This is a summary of 1986 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.

The first number 1 single of 1986 was the breakthrough hit for Londonsynthpop duo thePet Shop Boys. Their song "West End Girls" had climbed the charts during late 1985 and reached number 1 for two weeks in January. They would have three more top 20 hits this year as well as two top 20 albums, and were still reaching the top 10 in 2006, twenty years later. Another popular synthpop duo this year wereErasure, with their song "Sometimes" reaching number two in the autumn; this success would be followed by many more hits throughout the decade.

After four successful years, the bandWham! split up in the spring. Made up ofGeorge Michael andAndrew Ridgeley, they finished with a farewell concert atWembley Stadium, a greatest hits albumThe Final which reached number 2, and the single "The Edge of Heaven", their fourth number one, and their last until "Last Christmas" finally reached No. 1 in 2021. George Michael also reached number 1 this year with a solo release,A Different Corner, and went on to have a highly successful solo career.

The formation of the charityComic Relief provided an unusual song fromCliff Richard, a singer with several huge hits in the 1950s and '60s. He teamed up with the cast of the popular sitcomThe Young Ones (itself named after a Richard song) for a new version of his 1959 single "Living Doll", half sung by Richard and half shouted by the Young Ones cast. With proceeds going to the charity, it reached number one for three weeks and was Richard's first number 1 of the decade. Another novelty number one was "The Chicken Song", sung by the cast of satirical puppet showSpitting Image. With lyrics such as "Hold a chicken in the air, stick a deckchair up your nose" it was intended as a parody of novelty holiday songs which were popular at the time, and also topped the chart for three weeks.

American singerMadonna had the biggest-selling album of the year with "True Blue". All singles released from it made the top five, including the number 1s "Papa Don't Preach", "True Blue", and "La Isla Bonita" which topped the chart the year after. The biggest-selling single of the year went toThe Communards, with ahi-NRG cover of the disco song "Don't Leave Me This Way". The band included singerJimmy Somerville who had previously enjoyed success withBronski Beat, and later started a solo career.

TheChristmas number one single was something of a surprise, a re-issue ofJackie Wilson's 1957 single "Reet Petite". Wilson had died in 1984, but the song been re-issued after being used in a television advert forLevi's, with a new video made of aClaymation version of Wilson. Having first been released 29 years earlier, it broke the record for the longest time between a single being released and it hitting number 1, a record that would last until 2005 whenTony Christie's 1971 song "(Is This the Way to) Amarillo" topped the chart.

Birtwistle's operaThe Mask of Orpheus, including electronic music realised byBarry Anderson and a libretto byPeter Zinovieff, was staged in London byEnglish National Opera to great critical acclaim.Michael Nyman also came up with a new opera,The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, a chamber work with a minimalist score. TheOrchestra of the Age of Enlightenment was founded in London by a group of period music enthusiasts, going on to become one of the UK's leading orchestras.

• January – TheAdrian Boult Hall is opened atBirmingham Conservatoire by theDuchess of Gloucester. The Hall was demolished in June 2016.^[1]
• 14 March –Earth Dances for orchestra byHarrison Birtwistle is performed for the first time, at theRoyal Festival Hall, London.
• 15 March – "Heartbeat '86", a charity concert for theBirmingham Children's Hospital, is held at theNEC. Performers includeRoy Wood,UB40,The Moody Blues,Electric Light Orchestra andRobert Plant.George Harrison makes a surprise appearance playingJohnny B. Goode with everyone at the end of the show.
• 11 April –The Chart Show debuts onChannel 4.
• 10 May – A rare performance ofConstant Lambert's 1936 choral workSummer's Last Will and Testament takes place at theBrighton Festival,St Bartholomew's Church, by theBBC Concert Orchestra andBrighton Festival Chorus, with baritoneDavid Wilson-Johnson, conducted byNorman Del Mar.
• 15 May –The Spanish Lady, an opera byEdward Elgar is performed for the first time, in a concert setting, atSt John's, Smith Square, London, approximately 53 years after it was composed. A staged performance has to wait until 24 November 1994.
• 21 May – The first performance ofHarrison Birtwistle's operaThe Mask of Orpheus, takes place at theLondon Coliseum by theEnglish National Opera,Elgar Howarth andPaul Daniel conducting.
• 7 June –Queen startThe Magic Tour, which becomes their final tour with all original members and also their most successful tour.^[2]
• 28 June –Wham! perform a final concert at London's Wembley Stadium just before their split. It is attended by 72,000 people.
• 28 July – The first performance of theConcerto for Orchestra, op 93 byPeter Racine Fricker takes place at theCheltenham Festival, with theRoyal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted byAndrew Litton.
• 27 October –Michael Nyman's chamber operaThe Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat is premiered at theInstitute of Contemporary Arts, London.
• 28 October – The first performance ofWilliam Wordsworth's Symphony No 8Pax Hominibus, op 117, the composer's last completed score. It was given by theBBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra underJerzy Maksymiuk inStirling.

