1985 Billboard Number One Hits: Every Hot 100 Chart-Topper

The 1985 Billboard Number One Hits list was packed with superstar pop, charity singles, movie themes, British imports, arena rock, synth-pop, and adult-contemporary ballads. Madonna opened the year with Like a Virgin, Wham! and George Michael owned the year-end chart with Careless Whisper, USA for Africa turned We Are the World into a massive humanitarian anthem, and Lionel Richie carried the year into 1986 with Say You, Say Me.

This page follows the Billboard Hot 100 issue dates for 1985, shown here as reader-friendly weekly date ranges. Because Billboard chart weeks can cross calendar years, this list begins with Madonna’s late-1984 carryover and continues into early 1986 with Lionel Richie’s Say You, Say Me.

The Billboard Hot 100 ranks the most popular songs in the United States using radio airplay and sales. These are official Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 songs, not pop-only, rock-only, airplay-only, R&B-only, adult-contemporary-only, or “that song was definitely on every mixtape in the glove box” rankings.

1985 Billboard Number One Hits by Week

December 30, 1984 – January 26, 1985: Like a Virgin – Madonna
January 27 – February 9, 1985: I Want to Know What Love Is – Foreigner
February 10 – March 2, 1985: Careless Whisper – Wham! featuring George Michael
March 3 – March 23, 1985: Can’t Fight This Feeling – REO Speedwagon
March 24 – April 6, 1985: One More Night – Phil Collins
April 7 – May 4, 1985: We Are the World – USA for Africa
May 5 – May 11, 1985: Crazy for You – Madonna
May 12 – May 18, 1985: Don’t You (Forget About Me) – Simple Minds
May 19 – June 1, 1985: Everything She Wants – Wham!
June 2 – June 15, 1985: Everybody Wants to Rule the World – Tears for Fears
June 16 – June 29, 1985: Heaven – Bryan Adams
June 30 – July 6, 1985: Sussudio – Phil Collins
July 7 – July 20, 1985: A View to a Kill – Duran Duran
July 21 – July 27, 1985: Everytime You Go Away – Paul Young
July 28 – August 17, 1985: Shout – Tears for Fears
August 18 – August 31, 1985: The Power of Love – Huey Lewis and the News
September 1 – September 14, 1985: St. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion) – John Parr
September 15 – October 5, 1985: Money for Nothing – Dire Straits
October 6 – October 12, 1985: Oh Sheila – Ready for the World
October 13 – October 19, 1985: Take On Me – a-ha
October 20 – October 26, 1985: Saving All My Love for You – Whitney Houston
October 27 – November 2, 1985: Part-Time Lover – Stevie Wonder
November 3 – November 9, 1985: Miami Vice Theme – Jan Hammer
November 10 – November 23, 1985: We Built This City – Starship
November 24 – November 30, 1985: Separate Lives – Phil Collins & Marilyn Martin
December 1 – December 14, 1985: Broken Wings – Mr. Mister
December 15, 1985 – January 11, 1986: Say You, Say Me – Lionel Richie

Song-by-Song Notes on the 1985 Billboard No. 1 Hits

Like a Virgin – Madonna

Madonna opened the 1985 Billboard Hot 100 calendar with Like a Virgin, a late-1984 carryover that continued her rise from dance-pop star to full pop-culture force. The song’s title, MTV-friendly image, and wedding-dress performance at the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards helped make it one of the defining songs of her early career.

Its run at No. 1 confirmed that Madonna was not just part of the 1980s pop conversation. She was starting to write the agenda, and she brought lace gloves.

I Want to Know What Love Is – Foreigner

Foreigner reached No. 1 with I Want to Know What Love Is, one of the decade’s biggest power ballads. The song used gospel-style backing vocals, a slow build, and Lou Gramm’s dramatic lead vocal to move the band firmly into adult-pop crossover territory.

Its two-week run gave Foreigner its only Hot 100 No. 1. For a band known for arena rock, this was the big emotional swing that landed.

Careless Whisper – Wham! featuring George Michael

Careless Whisper spent three weeks at No. 1 and became Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 song of 1985. Credited in the United States to Wham! featuring George Michael, the song’s saxophone opening and regret-heavy lyric made it one of the most recognizable ballads of the decade. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

The song also helped establish George Michael as a major creative identity beyond Wham!’s bright pop image. That sax riff did not whisper; it announced itself from across the room.

Can’t Fight This Feeling – REO Speedwagon

REO Speedwagon reached No. 1 with Can’t Fight This Feeling, a polished power ballad from Wheels Are Turnin’. The song continued the band’s early-1980s success after Keep On Loving You.

Its three-week run fit perfectly into the mid-1980s appetite for rock bands with big emotional choruses. Feelings were fought, feelings won.

One More Night – Phil Collins

Phil Collins reached No. 1 with One More Night, a smooth ballad from No Jacket Required. The song helped make Collins one of the dominant pop figures of 1985.

It was the first of three No. 1 songs connected to Collins during the 1985 chart year, with Sussudio and Separate Lives still to come.

