Billboard Hot 100 — May 17, 1986
The Billboard Hot 100 for the week of May 17, 1986. "Greatest Love Of All" by Whitney Houston climbed from #3 to take over the #1 spot from "West End Girls" by Pet Shop Boys, on its way to 3 weeks on top. 10 songs entered the chart this week; the highest new entry was "One Hit (To The Body)" by The Rolling Stones at #71, which would go on to peak at #28. The biggest climber was "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins, up 25 places from #85 to #60.
Chart highlights
- At #1: "Greatest Love Of All" by Whitney Houston — 1 week at the top so far, 8 weeks on the chart since debuting March 29, 1986.
- New in the top 10: "Live To Tell" by Madonna (up from #11 to #5).
- Biggest fall: "I Can't Wait" by Stevie Nicks, down 39 places from #55 to #94.
- Longest run on this week's chart: "Let's Go All The Way" by Sly Fox, 21 weeks and counting (peak #7).
- Gone from the chart: "Sara" by Starship after 20 weeks (peak #1); "How Will I Know" by Whitney Houston after 23 weeks (peak #1).
- 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 | 3 | 1 | 8 | Greatest Love Of All Whitney Houston |
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 12 | West End Girls Pet Shop Boys |
| 3 | 4 | 3 | 10 | Why Can't This Be Love Van Halen |
| 4 | 5 | 4 | 13 | What Have You Done For Me Lately Janet Jackson |
| 5 | 11 | 5 | 6 | Live To Tell Madonna |
| 6 | 6 | 6 | 14 | Your Love The Outfield |
| 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 | Take Me Home Phil Collins |
| 8 | 8 | 8 | 11 | Bad Boy Miami Sound Machine |
| 9 | 10 | 9 | 11 | If You Leave Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark |
| 10 | 2 | 1 | 15 | Addicted To Love Robert Palmer |
| 11 | 13 | 11 | 9 | On My Own Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald |
| 12 | 14 | 12 | 11 | I Can't Wait Nu Shooz |
| 13 | 15 | 13 | 14 | Something About You Level 42 |
| 14 | 17 | 14 | 9 | All I Need Is A Miracle Mike + The Mechanics |
| 15 | 19 | 15 | 8 | Is It Love Mr. Mister |
| 16 | 20 | 16 | 6 | Be Good To Yourself Journey |
| 17 | 12 | 1 | 13 | Kiss Prince And The Revolution |
| 18 | 21 | 18 | 7 | Move Away Culture Club |
| 19 | 9 | 5 | 10 | Harlem Shuffle The Rolling Stones |
| 20 | 22 | 20 | 8 | Never As Good As The First Time Sade |
| 21 | 25 | 21 | 6 | Crush On You The Jets |
| 22 | 23 | 22 | 8 | Rough Boy ZZ Top |
| 23 | 28 | 23 | 5 | There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry) Billy Ocean |
| 24 | 16 | 13 | 10 | American Storm Bob Seger |
| 25 | 33 | 25 | 5 | Nothin' At All Heart |
| 26 | 37 | 26 | 4 | A Different Corner George Michael |
| 27 | 31 | 27 | 6 | No One Is To Blame Howard Jones |
| 28 | 30 | 28 | 7 | Tomorrow Doesn't Matter Tonight Starship |
| 29 | 18 | 2 | 17 | Manic Monday The Bangles |
| 30 | 35 | 30 | 6 | Mothers Talk Tears For Fears |
| 31 | 36 | 31 | 7 | All The Things She Said Simple Minds |
| 32 | 40 | 32 | 7 | Holding Back The Years Simply Red |
| 33 | 42 | 33 | 7 | I Wanna Be A Cowboy Boys Don't Cry |
| 34 | 32 | 32 | 9 | Stick Around Julian Lennon |
| 35 | 27 | 7 | 21 | Let's Go All The Way Sly Fox |
| 36 | 24 | 1 | 15 | Rock Me Amadeus Falco |
| 37 | 45 | 37 | 4 | Rain On The Scarecrow John Mellencamp |
| 38 | 47 | 38 | 4 | Vienna Calling Falco |
| 39 | 26 | 5 | 18 | What You Need INXS |
| 40 | 50 | 40 | 4 | Who's Johnny ("Short Circuit" Theme) El DeBarge |
| 41 | 44 | 41 | 7 | Where Do The Children Go Hooters |
