Billboard Hot 100 — February 15, 1986
The Billboard Hot 100 for the week of February 15, 1986. "How Will I Know" by Whitney Houston climbed from #5 to take over the #1 spot from "That's What Friends Are For" by Dionne & Friends, which had held it for 4 weeks, on its way to 2 weeks on top. 10 songs entered the chart this week; the highest new entry was "Le Bel Age (The Best Years)" by Pat Benatar at #73, which would go on to peak at #54. The biggest climber was "Rock Me Amadeus" by Falco, up 23 places from #79 to #56.
Chart highlights
- At #1: "How Will I Know" by Whitney Houston — 1 week at the top so far, 11 weeks on the chart since debuting December 7, 1985.
- New in the top 10: "The Sweetest Taboo" by Sade (up from #12 to #8); "Sara" by Starship (up from #15 to #9).
- Biggest fall: "Go" by Asia, down 27 places from #70 to #97.
- Longest run on this week's chart: "Perfect Way" by Scritti Politti, 24 weeks and counting (peak #11).
- Gone from the chart: "Election Day" by Arcadia after 16 weeks (peak #6); "Sleeping Bag" by ZZ Top after 17 weeks (peak #8).
- Stories that mention this week: Seven Straight: Whitney Houston's Unbroken Run at #1, 1985-1988.
TW = this week, LW = last week (NEW = first week on the chart), Peak = highest position reached up to this week, Wks = weeks on the chart up to this week.
| TW | LW | Peak | Wks | Song / Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 1 | 11 | How Will I Know Whitney Houston |
| 2 | 4 | 2 | 12 | When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going Billy Ocean |
| 3 | 2 | 2 | 16 | Burning Heart Survivor |
| 4 | 6 | 4 | 9 | Kyrie Mr. Mister |
| 5 | 1 | 1 | 15 | That's What Friends Are For Dionne & Friends |
| 6 | 3 | 3 | 12 | I'm Your Man Wham! |
| 7 | 9 | 7 | 11 | Living In America James Brown |
| 8 | 12 | 8 | 13 | The Sweetest Taboo Sade |
| 9 | 15 | 9 | 8 | Sara Starship |
| 10 | 10 | 10 | 18 | Conga Miami Sound Machine |
| 11 | 16 | 11 | 12 | Life In A Northern Town The Dream Academy |
| 12 | 18 | 12 | 13 | Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground) Mike + The Mechanics |
| 13 | 19 | 13 | 14 | A Love Bizarre Sheila E. |
| 14 | 7 | 7 | 13 | Spies Like Us Paul McCartney |
| 15 | 21 | 15 | 8 | Secret Lovers Atlantic Starr |
| 16 | 11 | 10 | 13 | Go Home Stevie Wonder |
| 17 | 23 | 17 | 18 | Tarzan Boy (From "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III") Baltimora |
| 18 | 8 | 4 | 14 | Talk To Me Stevie Nicks |
| 19 | 28 | 19 | 5 | These Dreams Heart |
| 20 | 14 | 1 | 15 | Say You, Say Me Lionel Richie |
| 21 | 24 | 21 | 12 | The Sun Always Shines on T.V. a-ha |
| 22 | 26 | 22 | 5 | King For A Day Thompson Twins |
| 23 | 25 | 23 | 11 | Digital Display Ready For The World |
| 24 | 13 | 6 | 11 | My Hometown Bruce Springsteen |
| 25 | 17 | 7 | 16 | Walk Of Life Dire Straits |
| 26 | 30 | 26 | 5 | Russians Sting |
| 27 | 31 | 27 | 10 | He'll Never Love You (Like I Do) Freddie Jackson |
| 28 | 34 | 28 | 10 | Day By Day Hooters |
| 29 | 20 | 18 | 14 | Sidewalk Talk Jellybean Featuring Catherine Buchanan |
| 30 | 35 | 30 | 5 | Nikita Elton John |
| 31 | 22 | 5 | 23 | I Miss You Klymaxx |
| 32 | 36 | 32 | 5 | Stages ZZ Top |
| 33 | 40 | 33 | 4 | Sanctify Yourself Simple Minds |
| 34 | 38 | 34 | 10 | Beat's So Lonely Charlie Sexton |
| 35 | 42 | 35 | 5 | This Could Be The Night Loverboy |
| 36 | 48 | 36 | 5 | What You Need INXS |
| 37 | 44 | 37 | 3 | R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A. (A Salute to 60's Rock) John Mellencamp |
| 38 | 45 | 38 | 5 | Another Night Aretha Franklin |
