My rundown of the Billboard Hot 100 top 40 for the week ending August 16, 1986
Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2024 5:04 am
38 years ago this week: here's a solid top 40 for ya! Not much in the way of Sludge acts on this particular countdown (Poison hadn't taken off yet and Slippery... was still several weeks away from hitting), but still a lot of great hits!
40 46 TWO OF HEARTS –•– Stacey Q – 6 (40)
She had one more song squeak into the top 40 after this signature hit but then basically became a "Where are they now?" trivia question after that. Stil a fun dance hit.
39 44 DREAMTIME –•– Daryl Hall – 3 (39)
Ditched John Oates to go solo for his '86 album, and this was that album's biggest single. Good/very good.
38 25 TAKE IT EASY –•– Andy Taylor – 12 (24)
Taylor inaugurates his post-Duran Duran solo career with a moderately successful soundtrack single from a gymnastics movie that flopped (American Anthem). It's solid enough, but nowhere near as good as his classic hits with the Duran boys.
37 17 MODERN WOMAN –•– Billy Joel – 11 (10)
Another song from a movie soundtrack (Ruthless People starring Bette Midler, Danny DeVito, Judge Reinhold, and Helen Slater), and it sounds exactly like you'd expect from Billy Joel at the time. Slick, synthesized, and a first class tune.
36 21 DIGGING YOUR SCENE –•– Blow Monkeys – 16 (14)
Dr. Robert's commentary on being a gay man in the middle of an AIDS epidemic provided these guys with their only US hit. Lyrics aside this one's a fun, catchy tune that I enjoy very much.
35 35 HANGING ON A HEART ATTACK –•– Device – 10 (35)
So good I thought it deserved its own thread: https://forums.metalsludge.tv/forums/vi ... 1&t=386643 Crank this one and enjoy some great guitar-y new wave from Holly Knight, Paul Engemann, and Gene Black.
34 37 THE CAPTAIN OF HER HEART –•– Double – 8 (34)
Excellent sophisti-pop/electro soul from these Swiss one-hit wonders.
33 40 LOVE ZONE –•– Billy Ocean – 4 (33)
The title track and third top 40 hit from his 'Love Zone' album. Slick R&B with a dash of yacht rock, as was the case with pretty much all of his hits back then.
32 32 TAKEN IN –•– Mike + The Mechanics – 8 (32)
Doesn't come anywhere near close to matching the greatness that is the 1-2 punch of "Silent Running" and "All I Need is a Miracle", but it's a passable pop ballad, though by this point Rutherford was busy promoting 'Invisible Touch' with Phil and Tony, anyway.
31 36 DON’T FORGET ME (WHEN I’M GONE) –•– Glass Tiger – 6 (31)
Newmarket, Ontario's favorite sons with their biggest hit, featuring Bryan Adams on guest vocals at the end. I dig this one very much.
30 43 WALK THIS WAY –•– Run DMC & Aerosmith– 4 (30)
The Bad Boys from Beantown return to the charts for the first time in 8 years with this iconic guest spot and set the wheels in motion for plenty of Sobersmith hits to come, as well as giving Run-DMC their first crossover hit. A classic.
29 19 OPPORTUNITIES –•– Pet Shop Boys – 12 (10)
Their second top 40 single and a very worthy follow-up to "West End Girls".
28 30 RUMBLESEAT –•– John Cougar Mellencamp – 8 (28)
Weakest of the singles from 'Scarecrow', but still listenable.
27 31 MAN SIZE LOVE –•– Klymaxx – 7 (27)
R&B girl group that had a string of Hot 100 singles in the mid-80's including this dancefloor hit which reached #15. Average/good.
26 14 NASTY –•– Janet Jackson – 14 (3)
"Miss Jackson if you're nasty!" Final week in the top 40 for this Janet Jackson classic.
25 29 THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW –•– The Monkees – 7 (25)
The 1960's teen idols with their very brief mid-80's comeback that really didn't amount to much of anything beyond this single.
24 33 STUCK WITH YOU –•– Huey Lewis & The News – 3 (24)
Second #1 and quite deserving of that spot. It's a very catchy pop rock hit.
23 28 YANKEE ROSE –•– David Lee Roth – 7 (23)
I think we can sum up the greatness of this Sludge classic in a single gif:

Uh, yeah. Thanks, Dave!
