lists	Best	#1s
1	Panic The Smiths	324	4	#5	–
2	Ask The Smiths	315	4	#5	–
3	Bigmouth Strikes Again The Smiths	292	4	#3	–
4	Sledgehammer Peter Gabriel	286	3	#2	–
5	Wild Wild Life Talking Heads	275	3	#4	–
6	Don't Get Me Wrong The Pretenders	222	3	#8	–
7	Bizarre Love Triangle New Order	221	3	#1	1
8	Blood and Roses The Smithereens	219	3	#5	–
9	Walk Like an Egyptian The Bangles	213	3	#6	–
10	What You Need INXS	208	3	#7	–
11	Pain Oingo Boingo	191	2	#3	–
12	But Not Tonight Depeche Mode	179	2	#2	–
13	There is a Light That Never Goes Out The Smiths	178	3	#1	1
14	Desire Gene Loves Jezebel	174	2	#6	–
15	Anything, Anything (I'll Give You) Dramarama	172	2	#4	–
16	To Be a Lover Billy Idol	170	2	#15	–
17	Boys Don't Cry The Cure	166	2	#2	–
18	Summer of Love The B-52's	163	2	#8	–
19	Cities in Dust Siouxsie and the Banshees	163	2	#10	–
20	Oh L'Amour Erasure	161	2	#3	–
21	Shellshock New Order	155	2	#9	–
22	A Question of Time Depeche Mode	151	2	#11	–
23	If You Leave Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark	147	2	#16	–
24	Superman R.E.M.	146	3	#8	–
25	Close to Me The Cure	144	2	#11	–
26	Big Time Peter Gabriel	144	2	#23	–
27	Not My Slave Oingo Boingo	140	2	#21	–
28	Look Away Big Country	137	3	#25	–
29	Notorious Duran Duran	133	3	#9	–
30	Absolute Beginners David Bowie	124	2	#3	–
31	Missionary Man Eurythmics	119	2	#22	–
32	Stay Oingo Boingo	117	2	#31	–
33	Dead Man's Party Oingo Boingo	100	1	#1	1
34	Suburbia Pet Shop Boys	100	1	#1	1
35	Papa Don't Preach Madonna	100	1	#1	1
36	A Question of Lust Depeche Mode	99	1	#2	–
37	Kiss Age Of Chance	98	1	#2	–
38	Mr. Pharmacist The Fall	96	1	#3	–
39	Rock Me Amadeus Falco	95	2	#12	–
40	Venus Bananarama	95	2	#45	–
41	She Brakes For Rainbows The B-52's	94	1	#7	–
42	Velocity Girl Primal Scream	94	1	#4	–
43	Babies Real Life	93	2	#47	–
44	Addicted to Love Robert Palmer	91	2	#50	–
45	Secret Separation The Fixx	91	2	#48	–
46	Everybody Have Fun Tonight Wang Chung	90	2	#46	–
47	Sanctify Yourself Simple Minds	90	1	#4	–
48	I Know It's Over The Smiths	90	1	#6	–
49	Brand New Lover Dead or Alive	90	1	#12	–
50	Listen Like Thieves INXS	90	2	#44	–
51	Kundalini Express Love and Rockets	89	2	#45	–
52	The Queen Is Dead The Smiths	88	1	#7	–
53	Ink and Paper Modern English	88	1	#14	–
54	She Sells Sanctuary The Cult	88	1	#12	–
55	Safety Net Shop Assistants	86	1	#8	–
56	Faults and All General Public	86	1	#14	–
57	Puzzlin' Evidence Talking Heads	85	2	#46	–
58	French Kissing in the USA Deborah Harry	84	1	#18	–
59	Heartbreak Beat The Psychedelic Furs	84	2	#49	–
60	Some Candy Talking The Jesus and Mary Chain	84	1	#9	–
61	Are Friends Electric? Gary Numan	83	1	#6	–
62	Dear God XTC	82	1	#20	–
63	US 80s 90s The Fall	82	1	#10	–
64	Wig The B-52's	81	1	#18	–
65	E=MC2 Big Audio Dynamite	81	2	#40	–
66	Nothing in Common Thompson Twins	80	1	#22	–
67	The Way It Is Bruce Hornsby and the Range	80	1	#7	–
68	Bitchin' Camaro Dead Milkmen	80	1	#19	–
69	Forever Live and Die Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark	79	2	#44	–
70	I Didn't Mean to Turn You On Robert Palmer	79	2	#37	–
71	Rise Public Image Ltd.	79	1	#24	–
72	Almost Prayed Weather Prophets	76	1	#13	–
73	Ever Fallen in Love Fine Young Cannibals	75	1	#28	–
74	Trumpton Riots Half Man Half Biscuit	74	1	#14	–
75	You Can Call Me Al Paul Simon	73	1	#9	–
76	Cry For Love Iggy Pop	73	1	#25	–
