Jul. 25, 2014
Less than one percent of the singles that hit Billboard's Hot Black Singles in 1986 were by Janet Jackson, but she made a splash substantial enough to drench almost all of her competition. After two bubblegum pop-R&B albums, released in 1982 and 1984, produced a pair of singles that made the chart's top ten, she broke free from her father-manager Joe, hired John McClain as her manager, and aligned with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who were still the hottest production team in the business. Those earlier hits were forgotten by the end of January 1986, once "What Have You Done for Me Lately," the first single from Control, took hold. Joe Jackson predicted that the assertive and progressive album "would never sell." By the end of December, it was well on its way to quintuple-platinum sales in the U.S. alone, and its first four singles made deep impact. "What Have You Done for Me Lately" and "Nasty" hit number one. "When I Think of You" narrowly missed the top. "Control" landed there the second week of the following January.
Jam and Lewis' 1986 success wasn't with Jackson alone. In this subjective summary of the year's charting R&B singles, the Flyte Tyme crew's handiwork can also be heard in numbers one, nine, 17, 28, and 31. They were so hot that they brought the slumping Human League to a new audience. The duo's sound, more than that of anyone else, bridged the post-disco R&B and new jack swing eras. This was the duo's creative and commercial peak, and it occurred when the rate of turnover was extremely high; over 400 songs registered on the chart during the year. So, this playlist accounts for less than a tenth of what was played on U.S. stations. An unfortunately small fraction of it continues to be spun.
Forty favorite singles that hit Billboard's Hot Black Singles chart during 1986, followed by a Spotify playlist:
1. Cherrelle w/ Alexander O'Neal - "Saturday Love" [Tabu, 1/25]
2. Midnight Star - "Midas Touch" [Solar, 8/2]
3. Zapp - "Computer Love" [Warner, 1/11]
4. 52nd Street - "Tell Me (How It Feels)" [MCA, 5/3]*
5. Janet Jackson - "What Have You Done for Me Lately" [A&M, 1/25]
6. Oran "Juice" Jones - "The Rain" [Def Jam, 7/19]
7. Loose Ends - "Slow Down" [MCA, 11/29]
8. LeVert - "Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop (Goes My Mind)" [Atlantic, 7/19]
9. Alexander O'Neal - "What's Missing" [Tabu, 3/29]
10. Cameo - "Word Up" [Atlanta Artists, 8/16]
11. Janet Jackson - "Control" [A&M, 11/1]
12. Cameo - "Candy" [Atlanta Artists, 12/13]
13. Prince & the Revolution - "Kiss" [Warner, 3/1]
14. Anita Baker - "Sweet Love" [Elektra, 6/14]
15. Luther Vandross - "Give Me the Reason" [Epic, 6/28]
16. Janet Jackson - "When I Think of You" [A&M, 8/9]
17. The S.O.S. Band - "Even When You Sleep" [Tabu, 10/18]
18. Janet Jackson - "Nasty" [A&M, 4/19]
19. Chaka Khan - "Love of a Lifetime" [Warner, 7/12]
20. Gwen Guthrie - "Outside in the Rain" [Polydor, 11/1]
21. Howard Hewett - "Stay" [Elektra, 12/13]
22. Surface - "Let's Try Again" [Columbia, 10/18]
23. Tease - "Firestarter" [Epic, 3/22]*
24. René & Angela - "You Don't Have to Cry" [Mercury, 4/19]
25. Howard Hewett - "I'm for Real" [Elektra, 8/9]
26. Sade - "Never as Good as the First Time" [Portrait, 3/22]
27. Ready for the World - "Love You Down" [MCA, 10/11]
28. The S.O.S. Band - "The Finest" [Tabu, 3/22]
29. Juicy - "Sugar Free" [Private I, 2/1]*
30. Luther Vandross - "Stop to Love" [Epic, 11/8]
31. The Human League - "Human" [A&M, 9/20]
32. Nu Shooz - "I Can't Wait" [Atlantic, 2/15]
33. Prince & the Revolution - "Mountains" [Warner, 5/31]
34. Gwen Guthrie - "Ain't Nothin' Goin' On But the Rent" [Polydor, 6/28]
35. New Edition - "A Little Bit of Love" [MCA, 2/15]
36. Timex Social Club - "Rumors" [Jay, 4/26]
37. Vesta - "Once Bitten Twice Shy" [A&M, 10/25]
38. R.J.'s Latest Arrival - "Heaven in Your Arms" [Manhattan, 8/23]*
39. Freddie Jackson - "Have You Ever Loved Somebody" [Capitol, 12/20]
40. R.J.'s Latest Arrival - "Hold On" [Manhattan, 11/29]*
*These songs are not available on Spotify in the U.S. Favorites 41-45 appear in their place, at the end of the playlist.
Just beneath the 40, A-Z: the Art of Noise's "Moments in Love," Atlantic Starr's "If Your Heart Isn't in It," Patti Austin's "The Heat of Heat," Wally Badarou's "Chief Inspector," Dhar Braxton's "Jump Back (Set Me Free)," Ca$hflow's "Mine All Mine," Club Nouveau's "Situation #9," 5 Star's "Love Take Over," Full Force's "Temporary Love Thing," Phyllis Hyman's "Living All Alone," Jellybean's "Sidewalk Talk," Johnny Kemp's "Just Another Lover," Loose Ends' "Stay a Little While, Child," Bobby Mardis' "Keep On," Maze f/ Frankie Beverly's "I Wanna Be with You," Michael McDonald's "Sweet Freedom," Meli'sa Morgan's "Fool's Paradise," Nu Shooz' "Point of No Return," Billy Ocean's "Love Zone," One Way's "Don't Think About It," Prince & the Revolution's "Anotherloverholenyohead," Regina's "Baby Love," Lionel Richie's "Love Will Conquer All," Sade's "Is It a Crime," and Val Young's "If You Should Ever Be Lonely."
