Ranking the No. 1 Albums of 1986: From Worst to Best

Ranking the No. 1 Albums of 1986: From Worst to Best

The music scene in 1986 was a diverse mix of pop, rock, and R&B genres competing for the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart. The year saw a variety of stylistic reinventions and long-awaited comebacks, as well as blockbuster soundtracks that epitomized the decade's extravagance. The Miami Vice soundtrack kicked off the year at No. 1, followed by Barbra Streisand's The Broadway Album and Sade's Promise. Rock music made its mark later in the year with Van Halen's 5150 and Whitney Houston's debut album also reaching the top spot. Huey Lewis and the News and Bon Jovi each had their turn at No. 1 with Fore! and Slippery When Wet, respectively. Boston's Third Stage and Bruce Springsteen's Live/1975-85 closed out the year as the top albums on the Billboard 200. Explore our list of the No. 1 albums of 1986 ranked from worst to best to see how these records fared throughout the year.