22 24 ONE STEP CLOSER TO YOU –•– Gavin Christopher – 13 (22)
Highly underrated one-hit wonder written by Sturken and Rogers that sadly only got as far as this week's peak of #22, which is a shame because I quite enjoy this one.
21 11 INVISIBLE TOUCH –•– Genesis – 12 (1)
Speaking of "Invisible Touch", here it is now just under a month removed from its rise to the top of the charts. An absolute Phil Collins/Genesis classic.
20 27 WORDS GET IN THE WAY –•– Miami Sound Machine featuring Gloria Estefan – 10 (20)
One of Gloria and MSM's more underrated (IMO) pop ballads. Still went top five, though.
19 22 ALL THE LOVE IN THE WORLD –•– The Outfield – 11 (19)
Doesn't match the greatness of "Your Love", but it still does the trick for AOR fans.
18 26 BABY LOVE –•– Regina – 9 (18)
Freestyle singer who started out as new wave. Here's her only hit which squeaked into the top ten and filled up the dancefloors of America.
17 20 SUZANNE –•– Journey – 9 (17)
Second single off of 'Raised on Radio', and Steve Perry never sounded better. Stay for a very tasty Neal Schon solo as well while you're listening to this one.
16 7 DANGER ZONE –•– Kenny Loggins – 15 (2)
From Journey to Kenny Loggins' iconic Top Gun hit. Take a ride into the danger zone, Sludgers!
15 23 FRIENDS AND LOVERS –•– Gloria Loring & Carl Anderson – 7 (15)
They should have unofficially named this one "Love Song for a Soap Opera Couple", because that's basically what this song is, having been used on Days of Our Lives where Loring played a character. I like it enough, though.
14 16 YOU SHOULD BE MINE (THE WOO WOO SONG) –•– Jeffrey Osborne – 13 (14)
"And you woo-woo-woo should be mine!" Great slick R&B tune!
13 4 SLEDGEHAMMER –•– Peter Gabriel – 15 (1)
Gabriel with his biggest solo hit and its classic dancing chicken-filled stop-motion video. Very good/Excellent.
12 15 SWEET FREEDOM –•– Michael McDonald – 10 (12)
Yacht rock as only Michael McDonald, one of the all-time yacht rock gods, can do it.
11 6 LOVE TOUCH –•– Rod Stewart – 12 (6)
Sir Rod's '86 album kind of flopped commercially in between a pair of better albums ('Camouflage' and 'Out of Order'), but he was still able to go top ten with this slightly reggae-ish tune which also got used in the movie Legal Eagles, and it's quite good.
10 12 THE EDGE OF HEAVEN –•– Wham! – 7 (10)
Wham!'s last taste of the top 40 before George split for the greener pastures of 'Faith'. It's got a very danceable groove to it.
9 18 TAKE MY BREATH AWAY –•– Berlin – 9 (9)
Terri Nunn's #1 Top Gun ballad. That whole soundtrack was full of great tunes, wasn't it?
8 10 RUMORS –•– Timex Social Club – 10 (8)
Awesome R&B dance hit, but they split pretty much immediately after this and moved on to Club Nouveau and their classic cover of "Lean on Me"...
7 13 DANCING ON THE CEILING –•– Lionel Richie – 5 (7)
"Oh, what a feeling!" You probably just sang that in your head and finished the lyric, too--It's THAT catchy.
6 9 VENUS –•– Bananarama – 8 (6)
Bananarama brings the Dutch one-hit wonders' signature 1970 tune to the dancefloor for a second time after the Stars on 45 medley first did it in '81, and of course it results in a #1 hit like the previous two.
5 5 WE DON’T HAVE TO TAKE OUR CLOTHES OFF –•– Jermaine Stewart – 14 (5)
Great advice for anyone in a relationship, and it gave Jermaine Stewart his "signature" hit. He would reach the top 40 one more time in '88, but he never bettered this one.
4 8 HIGHER LOVE –•– Steve Winwood – 10 (4)
Winwood's first solo #1 and a great reggae-influenced tune.
3 3 MAD ABOUT YOU –•– Belinda Carlisle – 14 (3)
Belinda began her post-Go-Go's solo career in earnest here with this fine pop rock number.
2 1 GLORY OF LOVE –•– Peter Cetera – 11 (1)
Speaking of beginning solo careers, Cetera's post-Chicago solo career-jumpstarting Karate Kid: Part II soundtrack hit drops to the second spot after sitting at the top for two weeks prior.