We Are the World – USA for Africa

USA for Africa spent four weeks at No. 1 with We Are the World, the charity single written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian. Harry Belafonte helped conceive the project as a response to famine in Africa, and the recording brought together dozens of major artists. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

The song became one of the most famous benefit singles ever released and raised major funds for humanitarian relief. It was less a normal pop single than a once-in-a-generation celebrity choir with a mission and a very crowded microphone schedule.

Crazy for You – Madonna

Madonna returned to No. 1 with Crazy for You, a ballad from the film Vision Quest. The song showed a softer vocal side of Madonna after the dance-pop energy of Like a Virgin.

Its one-week run helped prove she could score with more than club-ready pop. In 1985, Madonna was already learning the value of range.

Don’t You (Forget About Me) – Simple Minds

Simple Minds reached No. 1 with Don’t You (Forget About Me), the signature song from The Breakfast Club. The song’s connection to the film helped make it one of the most enduring teen-movie anthems of the 1980s.

Its one-week Hot 100 run was short, but its cultural life was enormous. One raised fist in a football field gave it a permanent address in pop memory.

Everything She Wants – Wham!

Wham! returned to No. 1 with Everything She Wants, a funkier, more adult-sounding single from Make It Big. The song’s lyric about romantic frustration and financial pressure gave it more bite than some of the group’s brighter hits.

Its two-week run added to Wham!’s huge American success in the mid-1980s and gave George Michael another major writing and vocal showcase.

Everybody Wants to Rule the World – Tears for Fears

Tears for Fears reached No. 1 with Everybody Wants to Rule the World, one of the defining British new wave and pop-rock hits of 1985. Its smooth groove, thoughtful lyric, and polished production helped the band cross over strongly in the United States.

The song’s two-week run was the first of two No. 1 hits for Tears for Fears in 1985. Apparently, ruling the world required a great chorus and tasteful synths.

Heaven – Bryan Adams

Bryan Adams reached No. 1 with Heaven, a power ballad originally connected to the film A Night in Heaven. The song’s romantic lyric and clean arena-rock production made it one of Adams’ signature early hits.

Its two-week run helped move Adams from rock-radio favorite to mainstream pop crossover star.

Sussudio – Phil Collins

Phil Collins scored another No. 1 with Sussudio, a bright, horn-driven pop single from No Jacket Required. The title itself was famously nonsensical, but the groove was radio-ready.

Its one-week run proved that Collins could top the chart with serious ballads and playful pop. Meaning optional; hook mandatory.

A View to a Kill – Duran Duran

Duran Duran reached No. 1 with A View to a Kill, the theme from the James Bond film of the same name. It remains the only James Bond theme to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Its two-week run gave the new wave and pop-rock band a major soundtrack milestone. Bond themes often sound expensive; this one also cashed the chart check.

Everytime You Go Away – Paul Young

Paul Young reached No. 1 with Everytime You Go Away, a cover of a song written by Daryl Hall. Young’s blue-eyed soul vocal turned it into one of 1985’s major adult-pop ballads.

Its one-week run gave Young his biggest American hit and one of the year’s most polished breakup songs.

Shout – Tears for Fears

Tears for Fears returned to No. 1 with Shout, a bigger, darker, and more anthemic single from Songs from the Big Chair. The song spent three weeks at No. 1 and became one of the band’s signature recordings.

Its chant-like hook made it feel almost built for arenas, even with its brooding production. The title did not overpromise.

The Power of Love – Huey Lewis and the News

Huey Lewis and the News reached No. 1 with The Power of Love, from Back to the Future. The song’s bright rock-pop energy made it a natural fit for one of the decade’s most beloved films.

Its two-week run gave the band its first Hot 100 No. 1. It also earned a permanent pop-culture boost from Marty McFly, which is better than most marketing plans.

St. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion) – John Parr

John Parr reached No. 1 with St. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion), tied to the film St. Elmo’s Fire. The song became one of the year’s biggest soundtrack rock anthems.

Its two-week run placed it squarely in 1985’s movie-song boom. If a film had a big emotional final act, there was a decent chance the Hot 100 was listening.

Money for Nothing – Dire Straits

Dire Straits spent three weeks at No. 1 with Money for Nothing, a rock single famous for its guitar riff, MTV-focused lyrics, and computer-animated video. Sting also provided the “I want my MTV” vocal hook.

The song became one of the defining MTV-era rock hits, partly because it commented on music television while becoming a music-television staple. That is not irony; that is efficient branding.

Oh Sheila – Ready for the World

Ready for the World reached No. 1 with Oh Sheila, a synth-funk and R&B hit often compared to Prince’s Minneapolis sound. The song’s groove and vocal style made it one of the year’s most distinctive R&B-pop crossovers.

Its one-week run gave the group its biggest Hot 100 moment.

Take On Me – a-ha

a-ha reached No. 1 with Take On Me, a Norwegian synth-pop classic with one of MTV’s most famous videos. The pencil-sketch animation and live-action blend helped the song become an international pop landmark.