Jam and Lewis' 1986 success wasn't with Jackson alone. In this subjective summary of the year's charting R&B singles, the Flyte Tyme crew's handiwork can also be heard in numbers one, nine, 17, 28, and 31. They were so hot that they brought the slumping Human League to a new audience. The duo's sound, more than that of anyone else, bridged the post-disco R&B and new jack swing eras. This was the duo's creative and commercial peak, and it occurred when the rate of turnover was extremely high; over 400 songs registered on the chart during the year. So, this playlist accounts for less than a tenth of what was played on U.S. stations. An unfortunately small fraction of it continues to be spun.
Forty favorite singles that hit Billboard's Hot Black Singles chart during 1986, followed by a Spotify playlist:
1. Cherrelle w/ Alexander O'Neal - "Saturday Love" [Tabu, 1/25]
2. Midnight Star - "Midas Touch" [Solar, 8/2]
3. Zapp - "Computer Love" [Warner, 1/11]
4. 52nd Street - "Tell Me (How It Feels)" [MCA, 5/3]*
5. Janet Jackson - "What Have You Done for Me Lately" [A&M, 1/25]
6. Oran "Juice" Jones - "The Rain" [Def Jam, 7/19]
7. Loose Ends - "Slow Down" [MCA, 11/29]
8. LeVert - "Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop (Goes My Mind)" [Atlantic, 7/19]
9. Alexander O'Neal - "What's Missing" [Tabu, 3/29]
10. Cameo - "Word Up" [Atlanta Artists, 8/16]
11. Janet Jackson - "Control" [A&M, 11/1]
12. Cameo - "Candy" [Atlanta Artists, 12/13]
13. Prince & the Revolution - "Kiss" [Warner, 3/1]
14. Anita Baker - "Sweet Love" [Elektra, 6/14]
15. Luther Vandross - "Give Me the Reason" [Epic, 6/28]
16. Janet Jackson - "When I Think of You" [A&M, 8/9]
17. The S.O.S. Band - "Even When You Sleep" [Tabu, 10/18]
18. Janet Jackson - "Nasty" [A&M, 4/19]
19. Chaka Khan - "Love of a Lifetime" [Warner, 7/12]
20. Gwen Guthrie - "Outside in the Rain" [Polydor, 11/1]
21. Howard Hewett - "Stay" [Elektra, 12/13]
22. Surface - "Let's Try Again" [Columbia, 10/18]
23. Tease - "Firestarter" [Epic, 3/22]*
24. René & Angela - "You Don't Have to Cry" [Mercury, 4/19]
25. Howard Hewett - "I'm for Real" [Elektra, 8/9]
26. Sade - "Never as Good as the First Time" [Portrait, 3/22]
27. Ready for the World - "Love You Down" [MCA, 10/11]
28. The S.O.S. Band - "The Finest" [Tabu, 3/22]
29. Juicy - "Sugar Free" [Private I, 2/1]*
30. Luther Vandross - "Stop to Love" [Epic, 11/8]
31. The Human League - "Human" [A&M, 9/20]
32. Nu Shooz - "I Can't Wait" [Atlantic, 2/15]
33. Prince & the Revolution - "Mountains" [Warner, 5/31]
34. Gwen Guthrie - "Ain't Nothin' Goin' On But the Rent" [Polydor, 6/28]
35. New Edition - "A Little Bit of Love" [MCA, 2/15]
36. Timex Social Club - "Rumors" [Jay, 4/26]
37. Vesta - "Once Bitten Twice Shy" [A&M, 10/25]
38. R.J.'s Latest Arrival - "Heaven in Your Arms" [Manhattan, 8/23]*
39. Freddie Jackson - "Have You Ever Loved Somebody" [Capitol, 12/20]
40. R.J.'s Latest Arrival - "Hold On" [Manhattan, 11/29]*
*These songs are not available on Spotify in the U.S. Favorites 41-45 appear in their place, at the end of the playlist.
Just beneath the 40, A-Z: the Art of Noise's "Moments in Love," Atlantic Starr's "If Your Heart Isn't in It," Patti Austin's "The Heat of Heat," Wally Badarou's "Chief Inspector," Dhar Braxton's "Jump Back (Set Me Free)," Ca$hflow's "Mine All Mine," Club Nouveau's "Situation #9," 5 Star's "Love Take Over," Full Force's "Temporary Love Thing," Phyllis Hyman's "Living All Alone," Jellybean's "Sidewalk Talk," Johnny Kemp's "Just Another Lover," Loose Ends' "Stay a Little While, Child," Bobby Mardis' "Keep On," Maze f/ Frankie Beverly's "I Wanna Be with You," Michael McDonald's "Sweet Freedom," Meli'sa Morgan's "Fool's Paradise," Nu Shooz' "Point of No Return," Billy Ocean's "Love Zone," One Way's "Don't Think About It," Prince & the Revolution's "Anotherloverholenyohead," Regina's "Baby Love," Lionel Richie's "Love Will Conquer All," Sade's "Is It a Crime," and Val Young's "If You Should Ever Be Lonely."