77	In Your Eyes Peter Gabriel	72	2	#10	–
78	Fall On Me R.E.M.	72	1	#26	–
79	Living Too Late The Fall	72	1	#15	–
80	The Calling Ken Heaven	72	1	#31	–
81	Everywhere I Go The Call	71	1	#27	–
82	Behind the Wall of Sleep The Smithereens	71	2	#62	–
83	Music That You Can Dance To Sparks	70	1	#33	–
84	Once More Wedding Present	70	1	#16	–
85	Red Rain Peter Gabriel	70	1	#28	–
86	Hang Ten! The Soup Dragons	68	1	#17	–
87	True Colors Cyndi Lauper	67	1	#11	–
88	This Boy Can Wait Wedding Present	66	1	#18	–
89	Higher Love Steve Winwood	66	1	#32	–
90	Love Missile F1-11 Sigue Sigue Sputnik	65	1	#38	–
91	Steal My Flame Arcadia	64	1	#39	–
92	The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades Timbuk 3	64	1	#33	–
93	Therese Bodines	64	1	#19	–
94	Pretty In Pink The Psychedelic Furs	63	2	#64	–
95	Kiss The Dirt ( Falling Down the Mountain) INXS	63	1	#34	–
96	You Know I Love You, Don't You? Howard Jones	62	2	#58	–
97	Bournemouth Runner The Fall	62	1	#20	–
98	Digging Your Scene Blow Monkeys	61	1	#43	–
99	Love's Easy Tears Cocteau Twins	60	1	#21	–
100	West End Girls Pet Shop Boys	59	1	#38	–
101	Heartache Gene Loves Jezebel	58	2	#69	–
102	Really Stupid The Primitives	58	1	#22	–
103	French Kissing in the USA Debbie Harry	58	1	#39	–
104	The Whole of the Moon The Waterboys	57	1	#14	–
105	Truck Train Tractor Pastels	56	1	#23	–
106	Don't Stand So Close to Me The Police	56	1	#41	–
107	Girl From Ipanema The B-52's	54	1	#42	–
108	Levi Stubbs Tears Billy Bragg	54	1	#24	–
109	Lessons In Love Level 42	53	1	#15	–
110	Suspicious Minds Fine Young Cannibals	53	1	#51	–
111	Alone Without You King	52	1	#52	–
112	Whole Wide World The Soup Dragons	52	1	#25	–
113	Real Wild Child Iggy Pop	51	1	#53	–
114	Happy Hour The Housemartins	50	1	#6	–
115	R.O.D. (Realm Of Dusk) The Fall	50	1	#26	–
116	Too Much or Nothing General Public	50	1	#55	–
117	Bring on the Dancing Horses Echo and the Bunnymen	49	1	#47	–
118	Hit That Perfect Beat Bronski Beat	49	1	#56	–
119	Bible Of The Beats Age Of Chance	48	1	#27	–
120	Land of Confusion Genesis	48	1	#48	–
121	Manic Monday The Bangles	48	1	#57	–
122	Underground David Bowie	47	1	#17	–
123	You Should Always Keep In Touch With Your Friends Wedding Present	46	1	#28	–
124	Love Comes Quickly Pet Shop Boys	46	1	#59	–
125	Invisible Touch Genesis	46	2	#71	–
126	Watchdogs UB40	46	1	#50	–
127	I've Been Losing You a-ha	45	1	#60	–
128	I Still Believe The Call	44	1	#51	–
129	It's A Good Thing That Petrol Emotion	44	1	#29	–
130	Fly on the Windscreen Depeche Mode	42	1	#53	–
131	This Is Motortown Very Things	42	1	#30	–
132	Take My Breath Away Berlin	40	1	#19	–
133	Rules And Regulations We've Got A Fuzzbox And We're Gonna Use It	40	1	#31	–
134	In Between Days The Cure	40	1	#55	–
135	A Man Inside My Mouth The Cure	39	1	#66	–
136	Medicine Show Big Audio Dynamite	39	1	#56	–
137	Cross the Border Icehouse	38	1	#67	–
138	Heartland The The	38	1	#32	–
139	Sweet 16 Billy Idol	38	1	#57	–
140	Living doll Cliff Richard & The Young Ones	37	1	#20	–
141	All The Things She Said Simple Minds	36	1	#69	–
142	I Wish I Could Sprechen Sie Deutsch Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle	36	1	#33	–
143	Love For Sale Talking Heads	36	1	#70	–
144	Like An Angel Mighty Lemon Drops	34	1	#34	–
145	Forget the Cold Sweat Arno	33	1	#21	–
146	Queen is Dead The Smiths	33	1	#61	–
