1986 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1986.
Specific locations
- 1986 in British music
- 1986 in Japanese music
- 1986 in Norwegian music
- 1986 in Scandinavian music
Specific genres
- 1986 in country music
- 1986 in heavy metal music
- 1986 in hip-hop
- 1986 in jazz
- 1986 in progressive rock
Events
- January 30 – The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, holds its first induction ceremony with many rock pioneers attending.
- February 25
- *The 28th Annual Grammy Awards are presented in Los Angeles, hosted by Kenny Rogers. Phil Collins' No Jacket Required wins Album of the Year, while USA for Africa's "We Are the World" wins both Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Sade win Best New Artist.
- * Also, Whitney Houston wins her first GRAMMY award which she won the Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female.
- March 8 – After almost a year, Houston's debut album topped the charts and remained for 7 weeks, followed by another on May 17.
- May 3 – The 31st Eurovision Song Contest, held in Bergen, Norway, is won by Belgium with the song "J'aime la vie", performed by Sandra Kim. At 13 years old, Kim is the youngest-ever Eurovision winner.
- May 28 – The Monkees held a press conference at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York City to announce officially that they will embark on a 100-plus city tour. The tour became one of the biggest grossing tours of the year.
- June 10 – Bob Geldof is awarded an honorary UK knighthood in recognition of his work in organizing Live Aid and other concerts that raised millions of dollars for the starving people of Africa.
- June 15
- *The final show of the A Conspiracy of Hope benefit concert – organized by Amnesty International – took place at the Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The show was headlined by U2, Sting, and Bryan Adams, and also features Peter Gabriel, Lou Reed, Joan Baez, and The Neville Brothers.
- *Also, The Police would perform one last time on stage during the show before disbanding that same year.
- June 30 – Madonna releases her "True Blue" album, which tops the charts in over 28 countries and becomes the best selling album of 1986.
- August 9 – Queen performed the band's final concert of the Magic Tour at Knebworth Park, which would be the last performance of the band with singer Freddie Mercury and bassist John Deacon. Later Mercury would be diagnosed with AIDS in 1987, dying in 1991, and Deacon would retire from the band in 1997.
- September 27 – A tour bus carrying the heavy metal band Metallica crashes in Sweden, killing their influential bassist, Cliff Burton.
- October – Popular music magazine Q is launched in the United Kingdom.
- November 15 – The 15th OTI Festival, held at the Municipal Theatre in Santiago, Chile, is won by the song "Todos", written by Vilma Planas, and performed by Damaris Carbaugh,, and Eduardo Fabián representing the United States.
- November 17–18 – Billy Eckstine makes his final recordings, later released on his album Billy Eckstine Sings with Benny Carter.
- December 12 – The Smiths play Brixton Academy, the last gig before their dissolution.
- Approximate date – Axé originates in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
Bands formed
- ''See Musical groups established in 1986''
Bands disbanded
- ''See Musical groups disestablished in 1986''
Albums released
January–March
April–June
July–September
October–December
Release date unknown
- 1936, The Spanish Revolution – The Ex
- Awaken the Guardian – Fates Warning
- Back in Line – Steeleye Span
- Back to the Street – Petra
- Bares y Fondas – Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
- Between the Earth & Sky – Luba
- The Big Heat - Stan Ridgway
- Big Night Music - Shriekback
- Big Plans for Everybody - Let's Active
- The Big Shot Chronicles - Game Theory
- The Blind Leading the Naked – Violent Femmes
- Bloodgood – Bloodgood
- BTO's Greatest – Bachman–Turner Overdrive
- Captured in Time and Space – Petra
- Certain Things Are Likely – Kissing the Pink
- Chasing Shadows – The Comsat Angels
- The Circle & The Square – Red Box
- Concrete Blonde – Concrete Blonde
- Crimson Glory – Crimson Glory
- A Date with Elvis – The Cramps
- David Foster – David Foster
- Discover – Gene Loves Jezebel
- Dreaming in Sequence – Chrome
- Don't Wait for the Movie – White Heart
- Eat Your Paisley! - The Dead Milkmen
- Element of Light - Robyn Hitchcock and The Egyptians
- Emotional – Juice Newton
- Escape from the Fallen Planet – Crumbächer
- Especially for You – The Smithereens
- Friends - The Bolshoi
- Good Earth – The Feelies
- Gruts – Ivor Cutler
- Hand to Mouth – General Public
- Happy Head - The Mighty Lemon Drops
- Hey... Bo Diddley in Concert – Bo Diddley with Mainsqueeze
- Highlights of a Dangerous Life – The Johnnys
- Horse Bites Dog Cries – D.I.
