Whitney Houston takes the charts by storm and emerges as a multi-format superstar in a transitional year for Pop as Run-D.M.C. takes Hip-Hop mainstream (with a little help from Aerosmith), The Bangles break through, synthy Arena Rock succumbs to Glam Metal and music’s benefit streak peaks with Amnesty International’s Conspiracy of Hope concerts and a charity single for AIDS research that becomes the year’s top chart hit.

#1 Song of the Year   The top song according to our Chartcrush ranking of all Hot100 songs that earned the majority of their chart ranking points in the year

Artists of the Year   The top three artists based on all charted songs during the calendar year

1. Janet Jackson
2. Billy Ocean
3. Miami Sound Machine

Artist with Most Charting Songs   Artist(s) with the most Hot100 charting songs during the year (song count in parentheses)

• 3-WAY TIE: Miami Sound Machine/Billy Ocean/Bob Seger (4)

Average #1 Artist Age   The average of how old artists who scored #1 Hot100 hits during the year were when their songs first reached #1

• 32.3 years

#1 Songs   List of Hot100 #1 songs that earned the majority of their chart ranking points in the year, and (in parentheses), the month the song first hit #1 and the total number of weeks it was #1

1. Lionel Richie – Say You, Say Me (December ’85, 4 wks)
2. Dionne & Friends (Elton John, Gladys Knight & Stevie Wonder) – That’s What Friends Are For (January, 4 wks)
3. Whitney Houston – How Will I Know (February, 2 wks)
4. Mr. Mister – Kyrie (March, 2 wks)
5. Starship – Sara (March, 1 wk)
6. Heart – These Dreams (March, 1 wk)
7. Falco – Rock Me Amadeus (March, 3 wks)
8. Prince & The Revolution – Kiss (April, 2 wks)
9. Robert Palmer – Addicted to Love (May, 1 wk)
10. Pet Shop Boys – West End Girls (May, 1 wk)
11. Whitney Houston – Greatest Love of All (May, 3 wks)
12. Madonna – Live to Tell (June, 1 wk)
13. Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald – On My Own (June, 3 wks)
14. Billy Ocean – There’ll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry) (July, 1 wk)
15. Simply Red – Holding Back the Years (July, 1 wk)
16. Genesis – Invisible Touch (July, 1 wk)
17. Peter Gabriel – Sledgehammer (July, 1 wk)
18. Peter Cetera – Glory of Love (Theme from the Karate Kid Part II) (August, 2 wks)
19. Madonna – Papa Don’t Preach (August, 2 wks)
20. Steve Winwood – Higher Love (August, 1 wk)
21. Bananarama – Venus (September, 1 wk)
22. Berlin – Take My Breath Away (Love Theme from Top Gun) (September, 1 wk)
23. Huey Lewis & the News – Stuck with You (September, 3 wks)
24. Janet Jackson – When I Think of You (October, 2 wks)
25. Cyndi Lauper – True Colors (October, 2 wks)
26. Boston – Amanda (November, 2 wks)
27. The Human League – Human (November, 1 wk)
28. Bon Jovi – You Give Love a Bad Name (November, 1 wk)
29. Peter Cetera & Amy Grant – The Next Time I Fall (December, 1 wk)
30. Bruce Hornsby & The Range – The Way It Is (December, 1 wk)
31. Bangles – Walk like An Egyptian (December, 4 wks)