List of Hot Adult Contemporary number ones of 1986

In 1986, Billboard magazine published a chart ranking the top-performing songs in the United States in the adult contemporary music (AC) market.

A charity single intended to raise funds for HIV/AIDS-related causes, the song was performed by Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder.

Among the acts to top the chart for the first time during the year was the pairing of Gloria Loring and Carl Anderson.

Loring portrayed the character Liz Chandler on the soap opera Days of Our Lives and, in her role as a singer, performed the song "Friends and Lovers" with guest star Anderson in 1985.

Both songs also topped Billboard's pop singles chart, the Hot 100, as did eight of the year's other AC chart-toppers.

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Peter Cetera , who had recently left the band Chicago to go solo, spent seven weeks at number one, the most by any act.
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Gloria Loring , one of the stars of the soap opera Days of Our Lives , topped the chart with " Friends and Lovers ", a duet with Carl Anderson which had originally been performed on the show.
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Whitney Houston spent six weeks atop the chart.
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Billy Ocean ended the year at number one.