^[3]

^[4]

Based on sales from 30 December 1985 to 3 January 1987.^[5]

Based on sales from 29 December 1985 to 3 January 1987.^[6]

Notes:

• Malcolm Arnold –Symphony No. 9
• Harrison Birtwistle –Earth Dances
• Arthur Butterworth – Symphony No. 4
• Andrew Downes –The Marshes of Glynn
• Alun Hoddinott – Concerto for Orchestra
• Arwel Hughes –Gloria Patri
• Daniel Jones –Cello Concerto

• Harrison Birtwistle –Yan Tan Tethera
• Michael Nyman –The Man who Mistook his Wife for a Hat

• Shanghai Surprise, starring Madonna

• 6 January –Alex Turner, singer and musician (Arctic Monkeys,The Last Shadow Puppets)
• 21 February –Charlotte Church, singer
• 12 March
  • Danny Jones, singer (McFly)
  • Jade McGuire, singer (Pop!)
• 23 April –Laura Mvula, singer
• 7 May –Matt Helders, drummer (Arctic Monkeys)
• 14 July –Dan Smith, singer-songwriter (Bastille)
• 21 July –Rebecca Ferguson, singer-songwriter^[7]
• 21 September –Faris Badwan, singer (The Horrors)
• 20 November –Oliver Sykes, singer (Bring Me the Horizon)
• date unknown –Daniel Kidane, composer,Woke (2019Proms)

• 4 January –Phil Lynott, singer and musician (Thin Lizzy), 36 (overdose)
• 8 January
  • Sidney Harrison, pianist and composer, 82
  • Mansel Thomas, composer, 76
• 20 January –Elizabeth Nickell-Lean, operatic mezzo-soprano, 77
• 27 January –Ken Moule, jazz pianist, 60
• 1 February –Dick James, singer and record producer, 65
• 14 February –Edmund Rubbra, composer, 84
• 15 March –Martin Cooper, musicologist, 76
• 3 April –Peter Pears, operatic tenor and partner ofBenjamin Britten, 75
• 25 April –Fred Hunt, jazz pianist, 62
• 3 June –Anna Neagle, actress, singer and dancer, 81
• 26 June –William Lovelock, composer, 86
• 29 June –Cliff Townshend, jazz saxophonist, 70
• 29 July –Gordon Mills, musician and songwriter, 51
• 2 September –Philip Radcliffe, composer, 81 (road accident)
• 12 September –Terence MacDonagh, oboist, 78
• 13 October –Eunice Crowther, singer, dancer and choreographer, 70
• 4 November –John Kelsall, conductor and composer, 39
• 6 November –Eddie Thompson, jazz pianist, 61
• 10 November –Mark Lubbock, conductor and composer, 87
• 16 December –Maurice Handford, horn player and conductor, 57^[8]
• date unknown
  • Myers Foggin, pianist and conductor, 77
  • Arthur Rosebery, pianist and singer

The 1986BRIT Awards winners were:

• Best British Producer:Dave Stewart
• Best International Solo Artist:Bruce Springsteen
• British Album:Phil Collins –No Jacket Required
• British Female Solo Artist:Annie Lennox
• British Group:Dire Straits
• British Male Solo Artist:Phil Collins
• British Single:Tears for Fears – "Everybody Wants to Rule the World"
• British Video:Paul Young – "Everytime You Go Away"
• Best British Newcomer:Go West
• International Group:Huey Lewis and the News
• Outstanding Contribution:Wham! andElton John (joint winners)

• 1986 in British radio
• 1986 in British television
• 1986 in the United Kingdom
• List of British films of 1986

• BBC Radio 1's Chart Show
• The Official Charts Company

• 1986 in British music
• 1986 in music
• British music by year

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Articles with hCards