List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1985

These are the Billboard Hot 100 number-one hits of 1985. The two longest running number-one singles of 1985 are "We Are the World" by USA for Africa and "Say You, Say Me" by Lionel Richie which each logged four weeks at number-one. "Say You, Say Me" logged two weeks at number-one in 1985 and two more additional weeks in 1986, reaching a total of four. "Like a Virgin" by Madonna concluded a six-week run that started in 1984.

Cyndi Lauper, studio badge, and the sweatshirt given to all attendees at A&M Studios in Hollywood, California on January 28, 1985, during the recording of "We Are the World".

That year, 17 acts first hit number one, such as Foreigner, USA for Africa, Simple Minds, Tears for Fears, Bryan Adams, Paul Young, Huey Lewis and the News, John Parr, Dire Straits, Ready for the World, a-ha, Whitney Houston, Jan Hammer, Starship, Marilyn Martin, and Mr. Mister. George Michael, having already hit number one with Wham!, also earns his first number one song as a solo act. Madonna, Wham!, Phil Collins, and Tears for Fears were the only acts to have more than one song reach number one, with Phil Collins having the most with three, while the others have two.

This was also a record year for British acts with 13 hits reaching the top spot. As of 2025 this record remains unbroken.

Chart history

Key

The yellow background indicates the #1 song on Billboard's 1985 Year-End Chart of Pop Singles.

No.	Issue date	Song	Artist(s)	Ref.
561	January 5	"Like a Virgin"	Madonna	[1][2]
	January 12			[3][4]
	January 19			[5][6]
	January 26			[7][8]
562	February 2	"I Want to Know What Love Is"	Foreigner	[9][10]
	February 9			[11][12]
563	February 16	"Careless Whisper"	Wham! featuring George Michael	[13][14]
	February 23			[15][16]
	March 2			[17][18]
564	March 9	"Can't Fight This Feeling"	REO Speedwagon	[19][20]
	March 16			[21][22]
	March 23			[23]
565	March 30	"One More Night"	Phil Collins	[24][25]
	April 6			[26][27]
566	April 13	"We Are the World"	USA for Africa	[28][29]
	April 20			[30][31]
	April 27			[32][33]
	May 4			[34][35]
567	May 11	"Crazy for You"	Madonna	[36][37]
568	May 18	"Don't You (Forget About Me)"	Simple Minds	[38][39]
569	May 25	"Everything She Wants"	Wham!	[40][41]
	June 1			[42][43]
570	June 8	"Everybody Wants to Rule the World"	Tears for Fears	[44][45]
	June 15			[46][47]
571	June 22	"Heaven"	Bryan Adams	[48][49]
	June 29			[50][51]
572	July 6	"Sussudio"	Phil Collins	[52][53]
573	July 13	"A View to a Kill"	Duran Duran	[54][55]
	July 20			[56][57]
574	July 27	"Everytime You Go Away"	Paul Young	[58][59]
575	August 3	"Shout"	Tears for Fears	[60][61]
	August 10			[62][63]
	August 17			[64][65]
576	August 24	"The Power of Love"	Huey Lewis and the News	[66][67]
	August 31			[68][69]
577	September 7	"St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)"	John Parr	[70]
	September 14			[71][72]
578	September 21	"Money for Nothing"	Dire Straits	[73][74]
	September 28			[75][76]
	October 5			[77][78]
579	October 12	"Oh Sheila"	Ready for the World	[79][80]
580	October 19	"Take On Me"	a-ha	[81][82]
581	October 26	"Saving All My Love for You"	Whitney Houston	[83][84]
582	November 2	"Part-Time Lover"	Stevie Wonder	[85][86]
583	November 9	"Miami Vice Theme"	Jan Hammer	[87][88]
584	November 16	"We Built This City"	Starship	[89][90]
	November 23			[91][92]
585	November 30	"Separate Lives"	Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin	[93][94]
586	December 7	"Broken Wings"	Mr. Mister	[95][96]
	December 14			[97][98]
587	December 21	"Say You, Say Me"	Lionel Richie	[99][100]
	December 28			[101][102]

Number-one artists

List of number-one artists by total weeks at number one

Position	Artist	Weeks at No. 1
1	Madonna	5
	Wham!
	Tears for Fears
4	USA for Africa	4
	Phil Collins
6	George Michael	3
	REO Speedwagon
	Dire Straits
9	Foreigner	2
	Bryan Adams
	Duran Duran
	Huey Lewis and the News
	John Parr
	Starship
	Mr. Mister
	Lionel Richie
17	Simple Minds	1
	Paul Young
	Ready for the World
	a-ha
	Whitney Houston
	Stevie Wonder
	Jan Hammer
	Marilyn Martin

See also

• 1985 in music
• List of Cash Box Top 100 number-one singles of 1985
• List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of the 1980s