#5
Berlin
“Take My Breath Away”
The Top Gun ballad that turned slow-motion romance, fighter jets, and 80s soundtrack drama into one massive pop moment. “Take My Breath Away” is pure cinematic radio mist.
Smells Like Gen X • Video
The Top 5 Songs THIS WEEK in 1986!
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Weekly Chart Throwback July 24, 1986
Top 5 Songs This Week in 1986
Rewind to July 24, 1986 — when MTV was in full command, movie soundtracks could hijack the Hot 100, pop-rock was polished to a mirror shine, and Madonna could turn one song into a national conversation before half the country had even finished dinner.
This Smells Like Gen X chart rewind counts down five massive hits from July 24, 1986: Berlin, Peter Gabriel, Genesis, Belinda Carlisle, and Madonna. It is pure mid-80s radio: Top Gun romance, stop-motion weirdness, glossy pop-rock, post-Go-Go’s solo sparkle, and Madonna controversy at full volume.
This week is peak 1986 chart chaos: soundtrack ballads, MTV visual overload, sleek radio production, bright solo pop, and Madonna reminding everyone that a three-minute single could still make parents clutch their pearls.
Start with the 1986 Music Rewind
Want the bigger 1986 music picture? Read the full Top 10 Songs of 1986 breakdown, then watch the companion video page for Every #1 Song from 1986.
Keep Rewinding 1986
Do not stop at the weekly chart. 1986 was packed with #1 hits, toy aisle chaos, MTV overload, movie soundtrack dominance, strange fads, blockbuster sequels, sitcom comfort, classic commercials, and peak mid-80s pop culture. Keep digging into the same year below.
Every #1 Song from 1986
The complete Billboard Hot 100 #1 rewind from 1986, from Lionel Richie to The Bangles.
Top 10 Songs of 1986
The full Billboard year-end breakdown with chart snapshots, Gen X commentary, and the songs that ruled 1986 radio.
Top TV Shows of 1986
The Nielsen-ranked shows from the year sitcom comfort, network dominance, and appointment-viewing living rooms ruled the night.
Top 10 Movies of 1986
The box-office year of fighter jets, aliens, martial arts sequels, comedy hits, and peak mid-80s multiplex energy.
Top 10 Toys of 1986
The 1986 toy box explosion with Lazer Tag, G.I. Joe, Barbie, Transformers, He-Man, Pound Puppies, and Madballs.
Top 6 Biggest Fads of 1986
The trends, crazes, and pop-culture obsessions that made 1986 feel loud, weird, collectible, and completely unforgettable.
California Raisins 1986 Commercial
The claymation commercial craze that made raisins briefly cooler than any dried fruit had a legal right to be.
Explore the 80s Hub
The main decade hub for 80s music, movies, toys, TV, commercials, videos, and pop-culture rewinds.
#4
Peter Gabriel
“Sledgehammer”
Funky, weird, stylish, and impossible to separate from its iconic video, “Sledgehammer” was art-rock learning how to dominate MTV without sanding off all the strange edges.
#3
Genesis
“Invisible Touch”
Genesis went full glossy-pop mode with a hook big enough to escape progressive-rock history entirely. “Invisible Touch” is sleek, catchy, and so mid-80s it practically comes with a gated drum preset.
#2
Belinda Carlisle
“Mad About You”
Belinda Carlisle stepped out with bright solo-star energy, turning “Mad About You” into a clean, sunny pop-rock hit that still sounds like summer radio with the windows down.
#1
Madonna
“Papa Don’t Preach”
Madonna did what Madonna did best: took a pop hook, wrapped it in controversy, and made sure everyone had an opinion. “Papa Don’t Preach” was catchy, dramatic, and impossible to ignore.
Why It Hits
Why July 24, 1986 feels like mid-80s radio in one blast
Soundtracks had muscle
Berlin’s “Take My Breath Away” shows how movie songs could dominate radio and become inseparable from the films that launched them.
MTV shaped the moment
Peter Gabriel, Madonna, Genesis, Belinda Carlisle, and Berlin all lived in a visual era where the video could make a hit feel even bigger.
Pop had range
This Top 5 jumps from soundtrack ballad to art-pop funk, glossy rock, sunny solo pop, and controversy-fueled Madonna drama without blinking.
Which one are you playing first?
Drop your favorite from this July 24, 1986 Top 5 and follow Smells Like Gen X for more weekly chart throwbacks, 80s music countdowns, Billboard flashbacks, MTV memories, classic soundtrack hits, fads, toys, TV, movies, commercials, and Gen X pop culture rewinds.
Topics: July 24 1986 top songs, Top 5 songs this week in 1986, 1986 Billboard songs, Top 10 Songs of 1986, Every Number 1 Song from 1986, Top TV Shows of 1986, Top 10 Movies of 1986, Top 10 Toys of 1986, Top 6 Biggest Fads of 1986, California Raisins 1986 commercial, Madonna Papa Don’t Preach, Belinda Carlisle Mad About You, Genesis Invisible Touch, Peter Gabriel Sledgehammer, Berlin Take My Breath Away, Top Gun soundtrack, 80s music countdown, MTV nostalgia, Gen X nostalgia, Smells Like Gen X.
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