The 25 best Indie songs of 1986

20 February 2026, 14:42 | Updated: 20 February 2026, 15:00

Take a trip back to the days of Ask, Bizarre Love Triangle, Rise, Happy Hour and an updated version of Boys Don't Cry.

1. Talk Talk - Life's What You Make It: release date 6th January 1986

   The London-based band evolved from their synth pop/New Romantic roots to a darker, more experimental sound on their third album, The Colour Of Spring. This was the lead single, which make Number 16 in the UK, accompanied by a video directed by Tim Pope, the man behind The Cure's promo clips at the time.

   

   Talk Talk - Life's What You Make It (Official Video)

2. The Alarm - Spirit Of '76: release date 6th January 1986

   Taken from the Welsh band's second album Strengh, Spirit Of '76 peaked at Number 22 in the British charts.

   

   The Alarm - Spirit of '76 (Official Music Video} Long Version [2019 Remaster]

3. Public Image Ltd - Rise: release date 20th January 1986

   "Anger is an energy." Taken from John Lydon and co's ironically-titled Album, this classic rose to Number 11 in February 1986.

   

   Public Image Limited - Rise

4. The Damned - Eloise: release date 27th January 1986

   The British punk band covered Barry Ryan's 1968 hit as a standalone single in advance of their seventh album Anything. Eloise reached Number 3, making it the biggest chart hit for The Damned.

   

   The Damned - Eloise

5. Depeche Mode - Stripped: release date 10th February 1986

   The lead single from the classic Black Celebration album was Depeche Mode's sixth consectutive Top 20 hit, peaking at Number 15.

   

   Depeche Mode - Stripped (Remastered)

6. Siouxsie & The Banshees - Candyman: release date 28th February 1986

   The second single from the Banshee's Tinderbox album, following Cities In Dust in November 1985. Candyman made it to Number 34 in the UK charts, despite the sinister lyrics.

   

   Siouxsie And The Banshees - Candyman (Official Music Video)

7. Big Audio Dynamite - E=MC2: released March 1986

   Mick Jones' post-Clash project released their second album, This Is Big Audio Dynamite, in late 1985 and this is their most enduring single. Featuring samples from the 1970 Mick Jagger film Performance and name-checking the films of director Nicolas Roeg, this was BAD's first Top 40 hit, peaking at Number 11.

   

   Big Audio Dynamite - E=MC2

8. Pete Wylie - Sinful: released April 1986

   The former leader of the Liverpool band Wah! (aka The Mighty Wah!), this was Wylie's only solo Top 20 hit - atlthough he reached Number 28 in 1991 as a guest of The Farm on their cover of Sinful!

   

   Pete Wylie - Sinful! (1986)

9. The Cure - Boys Don't Cry (New Voice - New Mix): release date 25th April 1986

   Originally released in June 1979, this classic track failed to chart on its initial release, but frontman Robert Smith re-recorded the vocal and the song was reissued alongside The Cure's first singles compilation Standing On A Beach. Boys Don't Cry finally charted, reaching Number 22 in May 1986. 40 years later, the remixed version was finally issued as a digital download and anniversary physical editions, where it peaked at Number 22... again!

   

   The Cure - Boys Don't Cry (Official Music Video) [HD]

10. Doctor And The Medics - Spirit In The Sky: release date 28th April 1986

    The Doctor was singer Clive Jackson and the band had a UK Number 1 with their cover of Norman Greenbaum's 1969 hit.

    

    Doctor and the Medics - Spirit In The Sky (Official Music Video) HD

11. Furniture - Brilliant Mind: release date 28th April 1986

    The London band fronted by Jim Irvin had their one and only hit when Brilliant Mind reached Number 21 in July 1986.

    

    Furniture - Brilliant Mind (1986)

12. The Housemartins - Happy Hour: release date 30th May 1986

    The quartet's most enduring hit peaked at Number 3, but it wasn't their most successful single; that would be Caravan Of Love, which topped the chart in December the same year. Happy Hour appeared on the debut album London 0 Hull 4.

    

    The Housemartins - Happy Hour

13. Billy Bragg - Levi Stubbs Tears: release date 12th June 1986

    Taken from Bragg's third album, Talking With The Taxman About Poetry, this single peaked at Number 29 in July 1986.

