| Singles Chart number ones |
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Most number ones Best-selling singles |
The Singles Chart is a weekly record chart based on single sales from Sunday to Saturday; during the 1980s, a total of 86 singles reached number one. The most successful artist of the 1980s was American singer and dancer Michael Jackson, who topped the Singles Chart for 47 weeks with nine different singles. The charity single "We Are the World" (1985), recorded by the supergroup United Support of Artists (USA) for Africa was the best-selling single of the decade. The first number-one single of the 1980s was "I Have a Dream" by Swedish pop group ABBA – released in 1979, first reached number one in January, and remained at the top for six consecutive weeks. The final number one of the decade was "Another Day in Paradise" by English singer and drummer Phil Collins.
Number-one singles edit
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| † | Best-selling single of the year |
| ‡ | Runner-up single of the year |
| Best-selling single of the decade | |
| Runner-up single of the decade |
| Contents |
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| ← 1970s · 1980 · 1981 · 1982 · 1983 · 1984 · 1985 · 1986 · 1987 · 1988 · 1989 · 1990s→ |
Singles with the most weeks at number one edit
The following singles spent at least ten weeks at number one during the 1980s.
| Artist | Single | Weeks at number one |
|---|---|---|
| USA for Africa | "We Are the World" | 12 |
| Berlin | "Take My Breath Away" | 11 |
| Enya | "Orinoco Flow" | |
| Lipps Inc. | "Funkytown" | 10 |
By artist edit
The following artists spent at least thirty weeks at number one during the 1980s.
| Artist | Number-one singles | Weeks at number one |
|---|---|---|
| ABBA | 5 | 31 |
| Michael Jackson | 9 | 47 |
| Madonna | 5 | 36 |
Best-selling singles edit
| No. | Single | Artist | Year | Weeks at number one |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "We Are the World" | USA for Africa | 1985 | 12 |
| 2 | "Purple Rain" | Prince / The Revolution | 1984 | 9 |
| 3 | "Take My Breath Away" | Berlin | 1986 | 11 |
| 4 | "Orinoco Flow" | Enya | 1988 | 11 |
| 5 | "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" | Bill Medley / Jennifer Warnes | 1987 | 8 |
| 6 | "Radio Ga Ga" | Queen | 1984 | 8 |
| 7 | "Funkytown" | Lipps Inc. | 1980 | 10 |
| 8 | "Thriller" | Michael Jackson | 1983 | 6 |
| 9 | "Like a Prayer" | Madonna | 1989 | 9 |
| 10 | "Another Brick in the Wall, Part II" | Pink Floyd | 1979 | 8 |
| 11 | "Don't Stop Believin'" | Journey | 1981 | 9 |
| 12 | "Do They Know It's Christmas?" | Band Aid | 1984 | 1 |
| 13 | "In the Air Tonight" | Phil Collins | 1981 | 8 |
| 14 | "I Want Your Sex" | George Michael | 1987 | 8 |
| 15 | "La Isla Bonita" | Madonna | 8 | |
| 16 | "Moonlight Shadow" | Mike Oldfield | 1983 | 8 |
| 17 | "Love of the Common People" | Paul Young | 5 | |
| 18 | "Bad" | Michael Jackson | 1987 | 5 |
| 19 | "If I Could Turn Back Time" | Cher | 1989 | 8 |
| 20 | "Don't Go" | Yazoo | 1982 | 8 |