| 42 | 34 | 34 | 11 | Feel It Again Honeymoon Suite |
| 43 | 43 | 43 | 10 | Right Between The Eyes Wax |
| 44 | 53 | 44 | 5 | Tuff Enuff The Fabulous Thunderbirds |
| 45 | 49 | 45 | 6 | Pretty In Pink Psychedelic Furs |
| 46 | 56 | 46 | 3 | Like No Other Night Thirty Eight Special |
| 47 | 38 | 10 | 16 | Tender Love Force M.D.'s |
| 48 | 54 | 48 | 5 | The Love Parade The Dream Academy |
| 49 | 57 | 49 | 5 | Your Wildest Dreams The Moody Blues |
| 50 | 29 | 16 | 13 | I Think It's Love Jermaine Jackson |
| 51 | 46 | 26 | 14 | Saturday Love Cherrelle With Alexander O'Neal |
| 52 | 48 | 3 | 21 | Secret Lovers Atlantic Starr |
| 53 | 74 | 53 | 2 | When The Heart Rules The Mind GTR |
| 54 | 65 | 54 | 4 | Out Of Mind Out Of Sight Models |
| 55 | 52 | 46 | 9 | Restless Starpoint |
| 56 | 60 | 56 | 5 | Under The Influence Vanity |
| 57 | 41 | 19 | 12 | So Far Away Dire Straits |
| 58 | 61 | 58 | 5 | If Your Heart Isn't In It Atlantic Starr |
| 59 | 39 | 23 | 11 | I Do What I Do... (Theme For 9 1/2 Weeks) John Taylor |
| 60 | 85 | 60 | 2 | Danger Zone Kenny Loggins |
| 61 | 72 | 61 | 3 | The Heat Of Heat Patti Austin |
| 62 | 64 | 62 | 6 | Mutual Surrender (What A Wonderful World) Bourgeois Tagg |
| 63 | 80 | 63 | 2 | If She Knew What She Wants The Bangles |
| 64 | 81 | 64 | 3 | Digging Your Scene The Blow Monkeys |
| 65 | 69 | 65 | 6 | Hands Across America Voices Of America |
| 66 | 59 | 53 | 8 | Absolute Beginners David Bowie |
| 67 | 75 | 67 | 6 | Chain Reaction Diana Ross |
| 68 | 76 | 68 | 4 | Lead A Double Life Loverboy |
| 69 | 79 | 69 | 3 | I Must Be Dreaming Giuffria |
| 70 | 62 | 54 | 10 | Call Me Dennis DeYoung |
| 71 | NEW | 71 | 1 | One Hit (To The Body) The Rolling Stones |
| 72 | 73 | 72 | 4 | Say It, Say It E.G. Daily |
| 73 | 51 | 2 | 16 | R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A. (A Salute to 60's Rock) John Mellencamp |
| 74 | NEW | 74 | 1 | Nasty Janet Jackson |
| 75 | 82 | 75 | 2 | Don Quichotte Magazine 60 |
| 76 | 89 | 76 | 2 | Sledgehammer Peter Gabriel |
| 77 | 58 | 1 | 18 | These Dreams Heart |
| 78 | 92 | 78 | 2 | Listen Like Thieves INXS |
| 79 | 90 | 79 | 2 | Living On Video Trans-X |
| 80 | NEW | 80 | 1 | Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You Stevie Nicks |
| 81 | 70 | 70 | 7 | Is That It? Katrina And The Waves |
| 82 | NEW | 82 | 1 | The Finest The S.O.S. Band |
| 83 | 63 | 38 | 13 | A Little Bit Of Love (Is All It Takes) New Edition |
| 84 | 86 | 84 | 4 | Innocent Eyes Graham Nash |
| 85 | 88 | 85 | 2 | Don't Walk Away Robert Tepper |
| 86 | NEW | 86 | 1 | Mad About You Belinda Carlisle |
| 87 | NEW | 87 | 1 | I Want You Animotion |
| 88 | NEW | 88 | 1 | Peter Gunn The Art Of Noise Featuring Duane Eddy |
| 89 | NEW | 89 | 1 | Fire With Fire Wild Blue |
| 90 | NEW | 90 | 1 | We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off Jermaine Stewart |
| 91 | 77 | 10 | 18 | This Could Be The Night Loverboy |
| 92 | NEW | 92 | 1 | Vanity Kills ABC |
| 93 | 87 | 28 | 18 | Night Moves Marilyn Martin |
| 94 | 55 | 16 | 13 | I Can't Wait Stevie Nicks |
| 95 | 93 | 77 | 12 | Where Are You Now? Jimmy Harnen With Synch |
| 96 | 83 | 77 | 6 | If You Were A Woman (And I Was A Man) Bonnie Tyler |
| 97 | 71 | 68 | 9 | Shot in the Dark Ozzy Osbourne |
| 98 | 66 | 30 | 12 | For America Jackson Browne |
| 99 | 67 | 7 | 18 | Nikita Elton John |
| 100 | 68 | 24 | 13 | Overjoyed Stevie Wonder |
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