    

    Billy Bragg - Levi Stubbs Tears (Official Video)

14. R.E.M. - Fall On Me: release date 14th July 1986

    One of two singles released from the alternative legends' fourth album, Lifes Rich Pageant - the other was R.E.M.'s cover of Superman by The Clique. Fall On Me only made Number 94 on the Billboard Hot 100 and didn't dent the British chart at all, but was well-regarded enough to be included on the group's setlist at Glastonbuy in June 2003.

    

    R.E.M. - Fall On Me

15. Jesus And Mary Chain - Some Candy Talking: release date 14th July 1986

    Released after the Reid brothers' iconic debut album Psychocandy, this single made Number 13 in the charts, despite getting very little radio play after rumours started that the lyrics were about heroin. It was the final JAMC single to feature Bobby Gillespie, before the drummer left to form Primal Scream.

    

    The Jesus and Mary Chain - Some Candy Talking (Official Video)

16. Psychedelic Furs - Pretty In Pink: released August 1986

    Originally released in 1981, this new wave classic was re-recorded for use in the 1986 John Hughes teen movie of the same name. The new version peaked at Number 18 in September '86.

    

    PSYCHEDELIC FURS : Pretty in pink (HD)

17. Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (- Forever) Live and Die: release date 26th August 1986

    OMD's track If You Leave also appeared on the Pretty In Pink soundtrack, but the single stalled at Number 48 in the UK, while making Number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. This was the follow-up, which went to Number 11 at home, and was the lead single from the group's seventh album, The Pacific Age.

    

    Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - (Forever) Live And Die

18. The Fall - Mr Pharmacist: release date 1st September 1986

    Mark E. Smith released the ninth Fall album in September 1986 and this was the only single to be released. It just about scraped into the UK Top 75, but peaked at Number 2 on the indie chart.

    

    The Fall - Mr Pharmacist HD

19. Julian Cope - World Shut Your Mouth: release date 15th September 1986

    Here's a confusing one: the first solo album from the former Teardrop Explodes frontman was called World Shut Your Mouth and was released in 1984. It took him another two years to record a song of the same name, which was the lead single from his Saint Julian LP. It was Cope's biggest solo hit, peaking at Number 19.

    

    Julian Cope - World Shut Your Mouth (1986)

20. The Mission - Stay With Me: release date 6th October 1986

    After leaving the Sisters Of Mercy in the summer of 1985, Wayne Hussey and Craig Adams briefly worked together under the name The Sisterhood - until their former Sisters colleague Andrew Eldritch issued an album using the same moniker as a spoiler. Hussey and Adams reconvened as The Mission, with their debut album God's Own Medicine spawning this single.

    

    The Mission U.K. – Stay With Me - © Mercury/Phonogram/Polygram Records/EMI.

21. The The - Infected: release date 13th October 1986

    The second studio outing from Matt Johnson's ongoing post-punk project was accompanied by a "video album" with clips for each track, which was later broadcast on Channel 4. The title track was issued as the second single, after Heartland.

    

    The The - Infected

22. The Primitives - Really Stupid: released October 1986

    The second single from the Coventry jangle pop band peaked at Number 3 on the UK indie chart.

    

    The Primitives - Really Stupid - 1986

23. The Smiths - Ask: release date 20th October 1986

    A standalone single from Morrissey and Marr which followed hot on the heels of Panic and the Queen Is Dead album. Featuring backing vocals from beloved singer Kirsty MacColl, the track made Number 14 in the UK charts.

    

    The Smiths - Ask (Official Music Video)

24. New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle: release date 3rd November 1986

    Remixed by producer Shep Pettibone, this indie dancefloor classic was originally issued on New Order's fourth album Brotherhood. BLT made Number 2 on the Indie chart, being kept off the top spot by firstly Ask by The Smiths and then Sometimes by Erasure.

    

    New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle (Official Music Video) [HD]

25. Iggy Pop - Real Wild Child (Wild One): released November 1986

    The former Stooges legends had his first UK solo chart hit, when this cover of Johnny O'Keefe's 1958 rocker made Number 10 in January of 1987.

    

    Iggy Pop - Real Wild Child (Wild One)