ContemporaryJazz.com is looking back at the Billboard Jazz Chart from 40 years ago. This was published before the magazine split the chart into Top Contemporary Jazz Albums and Top Jazz Albums. There was quite a mix of artists on this chart: Sade to Maynard Ferguson to Yellowjackets to George Winston.

Magic Touch, the debut recording from Stanley Jordan was spending its 11th week at the top of the chart on August 3, 1985. It would dominate the chart for a record 51 weeks. It was one of those rare instrumental recordings that went outside of jazz circles – Magic Touch was certified gold in the U.S., marking over 500,000 sales! It introduced the world to Jordan’s groundbreaking two-handed tapping technique, allowing him to perform melody, chords, and bass lines simultaneously on a single instrument.

The album features inventive takes on jazz standards like “’Round Midnight” and “A Child Is Born,” fresh interpretations of pop songs like “Eleanor Rigby” and “The Lady in My Life,” and Jordan’s own original compositions—all performed with dazzling precision and musicality.

Here are the top 15 recordings from the August 3, 1985 Billboard Top Jazz Chart:

Top Jazz Albums
Week of August 3, 1985