Chart: DMR 1986 Year End Top 100
Note: There are 101 positions due to some ties in the rankings.
| POSITION | ARTIST | TITLE | LABEL |
| 1 | NU SHOOZ | POINT OF NO RETURN | ATLANTIC |
| 2 | GWEN GUTHRIE | AIN’T NOTHIN’ GOIN’ ON BUT THE RENT | POLYDOR |
| 3 | JANET JACKSON | NASTY | A & M |
| 4 | BANANARAMA | VENUS | LONDON |
| 5 | STACEY Q | TWO OF HEARTS | ON THE SPOT |
| 6 | TIMEX SOCIAL CLUB | RUMOURS | JAY |
| 7 | E.G. DAILY | SAY IT | A&M |
| 8 | BARBARA ROY | GOTTA SEE YOU TONIGHT | RCA |
| 9 | ANTHONY AND THE CAMP | WHAT I LIKE | WARNER BROS |
| 10 | CLAUDJA BARRY | DOWN AND COUNTING | EPIC |
| 11 | SOS BAND | THE FINEST | TABU |
| 12 | REGINA | BABY LOVE | ATLANTIC |
| 13 | HANSON & DAVIS | HUNGRY FOR YOUR LOVE | FRESH |
| 14 | PRINCE | KISS | PAISLEY PARK |
| 15 | JOYCE SIMS | ALL AND ALL | SLEEPING BAG |
| 16 | EVELYN KING | HIGH HORSE | RCA |
| 17 | DHAR BRAXTON | JUMP BACK (SET ME FREE) | SLEEPING BAG |
| 18 | FIVE STAR | CAN’T WAIT ANOTHER MINUTE | RCA |
| 19 | BANG ORCHESTRA | SAMPLE THAT! | GEFFEN |
| 20 | CAMEO | WORD UP! | ATLANTA ARTISTS |
| 21 | FALCO | ROCK ME AMADEUS | A&M |
| 22 | VAL YOUNG | IF YOU SHOULD EVER BE LONELY | MOTOWN |
| 23 | PET SHOP BOYS | WEST END GIRLS | EMI |
| 24 | O’CHI BROWN | WHENEVER YOU NEED SOMEBODY | MAGNET – MERCURY |
| 25 | NU SHOOZ | I CAN’T WAIT | ATLANTIC |
| 26 | PETER GABRIEL | SLEDGEHAMMER | GEFFEN |
| 27 | ORAN JUICE JONES | THE RAIN | COLUMBIA – DEF JAM |
| 28 | JANET JACSON | WHEN I THINK OF YOU | A&M |
| 30 | NOCERA | SUMMERTIME | SLEPPING BAG |
| 31 | INFORMATION SOCIETY | RUNNING | TOMMY BOY |
| 32 | TKA | ONE WAY LOVE | TOMMY BOY |
| 33 | CHAKA KHAN | LOVE OF A LIFETIME | WARNER BROS |
| 34 | NANCY MARTINEZ | FOR TONIGHT | ATLANTIC |
| 35 | NICOLE | DON’T YOU WANT MY LOVE | PORTRAIT |
| 36 | STARPOINT | RESTLESS | ELEKTRA-ASYLUM |
| 37 | MADONNA | PAPA DON’T PREACH | SIRE |
| 38 | THE JETS | CRUSH ON YOU | MCA |
| 39 | CHERRELLE | ARTIFICIAL HEART | TABU CBS |
| 40 | MIDNIGHT STAR | HEADLINES | ELEKTRA |
| 41 | THE BLOW MONKEYS | DIGGING YOUR SCENE | RCA |
| 42 | MICHAEL MCDONALD | SWEET FREEDOM | MCA |
| 43 | SKIPWORTH AND TURNER | CAN’T GIVE HER UP | WARNER BROS |
| 44 | PET SHOP BOYS | OPPORTUNITIES | EMI |
| 45 | ART OF NOISE | PETER GUNN | CHRYSALIS |
| 46 | SKYY | GIVIN’ IT TO ME | CAPITOL |
| 47 | ERASURE | OH L’AMOUR | MUTE – SIRE |
| 48 | WHITNEY HOUSTON | HOW WILL I KNOW | ARISTA |
| 49 | B-52’S | SUMMER OF LOVE | WARNER BROS |
| 50 | COLONEL ABRAMS | I’M NOT GONNA LET | MCA |
| 51 | TINA TURNER | TYPICAL MALE | CAPITOL |
