1986 in music

1 Events
2 Classical music
3 Albums released
4 Best singles
5 Published popular music
6 Classical music
7 Opera
8 Musical theater
9 Musical films
10 Musical television
11 Births
12 Deaths
13 Awards
14 Charts
- 14.1 List of No. 1 Hits
- 14.2 KROQ

Events

January 23 – The first induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Fats Domino, Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley)
February 11 – Culture Club lead singer Boy George appears on an episode of The A-Team
February 14 – Frank Zappa appears on an episode of the popular television series Miami Vice. Zappa portrays a crime boss named "Mr. Frankie".
February 22 – In honor of the 20th anniversary of The Monkees premiering on television, MTV broadcasts "Pleasant Valley Sunday," a 22-hour marathon of Monkees episodes.
March 27 – Sammy Hagar performs his first concert as the lead singer of Van Halen
April 12 – The Go-Go's Belinda Carlisle marries actor Morgan Mason
May 5 – In New York, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Chairman Ahmet Ertegen announces that Cleveland, Ohio has been chosen as the city where the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will be built
May 10 – Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe marries actress Heather Locklear.
May 19 – Peter Gabriel releases So, his first album in over 4 years. The album reached number 2 on the charts and sold more than 3 million copies in the U.S. So contains the chart-topping songs Sledgehammer (#1), Big Time (top 10), and In Your Eyes (top 40). The music video for Sledgehammer won 9 MTV music awards, more than any video in history, and was ranked the #1 video of all time by Rolling Stone magazine. This album also marks Peter Gabriel's introduction into the mainstream of world music artists such as Youssou N'dour (who lent his vocals on In Your Eyes). It is interesting to note that Genesis released their hit album Invisible Touch in 1986, with Phil Collins on vocals.
May 21 – Harrison Birtwistle's opera The Mask of Orpheus is premiered in London
May 30 – The Monkees begin a highly successful tour of American stadiums on their 20th Anniversary Reunion Tour
August 28 – Tina Turner receives a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.
October 20 – Duran Duran begin their career as a three piece with the release of the "Notorious" single
Jello Biafra/Dead Kennedys taken to court by the PMRC for content in their album Frankenchrist; Biafra wins
Cacophony forms
The Escape Club signs a contract to EMI Records
Public Enemy signs a contract to Def Jam Records
Black Flag breaks up
White Zombie begin performing
Poison begins their recording career
Dick Dale mounts a comeback effort
Pixies forms
Skid Row forms
Slayer releases Reign in Blood, their breakthrough album, and the one that set the stage for many extreme metal bands to come.
The Vaselines forms
Ernesto Bonino loses his voice after a surgical intervention

Classical music

Elliott Carter – String Quartet No.4
Ludovico Einaudi – Movimento
Gian-Carlo Menotti – Goya
Krzysztof Penderecki – The Song of Cherubin