Its one-week run was short, but the video and chorus gave the song a much longer pop-culture life. Some hooks fade. This one kept jumping through comic-book panels.

Saving All My Love for You – Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston earned her first Hot 100 No. 1 with Saving All My Love for You. The ballad introduced her as one of the decade’s most powerful new vocalists and began a historic run of consecutive No. 1 singles.

Its one-week stay was the beginning of a much larger chart story. Whitney’s Hot 100 climb did not tiptoe; it arrived fully voiced.

Part-Time Lover – Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder reached No. 1 with Part-Time Lover, a bright pop-soul single from In Square Circle. The song showed Wonder adapting to 1980s production while keeping his melodic identity intact.

Its one-week run gave him another Hot 100 chart-topper in a career already packed with them.

Miami Vice Theme – Jan Hammer

Jan Hammer topped the Hot 100 with the instrumental Miami Vice Theme. The song’s synth-driven sound captured the sleek television style of Miami Vice.

Its one-week run made it one of the rare TV themes to reach No. 1 on the Hot 100. No lyrics, no problem — just pastel suits, fast cars, and synthesizers doing cardio.

We Built This City – Starship

Starship spent two weeks at No. 1 with We Built This City, a glossy pop-rock single from Knee Deep in the Hoopla. The song became a major hit, then later became one of the most debated and often-mocked No. 1 songs of the decade.

Love it or roll your eyes at it, the chart result was real. The city was apparently built on rock and roll, plus a very sturdy chorus.

Separate Lives – Phil Collins & Marilyn Martin

Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin reached No. 1 with Separate Lives, from the film White Nights. The duet gave Collins his third No. 1 appearance of the 1985 chart year.

Its one-week run continued the strong soundtrack presence that shaped the year’s Hot 100.

Broken Wings – Mr. Mister

Mr. Mister reached No. 1 with Broken Wings, a polished pop-rock ballad from Welcome to the Real World. The song’s atmospheric production and emotional chorus made it a late-year radio favorite.

Its two-week run set up the band’s next No. 1, Kyrie, in early 1986.

Say You, Say Me – Lionel Richie

Lionel Richie closed the 1985 Billboard Hot 100 year with Say You, Say Me, from the film White Nights. The song carried into January 1986 and became another major soundtrack success for Richie.

Its cross-year run gave 1985 a smooth adult-pop ending. If 1985 had a closing-credit song, this one brought the soft-focus fade.

Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Stories of 1985

Careless Whisper Was Billboard’s Year-End No. 1

Careless Whisper by Wham! featuring George Michael was Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 song of 1985. Its three-week stay at No. 1 and full-year performance made it one of the decade’s defining ballads. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

We Are the World Became a Charity-Single Landmark

We Are the World spent four weeks at No. 1 and brought together many of the biggest artists in popular music for African famine relief. The project was conceived by Harry Belafonte, written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}

Soundtrack Songs Were Everywhere

Crazy for You, Don’t You (Forget About Me), A View to a Kill, The Power of Love, St. Elmo’s Fire, Separate Lives, and Say You, Say Me all had film connections. In 1985, movie music was not background decoration; it was a Hot 100 engine.

Phil Collins Appeared on Three No. 1 Songs

Phil Collins reached No. 1 with One More Night, Sussudio, and the Marilyn Martin duet Separate Lives. Few artists were more present on 1985 pop radio.

Whitney Houston’s No. 1 Story Began

Saving All My Love for You gave Whitney Houston her first Hot 100 No. 1. It began a remarkable streak of consecutive chart-toppers that would stretch through the late 1980s.

1985 Billboard Number One Hits Trivia

Careless Whisper by Wham! featuring George Michael was Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 song of 1985.
We Are the World by USA for Africa spent four weeks at No. 1 and became one of the most famous charity singles in pop history.
Phil Collins appeared on three No. 1 songs in 1985: One More Night, Sussudio, and Separate Lives.
Madonna reached No. 1 twice in 1985 with Like a Virgin and Crazy for You.
Tears for Fears reached No. 1 twice with Everybody Wants to Rule the World and Shout.
A View to a Kill remains the only James Bond theme to top the Billboard Hot 100.
Take On Me gave a-ha its only Hot 100 No. 1.
Saving All My Love for You gave Whitney Houston her first Hot 100 No. 1.
Miami Vice Theme by Jan Hammer was one of the rare TV themes to top the Hot 100.
Say You, Say Me closed 1985 and carried into the 1986 Billboard chart year.

Why the 1985 Billboard Number One Hits Matter

The 1985 Billboard Number One Hits list shows pop music in full MTV-era bloom. Video image, soundtrack placement, charity events, British imports, adult-contemporary ballads, arena rock, and synth-pop all helped shape the Hot 100.

The year also included major career moments: Whitney Houston’s first No. 1, Madonna’s continued rise, George Michael’s growing identity beyond Wham!, Phil Collins’ pop-radio dominance, and the massive cultural impact of We Are the World.

For chart fans, 1985 was a year where the Hot 100 sounded like the movies, MTV, radio, and global pop all crashed into the same cassette case. Somehow, the tape still played.