| Issue date | Song | Artist(s) | Weeks at
number one | | {{anchor|19841984 |
|---|
| October 20 | "I Just Called to Say I Love You" | Stevie Wonder | 3 |
| November 10 | "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" | Wham! | 4 |
| December 8 | "Out of Touch" | Daryl Hall and John Oates | 2 |
| December 22 | "Like a Virgin" | Madonna | 5 |
| {{anchor|19851985 |
|---|
| January 26 | "You're the Inspiration" | Chicago | 1 |
| February 2 | "I Want to Know What Love Is" | Foreigner | 2 |
| February 16 | "Careless Whisper" | Wham! featuring George Michael | 3 |
| March 9 | "Can't Fight This Feeling" | REO Speedwagon | 3 |
| March 30 | "One More Night" | Phil Collins | 2 |
| April 13 | "We Are the World" | USA for Africa | 4 |
| May 11 | "Crazy for You" | Madonna | 1 |
| May 18 | "Don't You (Forget About Me)" | Simple Minds | 1 |
| May 25 | "Everything She Wants" | Wham! | 2 |
| June 8 | "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" | Tears for Fears | 2 |
| June 22 | "Sussudio" | Phil Collins | 4 |
| July 20 | "Raspberry Beret" | Prince | 1 |
| July 27 | "Everytime You Go Away" | Paul Young | 1 |
| August 3 | "Shout" | Tears for Fears | 3 |
| August 24 | "The Power of Love" | Huey Lewis and the News | 3 |
| September 14 | "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" | John Parr | 1 |
| September 21 | "Money for Nothing" | Dire Straits | 3 |
| October 12 | "Take on Me" | a-ha | 2 |
| October 26 | "Part-Time Lover" | Stevie Wonder | 3 |
| November 16 | "We Built This City" | Starship | 2 |
| November 30 | "Separate Lives" | Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin | 2 |
| December 14 | "Broken Wings" | Mr. Mister | 1 |
| December 21 | "Say You, Say Me" | Lionel Richie | 5 |
| {{anchor|19861986 |
|---|
| January 25 | "That's What Friends Are For" | Dionne and Friends | 3 |
| February 15 | "How Will I Know" | Whitney Houston | 2 |
| March 1 | "Kyrie" | Mr. Mister | 2 |
| March 15 | "Sara" | Starship | 1 |
| March 22 | "These Dreams" | Heart | 1 |
| March 29 | "Rock Me Amadeus" | Falco | 3 |
| April 19 | "Kiss" | Prince | 2 |
| May 3 | "West End Girls" | Pet Shop Boys | 2 |
| May 17 | "Greatest Love of All" | Whitney Houston | 2 |
| May 31 | "Live to Tell" | Madonna | 3 |
| June 21 | "On My Own" | Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald | 2 |
| July 5 | "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)" | Billy Ocean | 1 |
| July 12 | "Invisible Touch" | Genesis | 3 |
| August 2 | "Glory of Love" | Peter Cetera | 2 |
| August 16 | "Papa Don't Preach" | Madonna | 2 |
| August 30 | "Higher Love" | Steve Winwood | 2 |
| September 13 | "Dancing on the Ceiling" | Lionel Richie | 1 |
| September 20 | "Stuck with You" | Huey Lewis and the News | 3 |
| October 11 | "When I Think of You" | Janet Jackson | 2 |
| October 25 | "True Colors" | Cyndi Lauper | 2 |
| November 8 | "Amanda" | Boston | 3 |
| November 29 | "Human" | The Human League | 1 |
| December 6 | "The Way It Is" | Bruce Hornsby and the Range | 2 |
| December 20 | "Walk Like an Egyptian" | The Bangles | 4 |
| {{anchor|19871987 |
|---|
| January 17 | "Shake You Down" | Gregory Abbott | 1 |
| January 24 | "At This Moment" | Billy Vera and the Beaters | 1 |
| January 31 | "Open Your Heart" | Madonna | 2 |
| February 14 | "Livin' on a Prayer" | Bon Jovi | 4 |
| March 14 | "Jacob's Ladder" | Huey Lewis and the News | 1 |
| March 21 | "Lean on Me" | Club Nouveau | 2 |
| April 4 | "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" | Starship | 3 |
| April 25 | "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" | Aretha Franklin and George Michael | 1 |
| May 2 | "(I Just) Died in Your Arms" | Cutting Crew | 2 |
| May 16 | "With or Without You" | U2 | 3 |
| June 6 | "You Keep Me Hangin' On" | Kim Wilde | 1 |
| June 13 | "Always" | Atlantic Starr | 1 |
| June 20 | "Head to Toe" | Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam | 1 |
| June 27 | "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" | Whitney Houston | 3 |
| July 18 | "Alone" | Heart | 2 |
| August 1 | "Shakedown" | Bob Seger | 1 |
| August 8 | "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" | U2 | 1 |
