On this day in 1986: Today we are going to go back to this day in 1986 and check out the Top 10 songs on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

1 2 LIVE TO TELL –•– Madonna (Sire)-9 (1 Week at #1) (1)
2 3 ON MY OWN –•– Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald (MCA)-12 (2)
3 1 GREATEST LOVE OF ALL –•– Whitney Houston (Arista)-11 (1)
4 5 I CAN’T WAIT –•– Nu Shooz (Atlantic)-14 (4)
5 6 ALL I NEED IS A MIRACLE –•– Mike + The Mechanics (Atlantic)-12 (5)
6 4 IF YOU LEAVE –•– Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (A&M)-14 (4)
7 7 SOMETHING ABOUT YOU –•– Level 42 (Polydor)-17 (7)
8 11 CRUSH ON YOU –•– The Jets (MCA)-9 (8)
9 13 THERE’LL BE SAD SONGS –•– Billy Ocean (Jive)-8 (9)
10 15 A DIFFERENT CORNER –•– George Michael (Columbia)-7 (10)

Madonna’s ‘Live To Tell’ would spend one week at #1. It was released as the lead single from Madonna’s third studio album ‘True Blue’  (1986) on March 26, 1986 by Sire Records.

Originally composed by Patrick Leonard for the score of the film Fire With Fire, the instrumental was shown to Madonna, who decided to use it for then-husband Sean Penn’s film, ‘At Close Range.’ Madonna wrote all the lyrics, co-composed the melodies, and co-produced it with Leonard.

The song includes instrumentation from guitars, keyboards, drums and a synthesizer. Its lyrics deal with deceit, mistrust and childhood scars. It is also about being strong, which Madonna recalled in an interview that she thought about her relationship with her parents, while writing the lyrics.

‘Live to Tell’ was generally well received by music critics, who frequently referred to it as the best ballad of her career. It was also a commercial success, becoming Madonna’s third number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100  and her first number-one on the Adult Contemporary Chart.

‘On My Own’ by Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald would grab the top spot the following week.