Albums released

ABBA Live – ABBA
Russian Roulette – Accept
Who Made Who – AC/DC
Classics Live – Aerosmith
Scoundrel Days – a-ha
Dangerous Games – Alcatrazz
American Girls – American Girls
I Against I – Bad Brains
Rapture – Anita Baker
Licensed to Ill – The Beastie Boys
Atomizer – Big Black (debut full-length)
Nasty, Nasty – Black N' Blue
Slippery When Wet – Bon Jovi
Notorious – Duran Duran
Third Stage – Boston
Strange Land – Box of Frogs
In America EP – Britny Fox
Truthdare Doubledare – Bronski Beat
Camper Van Beethoven – Camper Van Beethoven
Solitude/Solitaire – Peter Cetera
18 – Chicago
Night Songs – Cinderella (debut)
Tom Cochrane & Red Rider – Tom Cochrane & Red Rider
Constrictor – Alice Cooper
King of America – Elvis Costello
Strong Persuader – Robert Cray
Crowded House – Crowded House
From Luxury to Heartache – Culture Club
Then and Now...the Best of the Monkees – The Monkees
Staring at the Sea: the Singles – The Cure
Le Visage de l'Amour – Dalida
Le sixième jour – Dalida (compilation)
The Best Of Dalida – Dalida (compilation)
Hwgr Grawth-Og – Datblygu
Into The Light – Chris de Burgh
Black Celebration – Depeche Mode
Intermission EP – Dio
Guitar Town – Steve Earle
Emerson, Lake and Powell – Emerson, Lake and Powell
The Final Countdown – Europe
August – Eric Clapton
Trick or Treat – Fastway
The Good Earth – The Feelies
Mean Business – The Firm
So – Peter Gabriel
Invisible Touch – Genesis
The Collection – Amy Grant
Shot in the Dark – Great White
Live Like A Suicide EP – Guns N' Roses
The Way It Is – Bruce Hornsby & the Range
Somewhere in Time – Iron Maiden
Control – Janet Jackson
Psycho Candy – Jesus & Mary Chain
Tones – Eric Johnson
Raised On Radio – Journey
Turbo – Judas Priest
The Final Frontier – Keel
Stand Tall – Killer Dwarfs
Thrill of a Lifetime – King Kobra
Change of Address – Krokus
Alive & Screaming – Krokus
Home Of The Brave – Laurie Anderson
Menace to Society – Lizzy Borden
Lightning Strikes – Loudness
Lyle Lovett – Lyle Lovett
Trilogy – Yngwie Malmsteen
True Blue – Madonna
Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? – Megadeth
Master of The Metal – Messiah Prophet
Master of Puppets – Metallica
Mind's Eye – Vinnie Moore
Portfolio – The Michael Schenker Group
Orgasmatron – Motörhead
Kicking Against the Pricks – Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Your Funeral, My Trial – Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Little Miss Dangerous – Ted Nugent
The Ultimate Sin – Ozzy Osbourne
Parade – Prince
Look What the Cat Dragged In – Poison (debut)
Rage for Order – Queensrÿche
QR III – Quiet Riot
Finyl Vinyl – Rainbow
Dancing Undercover – Ratt
They Don't Make Them Like They Used To – Kenny Rogers
Eat Em' and Smile – David Lee Roth
Want Some – Rough Cutt
Raising Hell – Run DMC
Not of This Earth – Joe Satriani
Like A Rock – Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
Graceland – Paul Simon
Reign in Blood – Slayer
The Queen Is Dead – The Smiths
Live 1975–1985 – Bruce Springsteen
The Yellow and Black Attack – Stryper
To Hell With the Devil – Stryper
True Stories – Talking Heads
Mechanical Resonance – Tesla (debut)
They Might Be Giants – They Might Be Giants (debut)
Storms of Life – Randy Travis
When In Rome Do As The Vandals – The Vandals
5150 – Van Halen
Another View – The Velvet Underground
Vinnie Vincent Invasion – Vinnie Vincent Invasion
Synthetic Socks – Ween
Inside the Electric Circus – W.A.S.P.
True as Steel – Warlock
White Tiger – White tiger
Back In The High Life – Steve Winwood
Skylarking – XTC
Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. – Dwight Yoakam
Zebra/3.V|3.V – Zebra
High Priest Of Love EP Zodiac Mindwarp

Best singles

"Your The Voice" John Farnham #1
"Love Missile F1–11 – Sigue Sigue Sputnik
"No Lies – Noiseworks
"Funkytown – Psudeo Echo #1
"Whole Of The Moon" – Waterboys
"Throw Your Arrms Around Me" – Hunters + Collectors
"Take My Breath Away" – Berlin
"Glory Of Love" – Peter Cetera
"The Next Time I Fall" – Peter Cetera
"You Give Love A Bad Name" – Bon Jovi
"Move Away" – Culture Club
"That's What Friends Are For" – Dionne Warwick
"Hey, You!" – Divine
"Little Baby" – Divine
"Sara" – Starship
"Parce que je ne t'aime plus" – Dalida
"Le sixième jour" – Dalida
"Addicted To Love" – Robert Palmer
"Stuck With You" – Huey Lewis & the News
"How Will I Know" – Whitney Houston
"When I Think of You" – Janet Jackson
"West End Girls" – Pet Shop Boys
"Live To Tell" – Madonna
"Holding Back The Years" – Simply Red
"Stay For Awhile" – Amy Grant
"Papa Don't Preach" – Madonna
"Rock Me Amadeus" – Falco
"On My Own" – Patti Labelle & Michael McDonald
"Notorious" – Duran Duran
"Kyrie" – Mr. Mister
"That Was Then, This Is Now" – The Monkees
"Kiss" – Prince
"The Greatest Love of All" – Whitney Houston
"Manic Monday" – The Bangles
"Locked In" – Judas Priest
"Turbo Lover" – Judas Priest
"Love Walks In" – Van Halen
"Sledgehammer" – Peter Gabriel
"Invisible Touch" – Genesis
"Living In America" – James Brown
"Lady In Red" – Chris de Burgh
"Holding Out For A Hero" – Bonnie Tyler
"My Hometown" – Bruce Springsteen
"Venus" – Bananarama

Published popular music

"All I Ask Of You" w.m. Andrew Lloyd Webber
"Crush On You" w.m. Jerry Knight & Aaron Zigman
"The Lady In Red" w.m. Chris de Burgh

Classical music

Mario Davidovsky – Salvos for flute, clarinet, harp, percussion, violin and cello
Peter Eötvös – Chinese Opera
Paul Schoenfield – Café Music for Piano Trio