# List of number-one singles of 1986 (Canada)

RPM was a Canadian magazine that published the best-performing singles of Canada from 1964 to 2000. In 1986, forty-one songs peaked at number one on the magazine's chart. Lionel Richie's "Say You, Say Me" was the first chart-topper of the year while Bruce Hornsby and the Range stayed at number one into 1987 with "The Way It Is". Only twelve musical acts had peaked at number one in Canada before this year: Lionel Richie, Corey Hart, Billy Ocean, Mr. Mister, Starship, Madonna, George Michael, Huey Lewis and the News, Cyndi Lauper, The Human League, and Elton John and Stevie Wonder (credited as "Friends" on "That's What Friends Are For").
Two Canadian acts—Corey Hart and Glass Tiger—reached number one during 1986, and four singers peaked atop the chart with multiple singles: Whitney Houston, Billy Ocean, Madonna, and Peter Cetera. Of these four, Madonna attained both the most number-one hits (three) and the highest total of weeks at number one (five). Cetera spent three weeks at number one while Houston and Ocean each topped the chart for two weeks. The best-performing record of the year was "The Power of Love" by American singer Jennifer Rush, which topped the listing on the issues of 29 April and 3 May. Besides Houston, Ocean, and Rush, the other acts that peaked atop the magazine's chart for more than one week were Lionel Richie, Mr. Mister, Glass Tiger, Patti LaBelle, Michael McDonald, Peter Gabriel, Timex Social Club, and Chris de Burgh.
Key :
* † Indicates best-performing single of 1986

## Chart history

| Issue date | Song | Artist |
| 4 January | "Say You, Say Me" | Lionel Richie |
| 11 January | "Say You, Say Me" | Lionel Richie |
| 18 January | "Everything in My Heart" | Corey Hart |
| 25 January | "That's What Friends Are For" | Dionne Warwick and Friends |
| 1 February | "Rock Me Amadeus" | Falco |
| 8 February | "I Miss You" | Klymaxx |
| 15 February | "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going" | Billy Ocean |
| 22 February | "Conga" | Miami Sound Machine |
| 1 March | "How Will I Know" | Whitney Houston |
| 8 March | "Kyrie" | Mr. Mister |
| 15 March | "Kyrie" | Mr. Mister |
| 22 March | "Sara" | Starship |
| 29 March | "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)" | Glass Tiger |
| 5 April | "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)" | Glass Tiger |
| 12 April | "Secret Lovers" | Atlantic Starr |
| 19 April | "Bop" | Dan Seals |
| 26 April | "The Power of Love"† | Jennifer Rush |
| 3 May | "The Power of Love"† | Jennifer Rush |
| 10 May | "Let's Go All the Way" | Sly Fox |
| 17 May | "West End Girls" | Pet Shop Boys |
| 24 May | "Live to Tell" | Madonna |
| 31 May | "Live to Tell" | Madonna |
| 7 June | "Greatest Love of All" | Whitney Houston |
| 14 June | "A Different Corner" | George Michael |
| 21 June | "On My Own" | Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald |
| 28 June | "On My Own" | Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald |
| 5 July | "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)" | Billy Ocean |
| 12 July | "I Can't Wait" | Nu Shooz |
| 19 July | "Who's Johnny" | El DeBarge |
| 26 July | "Sledgehammer" | Peter Gabriel |
| 2 August | "Sledgehammer" | Peter Gabriel |
| 9 August | "Papa Don't Preach" | Madonna |
| 16 August | "Papa Don't Preach" | Madonna |
| 23 August | "Glory of Love" | Peter Cetera |
| 30 August | "Glory of Love" | Peter Cetera |
| 6 September | "Mad About You" | Belinda Carlisle |
| 13 September | "Higher Love" | Steve Winwood |
| 20 September | "Friends and Lovers" | Gloria Loring and Carl Anderson |
| 27 September | "Stuck with You" | Huey Lewis and the News |
| 4 October | "Rumors" | Timex Social Club |
| 11 October | "Rumors" | Timex Social Club |
| 18 October | "Spirit in the Sky" | Doctor and the Medics |
| 25 October | "The Lady in Red" | Chris de Burgh |
| 1 November | "The Lady in Red" | Chris de Burgh |
| 8 November | "True Colors" | Cyndi Lauper |
| 15 November | "Human" | The Human League |
| 22 November | "True Blue" | Madonna |
| 29 November | "Two of Hearts" | Stacey Q |
| 6 December | "Amanda" | Boston |
| 13 December | "The Next Time I Fall" | Peter Cetera and Amy Grant |
| 20 December | "Stand by Me" | Ben E. King |
| 27 December | "The Way It Is" | Bruce Hornsby and the Range |