147	How Can a Laboring Man Find Time for Self-Culture? Martini Ranch	33	1	#73	–
148	Thorn In My Side Eurythmics	32	1	#62	–
149	Cemetery Gates The Smiths	32	1	#35	–
150	Mad About You Belinda Carlisle	32	2	#81	–
151	Paradise New Order	31	1	#63	–
152	Lady in Red Chris de Burgh	30	1	#22	–
153	Felicity Wedding Present	30	1	#36	–
154	Pleasure And Pain The Divinyls	30	1	#76	–
155	So Much for Love The Venetians	29	1	#77	–
156	Drive, She Said Stan Ridgway	28	1	#78	–
157	Lucifer Over Lancashire The Fall	28	1	#37	–
158	A Good Heart Feargal Sharkey	27	1	#79	–
159	Wonderful World Sam Cooke	27	1	#23	–
160	Mothers Talk Tears for Fears	26	1	#80	–
161	Those Eyes, That Mouth Cocteau Twins	26	1	#38	–
162	Johnny Come Home Fine Young Cannibals	26	1	#68	–
163	Dickie Davies Eyes Half Man Half Biscuit	24	1	#39	–
164	Do What You Do INXS	23	1	#83	–
165	Come on Every Beatbox Big Audio Dynamite	23	1	#70	–
166	I Want to Be a Cowboy Boys Don't Cry	22	1	#84	–
167	I Want You Elvis Costello	22	1	#40	–
168	I Do What I Do to Have You John Taylor	22	1	#85	–
169	Paranoimia Art of Noise	21	1	#72	–
170	Walk This Way Run DMC	21	1	#86	–
171	Anything, Anything Dramarama	20	1	#9	–
172	Greetings to the New Brunette Billy Bragg	20	1	#41	–
173	The Perfect Kiss New Order	20	1	#73	–
174	All in My Mind Love and Rockets	20	1	#87	–
175	I Could Be In Heaven Flatmates	18	1	#42	–
176	In Conversation General Public	18	1	#75	–
177	Romeo and Jane Tonio K	18	1	#89	–
178	Legs Art of Noise	17	1	#90	–
179	The Promise You Made Cock Robin	17	1	#26	–
180	I Don't Want To Be Friends With You Shop Assistants	16	1	#43	–
181	Why Don't We Live Together Pet Shop Boys	16	1	#91	–
182	Don Quichotte Magazine 60	15	1	#92	–
183	Things I Left Behind The Nails	14	1	#78	–
184	Kiss Prince	14	1	#93	–
185	Is There Anyone Out There? Mighty Mighty	14	1	#44	–
186	This Is The World Calling Bob Geldof	13	1	#27	–
187	Alive and Kicking Simple Minds	13	1	#79	–
188	Say the Word Arcadia	13	1	#94	–
189	Peter Gunn Art of Noise	12	1	#80	–
190	Here Comes the Man Boom Boom Room	12	1	#95	–
191	By The Time I Get To Phoenix Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds	12	1	#45	–
192	Who Needs Love Like That Erasure	11	1	#96	–
193	Take it Easy Andy Taylor	10	1	#97	–
194	True Blue Madonna	10	1	#28	–
195	The Official Colourbox World Cup Theme Colourbox	10	1	#46	–
196	This Time INXS	10	1	#82	–
197	Kiss The Dirt INXS	9	1	#98	–
198	My Baby The Pretenders	9	1	#83	–
199	Take The Skinheads Bowling Camper Van Beethoven	8	1	#47	–
200	Is Your Love Strong Enough Bryan Ferry	8	1	#84	–
201	Ruthless People Mick Jagger	7	1	#100	–
202	Don't Give Up Peter Gabriel	7	1	#29	–
203	Candybar Express Love and Money	7	1	#101	–
204	Dktr. Faustus The Fall	6	1	#48	–
205	Soul Standing By Billy Idol	6	1	#102	–
206	No Promises Icehouse	6	1	#86	–
207	True to You Ric Ocasek	5	1	#103	–
208	Don't Need a Gun Billy Idol	4	1	#87	–
209	Serpent's Kiss The Mission	4	1	#49	–
210	Built for the Future The Fixx	4	1	#104	–
211	Live To Tell Madonna	3	1	#30	–
212	What About Love Til Tuesday	3	1	#88	–
213	Time Waits for No One Robbie Nevil	3	1	#105	–
214	Earn Enough For Us XTC	2	1	#89	–
215	Body Of An American The Pogues	2	1	#50	–
216	Hanging on a Heart Attack Device	2	1	#106	–
217	Save it for Later Pete Townshend	1	1	#90	–
218	L.A. Dream Team is in the House LA Dream Team	1	1	#107	–