1 2 PAPA DON’T PREACH –•– Madonna – 8 (1)
Ol' Madge takes on teen pregnancy and abortion and gets rewarded for it with her fourth #1 hit. Probably my second favorite all-time Madonna hit after "Vogue".
40 46 TWO OF HEARTS –•– Stacey Q – 6 (40)
She had one more song squeak into the top 40 after this signature hit but then basically became a "Where are they now?" trivia question after that. Stil a fun dance hit.
39 44 DREAMTIME –•– Daryl Hall – 3 (39)
Ditched John Oates to go solo for his '86 album, and this was that album's biggest single. Good/very good.
38 25 TAKE IT EASY –•– Andy Taylor – 12 (24)
Taylor inaugurates his post-Duran Duran solo career with a moderately successful soundtrack single from a gymnastics movie that flopped (American Anthem). It's solid enough, but nowhere near as good as his classic hits with the Duran boys.
37 17 MODERN WOMAN –•– Billy Joel – 11 (10)
Another song from a movie soundtrack (Ruthless People starring Bette Midler, Danny DeVito, Judge Reinhold, and Helen Slater), and it sounds exactly like you'd expect from Billy Joel at the time. Slick, synthesized, and a first class tune.
36 21 DIGGING YOUR SCENE –•– Blow Monkeys – 16 (14)
Dr. Robert's commentary on being a gay man in the middle of an AIDS epidemic provided these guys with their only US hit. Lyrics aside this one's a fun, catchy tune that I enjoy very much.
35 35 HANGING ON A HEART ATTACK –•– Device – 10 (35)
So good I thought it deserved its own thread: https://forums.metalsludge.tv/forums/vi ... 1&t=386643 Crank this one and enjoy some great guitar-y new wave from Holly Knight, Paul Engemann, and Gene Black.
34 37 THE CAPTAIN OF HER HEART –•– Double – 8 (34)
Excellent sophisti-pop/electro soul from these Swiss one-hit wonders.
33 40 LOVE ZONE –•– Billy Ocean – 4 (33)
The title track and third top 40 hit from his 'Love Zone' album. Slick R&B with a dash of yacht rock, as was the case with pretty much all of his hits back then.
32 32 TAKEN IN –•– Mike + The Mechanics – 8 (32)
Doesn't come anywhere near close to matching the greatness that is the 1-2 punch of "Silent Running" and "All I Need is a Miracle", but it's a passable pop ballad, though by this point Rutherford was busy promoting 'Invisible Touch' with Phil and Tony, anyway.
31 36 DON’T FORGET ME (WHEN I’M GONE) –•– Glass Tiger – 6 (31)
Newmarket, Ontario's favorite sons with their biggest hit, featuring Bryan Adams on guest vocals at the end. I dig this one very much.
30 43 WALK THIS WAY –•– Run DMC & Aerosmith– 4 (30)
The Bad Boys from Beantown return to the charts for the first time in 8 years with this iconic guest spot and set the wheels in motion for plenty of Sobersmith hits to come, as well as giving Run-DMC their first crossover hit. A classic.
29 19 OPPORTUNITIES –•– Pet Shop Boys – 12 (10)
Their second top 40 single and a very worthy follow-up to "West End Girls".
28 30 RUMBLESEAT –•– John Cougar Mellencamp – 8 (28)
Weakest of the singles from 'Scarecrow', but still listenable.
27 31 MAN SIZE LOVE –•– Klymaxx – 7 (27)
R&B girl group that had a string of Hot 100 singles in the mid-80's including this dancefloor hit which reached #15. Average/good.
26 14 NASTY –•– Janet Jackson – 14 (3)
"Miss Jackson if you're nasty!" Final week in the top 40 for this Janet Jackson classic.
25 29 THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW –•– The Monkees – 7 (25)
The 1960's teen idols with their very brief mid-80's comeback that really didn't amount to much of anything beyond this single.
24 33 STUCK WITH YOU –•– Huey Lewis & The News – 3 (24)
Second #1 and quite deserving of that spot. It's a very catchy pop rock hit.
23 28 YANKEE ROSE –•– David Lee Roth – 7 (23)
I think we can sum up the greatness of this Sludge classic in a single gif:

Uh, yeah. Thanks, Dave!
22 24 ONE STEP CLOSER TO YOU –•– Gavin Christopher – 13 (22)
Highly underrated one-hit wonder written by Sturken and Rogers that sadly only got as far as this week's peak of #22, which is a shame because I quite enjoy this one.
