This is a list of the U.S. Billboard magazine Hot 100 Airplay number-ones of 1986.
| Issue Date | Song | Artist |
| January 4 | "Say You, Say Me" | Lionel Richie |
| January 11 | "Say You, Say Me" | Lionel Richie |
| January 18 | "Say You, Say Me" | Lionel Richie |
| January 25 | "That's What Friends Are For" | Dionne and Friends |
| February 1 | "That's What Friends Are For" | Dionne and Friends |
| February 8 | "That's What Friends Are For" | Dionne and Friends |
| February 15 | "How Will I Know" | Whitney Houston |
| February 22 | "How Will I Know" | Whitney Houston |
| March 1 | "Kyrie" | Mr. Mister |
| March 8 | "Kyrie" | Mr. Mister |
| March 15 | "Sara" | Starship |
| March 22 | "These Dreams" | Heart |
| March 29 | "Rock Me Amadeus" | Falco |
| April 5 | "Rock Me Amadeus" | Falco |
| April 12 | "Rock Me Amadeus" | Falco |
| April 19 | "Kiss" | Prince |
| April 26 | "Kiss" | Prince |
| May 3 | "West End Girls" | Pet Shop Boys |
| May 10 | "West End Girls" | Pet Shop Boys |
| May 17 | "Greatest Love of All" | Whitney Houston |
| May 24 | "Greatest Love of All" | Whitney Houston |
| May 31 | "Live to Tell" | Madonna |
| June 7 | "Live to Tell" | Madonna |
| June 14 | "Live to Tell" | Madonna |
| June 21 | "On My Own" | Patti Labelle and Michael McDonald |
| June 28 | "On My Own" | Patti Labelle and Michael McDonald |
| July 5 | "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)" | Billy Ocean |
| July 12 | "Invisible Touch" | Genesis |
| July 19 | "Invisible Touch" | Genesis |
| July 26 | "Invisible Touch" | Genesis |
| August 2 | "Glory of Love" | Peter Cetera |
| August 9 | "Glory of Love" | Peter Cetera |
| August 16 | "Papa Don't Preach" | Madonna |
| August 23 | "Papa Don't Preach" | Madonna |
| August 30 | "Higher Love" | Steve Winwood |
| September 6 | "Higher Love" | Steve Winwood |
| September 13 | "Dancing on the Ceiling" | Lionel Richie |
| September 20 | "Stuck with You" | Huey Lewis and the News |
| September 27 | "Stuck with You" | Huey Lewis and the News |
| October 4 | "Stuck with You" | Huey Lewis and the News |
| October 11 | "When I Think of You" | Janet Jackson |
| October 18 | "When I Think of You" | Janet Jackson |
| October 25 | "True Colors" | Cyndi Lauper |
| November 1 | "True Colors" | Cyndi Lauper |
| November 8 | "Amanda" | Boston |
| November 15 | "Amanda" | Boston |
| November 22 | "Amanda" | Boston |
| November 29 | "Human" | The Human League |
| December 6 | "The Way It Is" | Bruce Hornsby and the Range |
| December 13 | "The Way It Is" | Bruce Hornsby and the Range |
| December 20 | "Walk Like an Egyptian" | The Bangles |
| December 27 | "Walk Like an Egyptian" | The Bangles |
Whitburn, Joel. The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits. (2004) ISBN 0-8230-7499-4
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