| 51 | BLUE MODERNE | THROUGH THE NIGHT | ROLL SUNNYVIEW |
| 52 | THE ROLLING STONES | HARLEM SHUFFLE | ROLLING STONE |
| 53 | CULTURE CLUB | MOVE AWAY / SEXUALITY | VIRGIN – EPIC |
| 54 | STACY LATTISAW | NAIL IT TO THE WALL | MOTOWN |
| 55 | JANET JACKSON | WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY | A & M |
| 56 | PATTI AUSTIN | HEAT OF HEAT | QWEST |
| 57 | RICK JAMES | SWEET AND SEXY THING | GORDY MOTOWN |
| 58 | TAFFY | I LOVE MY RADIO | EMERGENCY |
| 59 | RUN DMC | WALK THIS WAY | PROFILE |
| 60 | CHICO DEBARGE | TALK TO ME | MOTOWN |
| 62 | WILLIE COLON | SET FIRE TO ME | A&M |
| 63 | TRAMAINE | IN THE MORNING TIME | A&M |
| 64 | TRINERE | HOW CAN WE BE WRONG | JAM PACKED |
| 65 | FIVE STAR | CAN’T WAIT ANOTHER MINUTE | RCA |
| 65 | FIVE STAR | LOVE TAKEOVER | RCA |
| 66 | THE FLIRTS | NEW TOY | EPIC |
| 67 | KLYMAXX | MAN SIZE LOVE | MCA |
| 68 | MAZARATI | 100 MPH | PAISLEY PARK |
| 70 | BILLIE | NOBODY’S BUSINESS | FLEETWOOD |
| 71 | THE JETS | PRIVATE NUMBER | MCA |
| 72 | JOHNNY KEMP | JUST ANOTHER LOVER | COLUMBIA |
| 73 | O’CHI BROWN | 100% PURE PAIN | MAGNET – MERCURY |
| 74 | ROY AYERS | HOT | COLUMBIA |
| 75 | PRINCE | MOUNTAINS | PAISLEY PARK |
| 76 | JAMES BROWN | LIVING IN AMERICA | SCOTTI BROS |
| 77 | ALISHA | STARGAZING | VANGUARD |
| 78 | DIANA ROSS | CHAIN REACTION | RCA |
| 79 | CONNIE | EXPERIENCE | SUNNYVIEW |
| 80 | HUMAN LEAGUE | HUMAN | VIRGIN-A & M |
| 81 | JENNIFER HOLLIDAY | NO FRILLS LOVE | GEFFEN |
| 82 | E.G. DAILY | LOVE IN THE SHADOWS | A&M |
| 83 | ROBERT PALMER | I DIDN’T MEAN TO TURN YOU ON | ISLAND |
| 84 | TRINERE | I’LL BE ALL YOU EVER NEED | JAMPACKED |
| 85 | ARETHA FRANKLIN | ANOTHER NIGHT | ARISTA |
| 86 | POINTER SISTERS | TWIST MY ARM | RCA |
| 87 | NICE & WILD | DIAMOND GIRL | ATLANTIC |
| 88 | REBBIE JACKSON | REACTION | COLUMBIA |
| 89 | JOCELYN BROWN | LOVE’S GONNA GET YOU | JELLYBEAN – WARNER |
| 90 | RUN DMC | MY ADIDAS | PROFILE |
| 91 | JERMAINE STEWART | JODY / DANCEFLOOR | ARISTA – 10 |
| 92 | EVELYN THOMAS | HOW MANY HEARTS | PROFILE-SEA BRIGHT |
| 93 | ANTHONY AND THE CAMP | HOW MANY LOVERS | WARNER BROS |
| 94 | MIAMI SOUND MACHINE | BAD BOY | EPIC |
| 95 | BELINDA CARLISLE | MAD ABOUT YOU | IRS |
| 96 | JAMES ‘D TRAIN’ WILLIAMS | YOU ARE EVERYTHING | COLUMBIA |
| 97 | SKYY | NON-STOP | CAPITOL |
| 98 | BILLY OCEAN | WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH… | ZOMBA ARISTA |
| 99 | BELLE STARS | WORLD DOMINATION | STIFF-MCA |
| 100 | 52nd STREET | TELL ME HOW IT FEELS | MCA |
| 101 | NEW EDITION | A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE | MCA |