| August 15 | "Who's That Girl" | Madonna | 2 |
| August 29 | "La Bamba" | Los Lobos | 3 |
| September 19 | "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" | Michael Jackson with Siedah Garrett | 1 |
| September 26 | "Didn't We Almost Have It All" | Whitney Houston | 1 |
| October 3 | "Here I Go Again" | Whitesnake | 1 |
| October 10 | "Carrie" | Europe | 1 |
| October 17 | "Lost in Emotion" | Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam | 1 |
| October 24 | "Bad" | Michael Jackson | 2 |
| November 7 | "I Think We're Alone Now" | Tiffany | 2 |
| November 21 | "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" | Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes | 2 |
| December 5 | "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" | Belinda Carlisle | 1 |
| December 12 | "Faith" | George Michael | 5 |
| {{anchor|19881988 |
|---|
| January 16 | "Got My Mind Set On You" | George Harrison | 1 |
| January 23 | "Need You Tonight" | INXS | 1 |
| January 30 | "Could've Been" | Tiffany | 3 |
| February 20 | "Father Figure" | George Michael | 4 |
| March 19 | "Never Gonna Give You Up" | Rick Astley | 1 |
| March 26 | "Man in the Mirror" | Michael Jackson | 3 |
| April 16 | "Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car" | Billy Ocean | 2 |
| April 30 | "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" | Whitney Houston | 1 |
| May 7 | "Anything for You" | Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine | 2 |
| May 21 | "One More Try" | George Michael | 4 |
| June 18 | "Together Forever" | Rick Astley | 1 |
| June 25 | "Foolish Beat" | Debbie Gibson | 2 |
| July 9 | "The Flame" | Cheap Trick | 2 |
| July 23 | "Hold On to the Nights" | Richard Marx | 1 |
| July 30 | "Roll With It" | Steve Winwood | 4 |
| August 27 | "Monkey" | George Michael | 2 |
| September 10 | "Perfect World" | Huey Lewis & the News | 1 |
| September 17 | "Sweet Child o' Mine | Guns N' Roses | 2 |
| October 1 | "Love Bites" | Def Leppard | 2 |
| October 15 | "Red Red Wine" | UB40 | 1 |
| October 22 | "Groovy Kind of Love" | Phil Collins | 2 |
| November 5 | "Kokomo" | The Beach Boys | 2 |
| November 19 | "Wild, Wild West" | The Escape Club | 1 |
| November 26 | "Baby, I Love Your Way/Freebird Medley" | Will to Power | 1 |
| December 3 | "Look Away" | Chicago | 3 |
| December 24 | "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" | Poison | 4 |
| {{anchor|19891989 |
|---|
| January 21 | "Two Hearts" | Phil Collins | 2 |
| February 4 | "When I'm With You" | Sheriff | 1 |
| February 11 | "Straight Up" | Paula Abdul | 3 |
| March 4 | "Lost In Your Eyes" | Debbie Gibson | 3 |
| March 25 | "The Living Years" | Mike + The Mechanics | 1 |
| April 1 | "Eternal Flame" | The Bangles | 1 |
| April 8 | "The Look" | Roxette | 2 |
| April 22 | "Like a Prayer" | Madonna | 3 |
| May 13 | "I'll Be There for You" | Bon Jovi | 1 |
| May 20 | "Forever Your Girl" | Paula Abdul | 2 |
| June 3 | "Rock On" | Michael Damian | 1 |
| June 10 | "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)" | New Kids on the Block | 2 |
| June 24 | "Satisfied" | Richard Marx | 2 |
| July 8 | "Good Thing" | Fine Young Cannibals | 2 |
| July 22 | "If You Don't Know Me By Now" | Simply Red | 1 |
| July 29 | "Toy Soldiers" | Martika | 1 |
| August 5 | "Right Here Waiting" | Richard Marx | 5 |
| September 9 | "Cold Hearted" | Paula Abdul | 1 |
| September 16 | "Don't Wanna Lose You" | Gloria Estefan | 1 |
| September 23 | "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You" | Milli Vanilli | 3 |
| October 14 | "Miss You Much" | Janet Jackson | 3 |
| November 4 | "Listen to Your Heart" | Roxette | 1 |
| November 11 | "When I See You Smile" | Bad English | 2 |
| November 25 | "Blame It on the Rain" | Milli Vanilli | 2 |
| December 9 | "We Didn't Start the Fire" | Billy Joel | 1 |
| December 16 | "Another Day in Paradise" | Phil Collins | 5 |
Whitburn, Joel. The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits. (2004) {{ISBN|0-8230-7499-4}}
{{Hot 100 component charts}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Hot 100 Airplay 1980s}}