- Horse Rotorvator – Coil
- House of Miracles – The Vels
- Hwgr Grawth-Og – Datblygu
- Idle Cure – Idle Cure
- In America EP – Britny Fox
- Inside – Matthew Sweet
- Isyu! – Ebiet G. Ade
- Jamboree - Guadalcanal Diary
- Journey to The Urge Within – Courtney Pine
- Keys to Imagination – Yanni
- Kings of Punk – Poison Idea
- Klymaxx – Klymaxx
- The Knife Feels Like Justice – Brian Setzer
- The Last of the True Believers – Nanci Griffith
- Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares – Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares
- Le sixième Jour – Dalida
- Le Visage de l'Amour – Dalida
- Letters Home – News from Babel
- Live Chronicles – Hawkwind
- Love in Bright Landscapes – The Triffids
- Lyle Lovett – Lyle Lovett
- Mad – Raven
- The Man – Bill Drummond
- Manic Pop Thrill - That Petrol Emotion
- Mind's Eye – Vinnie Moore
- Minuteflag – Minutemen/Black Flag
- Nerve War – Front Line Assembly
- New Grass Revival - New Grass Revival
- Nine Lives – Bonnie Raitt
- Not of This Earth – Joe Satriani
- Nowa Aleksandria – Siekiera
- Nuovi eroi – Eros Ramazzotti
- On the Beach – Chris Rea
- One Foot in Hell – Cirith Ungol
- Paint Your Wagon – Red Lorry Yellow Lorry
- People of the World – Burning Spear
- Permanent Sleep – Lowlife
- Pictures of Starving Children Sell Records – Chumbawamba
- Positively Dumptruck - Dumptruck
- Prince Ivor – Ivor Cutler
- Public Castration Is a Good Idea – Swans
- R&B Skeletons in the Closet – George Clinton
- Ragin', Full-On - fIREHOSE
- The Rainmakers – The Rainmakers
- Recognize No Authoritys – Détente
- Reconciled - The Call
- Reivax Au Bongo – Hector Zazou
- The River is Rising – Greg X. Volz
- Romeo Unchained – Tonio K
- Sex Mad – NoMeansNo
- Shakin' Like a Human Being – Kim Mitchell
- Show No Mercy – Bride
- Siempre Contigo – José José
- Songs from Liquid Days – Philip Glass
- Streetlight – DeGarmo and Key
- Tacky Souvenirs of Pre-Revolutionary America – Culturcide
- They Don't Make Them Like They Used To – Kenny Rogers
- Thrill of a Lifetime – King Kobra
- Throwing Muses – Throwing Muses
- Time's End – Saint
- Tones – Eric Johnson
- Total Terror – Front Line Assembly
- The Touch – Alabama
- Transit – Ira Stein and Russel Walder
- Tutu – Miles Davis
- U-Vox – Ultravox
- Velvet & Steel – Dion DiMucci
- Vicious Pink – Vicious Pink
- Vicious Rumors – Timex Social Club
- Wants You – Rough Cutt
- Water from an Ancient Well – Abdullah Ibrahim
- Wear Your Colors – Rick Cua
- The Wedge – Pallas
- Weird Love – The Scientists
- Welcome Home – 'Til Tuesday
- What Price Paradise – China Crisis
- White Fields – The Escape Club
- The Wild Frontier – Randy Stonehill
- Yessir, That's My Baby – Count Basie and Oscar Peterson
- Yesterday Started Tomorrow – Angry Samoans
- Zangalewa – Golden Sounds
Biggest hit singles
in the charts of 1986.
| # | Artist | Title | Year | Country | Chart entries |
| 1 | Berlin | "Take My Breath Away" | 1986 |  Top 40 Chart hit singlesOther Chart hit singlesNotable singlesOther Notable singlesPublished popular music
|