21 11 INVISIBLE TOUCH –•– Genesis – 12 (1)
Speaking of "Invisible Touch", here it is now just under a month removed from its rise to the top of the charts. An absolute Phil Collins/Genesis classic.
20 27 WORDS GET IN THE WAY –•– Miami Sound Machine featuring Gloria Estefan – 10 (20)
One of Gloria and MSM's more underrated (IMO) pop ballads. Still went top five, though.
19 22 ALL THE LOVE IN THE WORLD –•– The Outfield – 11 (19)
Doesn't match the greatness of "Your Love", but it still does the trick for AOR fans.
18 26 BABY LOVE –•– Regina – 9 (18)
Freestyle singer who started out as new wave. Here's her only hit which squeaked into the top ten and filled up the dancefloors of America.
17 20 SUZANNE –•– Journey – 9 (17)
Second single off of 'Raised on Radio', and Steve Perry never sounded better. Stay for a very tasty Neal Schon solo as well while you're listening to this one.
16 7 DANGER ZONE –•– Kenny Loggins – 15 (2)
From Journey to Kenny Loggins' iconic Top Gun hit. Take a ride into the danger zone, Sludgers!
15 23 FRIENDS AND LOVERS –•– Gloria Loring & Carl Anderson – 7 (15)
They should have unofficially named this one "Love Song for a Soap Opera Couple", because that's basically what this song is, having been used on Days of Our Lives where Loring played a character. I like it enough, though.
14 16 YOU SHOULD BE MINE (THE WOO WOO SONG) –•– Jeffrey Osborne – 13 (14)
"And you woo-woo-woo should be mine!" Great slick R&B tune!
13 4 SLEDGEHAMMER –•– Peter Gabriel – 15 (1)
Gabriel with his biggest solo hit and its classic dancing chicken-filled stop-motion video. Very good/Excellent.
12 15 SWEET FREEDOM –•– Michael McDonald – 10 (12)
Yacht rock as only Michael McDonald, one of the all-time yacht rock gods, can do it.
11 6 LOVE TOUCH –•– Rod Stewart – 12 (6)
Sir Rod's '86 album kind of flopped commercially in between a pair of better albums ('Camouflage' and 'Out of Order'), but he was still able to go top ten with this slightly reggae-ish tune which also got used in the movie Legal Eagles, and it's quite good.
10 12 THE EDGE OF HEAVEN –•– Wham! – 7 (10)
Wham!'s last taste of the top 40 before George split for the greener pastures of 'Faith'. It's got a very danceable groove to it.
9 18 TAKE MY BREATH AWAY –•– Berlin – 9 (9)
Terri Nunn's #1 Top Gun ballad. That whole soundtrack was full of great tunes, wasn't it?
8 10 RUMORS –•– Timex Social Club – 10 (8)
Awesome R&B dance hit, but they split pretty much immediately after this and moved on to Club Nouveau and their classic cover of "Lean on Me"...
7 13 DANCING ON THE CEILING –•– Lionel Richie – 5 (7)
"Oh, what a feeling!" You probably just sang that in your head and finished the lyric, too--It's THAT catchy.
6 9 VENUS –•– Bananarama – 8 (6)
Bananarama brings the Dutch one-hit wonders' signature 1970 tune to the dancefloor for a second time after the Stars on 45 medley first did it in '81, and of course it results in a #1 hit like the previous two.
5 5 WE DON’T HAVE TO TAKE OUR CLOTHES OFF –•– Jermaine Stewart – 14 (5)
Great advice for anyone in a relationship, and it gave Jermaine Stewart his "signature" hit. He would reach the top 40 one more time in '88, but he never bettered this one.
4 8 HIGHER LOVE –•– Steve Winwood – 10 (4)
Winwood's first solo #1 and a great reggae-influenced tune.
3 3 MAD ABOUT YOU –•– Belinda Carlisle – 14 (3)
Belinda began her post-Go-Go's solo career in earnest here with this fine pop rock number.
2 1 GLORY OF LOVE –•– Peter Cetera – 11 (1)
Speaking of beginning solo careers, Cetera's post-Chicago solo career-jumpstarting Karate Kid: Part II soundtrack hit drops to the second spot after sitting at the top for two weeks prior.
1 2 PAPA DON’T PREACH –•– Madonna – 8 (1)
Ol' Madge takes on teen pregnancy and abortion and gets rewarded for it with her fourth #1 hit. Probably my second favorite all-time Madonna hit after "Vogue".