| 39 | 47 | 39 | 5 | (How To Be A) Millionaire ABC |
| 40 | 51 | 40 | 8 | Let's Go All The Way Sly Fox |
| 41 | 41 | 41 | 6 | The Super Bowl Shuffle The Chicago Bears Shufflin' Crew |
| 42 | 52 | 42 | 5 | Night Moves Marilyn Martin |
| 43 | 27 | 17 | 15 | Goodbye Night Ranger |
| 44 | 29 | 2 | 20 | Party All The Time Eddie Murphy |
| 45 | 32 | 3 | 18 | Alive & Kicking Simple Minds |
| 46 | 55 | 46 | 3 | Goodbye Is Forever Arcadia |
| 47 | 56 | 47 | 4 | No Easy Way Out Robert Tepper |
| 48 | 64 | 48 | 4 | Manic Monday The Bangles |
| 49 | 46 | 43 | 10 | Somewhere Barbra Streisand |
| 50 | 39 | 18 | 17 | You're A Friend Of Mine Clarence Clemons & Jackson Browne |
| 51 | 33 | 30 | 12 | Everything In My Heart Corey Hart |
| 52 | 60 | 52 | 4 | Bop Dan Seals |
| 53 | 72 | 53 | 3 | Tender Love Force M.D.'s |
| 54 | 66 | 54 | 3 | Needles And Pins Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers With Stevie Nicks |
| 55 | 69 | 55 | 3 | Calling America Electric Light Orchestra |
| 56 | 79 | 56 | 2 | Rock Me Amadeus Falco |
| 57 | 62 | 57 | 3 | I'm Not The One The Cars |
| 58 | 53 | 51 | 11 | Caravan Of Love Isley, Jasper, Isley |
| 59 | 37 | 6 | 16 | Small Town John Mellencamp |
| 60 | 49 | 26 | 15 | Face The Face Pete Townshend |
| 61 | 61 | 61 | 8 | Strength The Alarm |
| 62 | 43 | 7 | 16 | Tonight She Comes The Cars |
| 63 | 71 | 63 | 4 | Do Me Baby Meli'sa Morgan |
| 64 | 57 | 24 | 19 | Everybody Dance Ta Mara & The Seen |
| 65 | 54 | 1 | 20 | Separate Lives Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin |
| 66 | 77 | 66 | 3 | I'd Do It All Again Sam Harris |
| 67 | 75 | 67 | 4 | Live Is Life Opus |
| 68 | 83 | 68 | 2 | Addicted To Love Robert Palmer |
| 69 | 58 | 25 | 21 | Object Of My Desire Starpoint |
| 70 | 63 | 63 | 10 | Secret Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark |
| 71 | 50 | 15 | 13 | It's Only Love Bryan Adams/Tina Turner |
| 72 | 68 | 68 | 9 | Baby Talk Alisha |
| 73 | NEW | 73 | 1 | Le Bel Age (The Best Years) Pat Benatar |
| 74 | 84 | 74 | 2 | I Like You Phyllis Nelson |
| 75 | 67 | 11 | 24 | Perfect Way Scritti Politti |
| 76 | 59 | 1 | 22 | Broken Wings Mr. Mister |
| 77 | 65 | 28 | 13 | Sex As A Weapon Pat Benatar |
| 78 | 86 | 78 | 3 | Lying Peter Frampton |
| 79 | 74 | 69 | 14 | Can You Feel The Beat Lisa Lisa And Clult Jam With Full Force |
| 80 | 80 | 80 | 4 | Pleasure And Pain Divinyls |
| 81 | 94 | 81 | 2 | Let Me Be The One Five Star |
| 82 | 76 | 4 | 23 | Never Heart |
| 83 | 92 | 83 | 2 | Jimmy Mack Sheena Easton |
| 84 | 91 | 84 | 2 | The Power Of Love Jennifer Rush |
| 85 | NEW | 85 | 1 | Something About You Level 42 |
| 86 | 85 | 85 | 4 | Just Another Day Oingo Boingo |
| 87 | 88 | 87 | 2 | No Frills Love Jennifer Holliday |
| 88 | NEW | 88 | 1 | Stereotomy The Alan Parsons Project |
| 89 | NEW | 89 | 1 | It's All Right (Baby's Coming Back) Eurythmics |
| 90 | 93 | 90 | 3 | Life's What You Make It Talk Talk |
| 91 | 97 | 91 | 2 | Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin) Scritti Politti |
| 92 | NEW | 92 | 1 | All The Kings Horses The Firm |
| 93 | 73 | 57 | 9 | Own The Night Chaka Khan |
| 94 | NEW | 94 | 1 | Your Love The Outfield |
| 95 | NEW | 95 | 1 | Saturday Love Cherrelle With Alexander O'Neal |
| 96 | NEW | 96 | 1 | One Sunny Day (From Quicksilver) Ray Parker,Jr. & Helen Terry |
| 97 | 70 | 46 | 11 | Go Asia |
| 98 | NEW | 98 | 1 | The Men All Pause Klymaxx |
| 99 | NEW | 99 | 1 | In Between Days The Cure |
| 100 | 78 | 1 | 24 | We Built This City Starship |
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