The UK Albums Chart is one of many music charts compiled by the Official Charts Company that calculates the best-selling albums of the week in the United Kingdom. Before 2004, the chart was only based on the sales of physical albums. This list shows albums that peaked in the Top 10 of the UK Albums Chart during 1986, as well as albums which peaked in 1985 and 1987 but were in the top 10 in 1986. The entry date is when the album appeared in the top ten for the first time (week ending, as published by the Official Charts Company, which is six days after the chart is announced).
The first new number-one album of the year was the compilation album Hits 4. Overall, twelve different albums peaked at number-one in 1986.
Top-ten albums Key SymbolMeaning‡Album peaked in 1985 but still in chart in 1986.♦Album released in 1986 but peaked in 1987.EnteredThe date that the album first appeared in the chart.PeakHighest position that the album reached in the UK Albums Chart.
Entered (week ending)Weeksintop10 Single ArtistPeak Peakreached (week ending)WeeksatpeakAlbums in 1985 36No Jacket Required ‡Phil Collins 1 5 30Songs from the Big Chair ‡Tears for Fears 2 3 30Like a Virgin ‡Madonna 1 2 10Bangs & CrashesGo West 8 2 21Be Yourself Tonight ‡Eurythmics 3 5 65Brothers in Arms ‡Dire Straits 1 14 9The Dream of the Blue Turtles ‡Sting 3 1 2Little Creatures ‡Talking Heads 10 2 11Hounds of Love ‡Kate Bush 1 3 12The Love Songs ‡George Benson 1 2 14World MachineLevel 42 3 2 10Once Upon a Time ‡Simple Minds 1 1 10Promise ‡Sade 1 2 9The Singles Collection ‡Spandau Ballet 3 1 8The Greatest Hits of 1985 ‡Various artists 1 1 5The Love Album: 16 Classic Love Songs ‡ 7 1 8Now – The Christmas Album ‡ 1 2 8Now That's What I Call Music! 6 ‡ 1 4 6Hits 3 ‡ 2 2Albums in 1986 7Island LifeGrace Jones 4 1 18Hunting High and LowA-ha 2 5 8The Broadway AlbumBarbra Streisand 3 2 22Whitney HoustonWhitney Houston 2 3 8Rocky IVVarious artists 3 1 2The Disco Hits Album 10 2 1The Ultimate SinOzzy Osbourne 8 1 3Jonathan King Presents The Very Best of Entertainment from the USAVarious artists 6 1 1The Colour of SpringTalk Talk 8 1 6Hits For LoversVarious artists 2 1 1Night Beat II 7 1 1Balance of PowerElectric Light Orchestra 9 1 3The Hymns AlbumHuddersfield Choral Society 8 1 9Hits 4Various artists 1 4 1Black CelebrationDepeche Mode 4 1 4Welcome to the Real WorldMr. Mister 6 2 5PleasePet Shop Boys 3 2 2Dirty WorkThe Rolling Stones 4 1 2ParadePrince and The Revolution 4 1 1From Luxury to HeartacheCulture Club 10 1 11Street Life: 20 Great HitsBryan Ferry and Roxy Music 1 5 2Heart to Heart: 24 Tender Romantic DuetsVarious artists 8 2 4The Greatest HitsShalamar 5 1 1VictorialandCocteau Twins 10 1 4The Man and His MusicSam Cooke 8 2 2Rendez-VousJean-Michel Jarre 9 1 4The CollectionEarth, Wind & Fire 5 2 2Comic Relief Presents Utterly Utterly Live!Various artists 10 2 5Love ZoneBilly Ocean 2 2 1Home and AbroadThe Style Council 8 1 10SoPeter Gabriel 1 2 3Standing on a Beach – The SinglesThe Cure 4 1 19Picture BookSimply Red 2 1 10Into the LightChris de Burgh 2 2 14A Kind of MagicQueen 1 1 18Invisible TouchGenesis 1 3 2Moonlight ShadowsThe Shadows 6 1 2The Queen Is DeadThe Smiths 2 1 3London 0 Hull 4The Housemartins 3 1 5Every Beat of My HeartRod Stewart 5 1 36True BlueMadonna 1 6 2The SeerBig Country 2 1 21RevengeEurythmics 3 4 4Back in the High LifeSteve Winwood 8 2 7The FinalWham! 2 3 2Now – The Summer AlbumVarious artists 7 2 4RiptideRobert Palmer 5 1 2Rat in the KitchenUB40 8 1 1Flaunt ItSigue Sigue Sputnik 10 1 9Now That's What I Call Music! 7Various artists 1 5 5Dancing on the CeilingLionel Richie 2 3 28Silk & SteelFive Star 1 1 3The Heat is OnVarious artists 9 1 1In the Army NowStatus Quo 7 1 33GracelandPaul Simon 1 8 1Press to PlayPaul McCartney 8 1 4Break Every RuleTina Turner 2 1 1CrashThe Human League 7 1 10Slippery When WetBon Jovi 6 2 2True StoriesTalking Heads 7 1 3Fore!Huey Lewis and the News 8 1 4CommunardsThe Communards 7 1 1Talking with the Taxman About PoetryBilly Bragg 8 1 2Somewhere in TimeIron Maiden 3 1 3South PacificKiri Te Kanawa, José Carreras, Sarah Vaughan and Mandy Patinkin 5 1 1BrotherhoodNew Order 9 1 4Scoundrel DaysA-ha 2 2 1Word Up!Cameo 7 1 2The Chart/The Chart '86Various artists 6 1 1U-VoxUltravox 9 1 1One to OneHoward Jones 10 1 1Between Two FiresPaul Young 4 1 1LiverpoolFrankie Goes to Hollywood 5 1 7Top GunVarious artists 4 2 2Whiplash SmileBilly Idol 8 1 11Every Breath You Take: The SinglesThe Police 1 2 4Now Dance '86: The 12" MixesVarious artists 2 1 4Get Close ♦The Pretenders 6 1 2The Greatest Hits of 1986Various artists 8 1 1The Autobiography of SupertrampSupertramp 9 1 1Hit Mix '86Various artists 10 1 8Hits 5 1 2 14The Whole Story ♦Kate Bush 1 2 1Live 1975-85Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band 4 1 2Through the BarricadesSpandau Ballet 7 1 9Now That's What I Call Music! 8Various artists 1 6 16Live Magic ♦Queen 3 1
See also 1986 in British music List of number-one albums from the 1980s (UK)
References General
Specific
External links 1986 album chart archive at the Official Charts Company (click on relevant week)