Billboard magazine compiled the top-performing dance singles in the United States on the Hot Dance/Disco Club Play chart and the Hot Dance/Disco 12-inch Singles Sales chart. Premiered in 1976, the Club Play chart ranked the most-played singles on dance club based on reports from a national sample of club DJs. It was the sole chart for dance music before the issue dated March 16, 1985, when the 12-inch Singles Sales chart was launched based on retail sales of physical singles across the United States. The first number one on the dance sales chart was "New Attitude"/"Axel F", a split single by Patti LaBelle and Harold Faltermeyer from Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack. However, Billboard had already compiled unpublished chart for the 12-inch singles sales chart since January 19, 1985, with "Rain Forest"/"Sound Chaser" by Paul Hardcastle as its first number one, which was retrospectively listed on Billboard.com.
Charts history
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders sticky-header-multi static-row-numbers" style="text-align: center;"
|+
!scope=col rowspan=2|Issue date
!scope=colgroup colspan=2|Hot Dance/Disco Club Play
!scope=colgroup colspan=2|Hot Dance/Disco 12-inch Singles Sales
!scope=col class=unsortable rowspan=2|
|-
!scope=col|Title
!scope=col|Artist(s)
!scope=col|Title
!scope=col|Artist(s)
|-
|January 5
|"Like a Virgin"
|Madonna
|rowspan=2 colspan=2 align=center style="background-color:#C0C0C0"| Not issued
|
|-
|January 12
|rowspan="2"|"We Are the Young"
|rowspan="2"|Dan Hartman
|
|-
|January 19
|rowspan="3"|"Rain Forest" / "Sound Chaser"
|rowspan="3"|Paul Hardcastle
|
|-
|January 26
|"Loveride"
|Nuance featuring Vikki Love
|
|-
|February 2
|"Sidewalk Talk"
|Jellybean
|
|-
|February 9
|"Loverboy"
|Billy Ocean
|rowspan="2"|"Sugar Walls"
|rowspan="2"|Sheena Easton
|
|-
|February 16
|"Smalltown Boy"
|Bronski Beat
|
|-
|February 23
|"Sugar Walls"
|Sheena Easton
|rowspan="8"|"New Attitude"/<br>"Axel F"
|rowspan="8"|Patti LaBelle/<br>Harold Faltermeyer
|
|-
|March 2
|"This Is My Night"
|Chaka Khan
|
|-
|March 9
|rowspan="2"|"New Attitude"/<br>"Axel F"
|rowspan="2"|Patti LaBelle/<br>Harold Faltermeyer
|
|-
|March 16
|
|-
|March 23
|"Bad Habits"
|Jenny Burton
|
|-
|March 30
|"Material Girl"
|Madonna
|
|-
|April 6
|rowspan="2"|"In My House"
|rowspan="2"|Mary Jane Girls
|
|-
|April 13
|
|-
|April 20
|rowspan="2"|"Point of No Return"
|rowspan="2"|Exposé
|rowspan="4"|"We Are The World"
|rowspan="4"|USA for Africa
|
|-
|April 27
|
|-
|May 4
|"Fresh"
|Kool & the Gang
|
|-
|May 11
|rowspan="2"|"Everybody Wants to Rule the World"
|rowspan="2"|Tears for Fears
|
|-
|May 18
|"Fresh"
|Kool & the Gang
|
|-
|May 25
|rowspan="2"|"Do You Wanna Get Away"
|rowspan="2"|Shannon
|"Everybody Wants to Rule the World"
|Tears for Fears
|
|-
|June 1
|rowspan="2"|"I Wonder If I Take You Home"
|rowspan="2"|Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam with Full Force
|
|-
|June 8
|"Call Me Mr. Telephone (Answering Service)"
|Cheyne
|
|-
|June 15
|"I Wonder If I Take You Home"
|Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam with Full Force
|rowspan="5"|"Angel"/<br>"Into the Groove"
|rowspan="5"|Madonna
|
|-
|June 22
|"Thinking About Your Love"
|Skipworth & Turner
|
|-
|June 29
|"Angel"/<br>"Into the Groove"
|Madonna
|
|-
|July 6
|rowspan="2"|"19"
|rowspan="2"|Paul Hardcastle
|
|-
|July 13
|
|-
|July 20
|rowspan="2"|"Glow"
|rowspan="2"|Rick James
|rowspan="2"|"19"
|rowspan="2"|Paul Hardcastle
|
|-
|July 27
|
|-
|August 3
|rowspan="3"|"Freeway of Love"
|rowspan="3"|Aretha Franklin
|rowspan="2"|"Angel"/<br>"Into the Groove"
|rowspan="2"|Madonna
|
|-
|August 10
|
|-
|August 17
|"Raspberry Beret" / "She's Always In My Hair"
|Prince & the Revolution
|
|-
|August 24
|rowspan="2"|"Shout"
|rowspan="2"|Tears for Fears
|rowspan="2"|"Trapped"
|rowspan="2"|Colonel Abrams
|
|-
|August 31
|
|-
|September 7
|"Trapped"
|Colonel Abrams
|rowspan="2"|"Shout (Remix)"
|rowspan="2"|Tears for Fears
|
|-
|September 14
|"Eight Arms to Hold You"
|Goon Squad
|
|-
|September 21
|"Dare Me"
|The Pointer Sisters
|rowspan="2"|"Pop Life" (Remix) / "Hello"
|rowspan="2"|Prince & the Revolution
|
|-
|September 28
|rowspan="2"|"Be Near Me"
|rowspan="2"|ABC
|
|-
|October 5
|rowspan="4"|"Dress You Up" (Remix)
|rowspan="4"|Madonna
|
|-
|October 12
|"Oh Sheila"
|Ready for the World
|
|-
|October 19
|"Fall Down (Spirit of Love)"
|Tramaine
|
|-
|October 26
|rowspan="2"|"You Wear It Well"
|rowspan="2"|El DeBarge with DeBarge
|
|-
|November 2
|"I'll Be Good"
|Rene & Angela
|
|-
|November 9
|"You & Me"
|The Flirts
|"Part-Time Lover" (Remix)
|Stevie Wonder
|
|-
|November 16
|"Part-Time Lover"
|Stevie Wonder
|"Conga"
|Miami Sound Machine
|
|-
|November 23
|"Who's Zoomin' Who"
|Aretha Franklin
|"Part-Time Lover" (Remix)
|Stevie Wonder
|
|-
|November 30
|rowspan="2"|"A Love Bizarre"
|rowspan="2"|Sheila E.
|rowspan="5"|"I Like You"
|rowspan="5"|Phyllis Nelson
|
|-
|December 7
|
|-
|December 14
|"I Like You"
|Phyllis Nelson
|
|-
|December 21
|"Takes a Little Time"
|Total Contrast
|
|-
|December 28
|"Baby Talk"
|Alisha
|
|-
|}
See also
- 1985 in music
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart