Customer Reviews

Top Gun Soundtrack

5 star:		(64)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Top Gun the Motion Picture Soundtrack (1986). Remastered in 1999 with bonus tracks.

For the most part, movie soundtracks have always had their high spots, but oftentimes fail to be consistent from front to back. That is, until the movie Top Gun came out. Featuring a score by Harold Faltermeyer, Tom Whitlock, Giorgio Moroder, and several famous rock/pop artists, the Top Gun soundtrack became the first truly phenomenal rock movie compilation, and a definitive 80's music staple. It conjurs up the best parts of the mid-80's music scene while throwing away any real cheeziness that many people often associate with the period, making this a great introduction to a better time in rock music history. This was how I was introduced, so let's take a look at each of this disc's fifteen tracks:

1) Danger Zone (Kenny Loggins)- An awesome melodic, fast, hard rock number, and one of the two tracks off of here which became popular. Loggins has always crafted some great rockers in the past for other movies (Footloose, Caddyshack), and this one is no exception. 10/10

2) Mighty Wings (Cheap Trick)- Another melodic fast hard rocker, yet much different from anything Cheap Trick has been known to do. This one is one of my favorites, yet strangely it was never popular. Excellent guitar solo. 10/10

3) Playing With The Boys (Kenny Loggins)- Loggins has another fast one, though this track is more of a happy party pop number. Good, but not great. 8/10

4) Lead Me On (Teena Marie)- An upbeat, driving, mid-tempo track which proves to be very strong, coming from a somewhat popular artist at the time. Great passionate vocals. 9/10

5) Take My Breath Away (Berlin)- Top Gun's slow, melodic, and powerful love theme, this track became one of the most famous ballads of the 80's, and with good reason. 10/10

6) Hot Summer Nights (Miami Sound Machine)- A bouncy party pop song. This shows MSM's sound before Gloria Estephan joined and brought them fame. Not as good as the others, but definitely worthwhile. 8/10

7) Heaven In Your Eyes (Loverboy)- Another great ballad, this time done by Loverboy, who were normally known for their party rock songs. Therefore this song might seem a bit different than what their fans may be used to. Still, it proves to be excellent. 9/10

8) Through The Fire (Larry Greene)- This track is more like Danger Zone and Mighty Wings in its sheer power and speed. Apparently, Larry Greene wasn't a very popular artist and his works can only be found on here and on the Over The Top soundtrack. Such a shame his career never took off like the others. 10/10

9) Destination Unknown (Marietta)- Very melodic, yet upbeat number which stands out moreso than some of the other tracks. Like Larry Greene, Marietta is also a very little known artist, and her song here is the only song of hers that I know of. 10/10

10) Top Gun Anthem (Harold Faltermeyer/Steve Stevens)- Here's the movie's main theme played in the beginning, though the version on here is accompanied by the guitarist Steve Stevens of Billy Idol fame. A very catchy instrumental. 9/10

And the bonus tracks:

11) Dock Of The Bay (Otis Redding)- These new bonus tracks introduce the slower, oldies songs which came from various parts of the movie. This song is quite mellow and memorable. 8/10

12) Memories (Harold Faltermeyer)- Another instrumental, this one is very sad and melodic, reflecting a rather mournful scene in the movie. 9/10

13) Great Balls Of Fire (Jerry Lee Lewis)- A real oldies classic, though the actual song wasn't in the film. Instead, it was sung by several characters. 9/10

14) You've Lost That Loving Feeling (The Righteous Brothers)- An oldies love ballad, which although fairly popular when it first came out, was made more famous by its inclusion in the movie. Very good. 9/10

15) Playing With The Boys Dance Remix (Kenny Loggins)- Basically an enhanced version of the original song. It becomes longer, and therefore benefits the track. 9/10

To this day, the Top Gun soundtrack stands tall as one of the best compilations to ever be put out, especially with a songwriting team of Faltermeyer, Whitlock, and Moroder. I give this soundtrack my highest recommendation to anyone who even remotely likes rock music. Even if you've never heard of any of the artists featured on here, you still won't go wrong with this disc. Add to that a linear notes interview with producer Jerry Bruckheimer and you have a near-perfect package.

Hello everyone. If you are interested in the music written for Top Gun by Harold Faltermeyer you may be able to find a copy of the Top Gun score.......notice I said "MAY BE ABLE TO FIND". As far as I know the original score was never officially released except as an EXTREMELY limited promotional CD (I know because I own a copy). The music is superb (non of that re-recorded junk) and features 11 unreleased tracks by Harold as well as 5 other songs from the film by various artists. Oh, and if you do manage to find a copy for sale, be prepared for a steep price tag! Here is a track listing from the CD:

TOP GUN (THE SCORE) Running Time: (49:40) *=Previously Unreleased

1. Top Gun Anthem (Film Version) (3:41)*
2. Opening Theme (2:39)*
3. Danger Zone - Kenny Loggins (3:36)
4. Mig-28s (1:42)*
5. Negative G Pushover/Cougar's Landing (3:22)*
6. Still Awake/Can't Sleep (2:05)*
7. Playing with the Boys - Kenny Loggins (3:59)
8. Take My Breath Away (Instrumental) (1:30)*
9. Whose Side Are You On/Never Again (3:32)*
10. Flat Spin (4:26)*
11. Goose's Death/Goodbye Goose (1:49)*
12. New Mission (2:27)*
13. Top Gun Anthem (4:13)
14. Mighty Wings - Cheap Trick (3:51)
15. Take My Breath Away - Berlin (4:15)

BONUS TRACK:
16. Great Balls of Fire Demo (2:29)*

I have added a couple photos of the CD (see above).I hope this list helps you out! Good luck!

One of the definitive and best-selling soundtracks of the 1980's was the Top Gun soundtrack. It yielded two Top Five singles, one in the Top Twenty, and two in the bottom half of the charts. With the success of the first two singles, the soundtrack took off without needing any help from the other three.

The racing rocker "Danger Zone" evokes an image of F-14s soaring through the air and cements Kenny Loggins' reputation as that guy who did soundtrack songs (Caddyshack, Footloose, Over The Top). This is definitely his best soundtrack song. The searing guitar solo he does after the bridge is just hot.

Cheap Trick's "Mighty Wings" is a thematic rocker in keeping pace with the movie when Robin Zander and company implores: "Take me on your mighty wings and fly." This shouldn't have flopped in the bottom 50 of the Hot 100. Both this song and "Danger Zone" is refreshing for long car trips.

It's the song afterwards, a mild rocker titled "Playing With The Boys", by Mr. Loggins, that is good, but none one of his best.

With 80's synthesizers blaring, Teena Marie performs the 80's dance pop of "Lead Me On." A similar sound and voice is present in "Destination Unknown" by Marietta. No, this isn't the Missing Persons number. Teena Marie had enough songs to have a greatest hits CD, but whatever happened to Marietta?

Berlin's "Take My Breath Away" was one of those immortal love themes for movies, highlighted by Terri Nunn's vocals. Since I first heard it on radio and MTV, I never got sick of it.

Compared to the material on their first two albums, "Hot Summer Nights" by Miami Sound Machine is totally a throwaway dance song, but at least it's better than when Gloria Estefan overshadowed the machine and turned her back on Cuban dance pop to disco.

"Heaven In Your Eyes" by the Vancouver-based group Loverboy is a prime and splendid example of a power ballad, which should've done better than the #12 peak on the Billboard singles chart. Mike Reno really lets it rip in the last line of the bridge: "Oh this feeling inside, in your eyes" before that wailing guitar kicks in.

"Through The Fire" by Larry Greene, another artist who I'm not sure made any other songs, has a rock guitar nearly as crunchy as "Danger Zone" but overlaced with synthesizers to produce that 80's rock-synthesizer sound. His voice kind of reminds me of a restrained version of Jimi Jameson of Survivor.

Harold Faltermeyer ("Axel F") and Steve Steven (Billy Idol's shaggy-haired guitarist) do the instrumental "Top Gun Anthem," a splendid power-ballad type marriage of keyboard synthesizer and piercing electric guitar. "Memories", the sad elegiac instrumental, which I assume was played when Maverick mourns his best friend's death.

As for the five additional songs, the three 60's classics work to the point that it's more of a complete soundtrack, although it's kind of jarring for those used to having the album end with "Top Gun Anthem." The 6:41 dance mix of "Playing With The Boys" is a welcome addition, but that's because it was remixed by Jellybean Benitez, Madonna's pre-Sean Penn boyfriend?

The CD sleeves includes an interview with Top Gun's producer Jerry Bruckheimer and his fond recollections. According to him, it's difficult doing a soundtrack with certain artists in mind because they might have other obligations. The key is getting the songwriters to do the songs, then approaching the artists whenever they're free. Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock were real assets here, considering they wrote the songs done by Berlin, Teena Marie, Larry Greene, and Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone." Still, the perfect example of a packaged soundtrack that's actually good.

If you liked the movie you will love this soundtrack!!!
These are all clasic chart topping hits and this SACD is expanded with 5 more songs not present on the cd. These songs are Rock , Soft Rock , Oldies and other great classics.
The sound is phenomenal!!! I don't want to ramble, but the direct stream digital process (especially DSD original recordings) sounds better than LP's period and I know how good lp's can sound and obliterates CD in terms of clearness, air , ambience and presence. Some of the older remastered songs are from the late 50's and early 60's and there is nothing you can do about the low level tape hiss but if you listen closely it actually SOUNDS exactly like REAL TAPE HISS! and if you know anything about recording, it's unmistakable! This resolution and dynamic range is not possible on cd or LP (the lp adds it's own noise masking and not being able to resolve the acual hiss from old tape). Whoever can't hear that SACD SOUNDS better than cd and even DVD-A is either deaf, has a bad system or a hidden agenda (dvd-a camp, analog diehards) BUY this disc for the MUSIC!! it's great!!!

The memories of Top Gun for me were Kelly McGillis and Kelly McGillis ( oh yeah, the soundtrack was just as awesome, too)! Also,I can't forget that the c.d medium was only three or four years old and MTV was at it's peak with soundtrack videos.

Top Gun was like the upgraded version of the Flashdance soundtrack; A little more rock and more pulse. I remember friends scoffing at me for buying Flashdance; It wasn't a cool guy soundtrack to buy. Then, three years later, Top Gun came out and the music was very much any young guy's dream to fly with the best and appreciate his gender. Even the ballads were not just chick songs; Everybody loved them.Take My Breath Away from Berlin was one of their more memorable hits (sadly, their last). I was never a Kenny Loggins fan, but with the right music, lyrics, and producer his contributions were very well accepted. Almost forgot that Miami Sound Machine and Teena Marie were on a hot streak with their own hits; Adding them to the Top Gun soundtrack roster was a major plus. The added bonus tracks on the Expanded Edition are timeless and treasured classics (minus the Jellybean Re-Mix and Harold Faltermeyer instrumental). For what it's worth this was one helluva ride back in '86 and ongoing. Too commercialized ? ...Nah ! Top Gun ( Expanded Edition) gets all the Stars and Stripes it deserves for the music and great memories as a teenager in the mid 80's !

The music: Out of the thousands of soundtracks produced, Top Gun is the one many people pick as their favorite. Full of the signature sound of the eighties, this album contains such smash hits as Take My Breath Away, Danger Zone, and Heaven In Your Eyes. In fact, not one of the songs on this disc fails to live up to its potential, from the seductive Lead Me On to the rocky Playing With The Boys to the haunting Destination Unknown. The Top Gun Anthem, a stirring instrumental, is one of my personal favorites. Also included on this album are Jerry Lee Lewis's Great Balls Off Fire, Otis Redding's The Dock Of The Bay, the Righteous Brothers's You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling, and a dance remix of Playing With The Boys.

The booklet: A long unfolding affair with all the lyrics printed clearly, even if some in Hot Summer Nights are incorrect (I'm not quite sure what happened there!). It also contains "A Musical Conversation With Jerry Bruckheimer," an interview with the movie's producer in which he answers questions about the secret to his success, the ease of putting together a multi-artist pop soundtrack back in the eighties, being Tom Cruise's springboard, and more. On the other side of the unfolded strip are nine color photographs of the lead actors in Top Gun.

In summary: A brilliant and poignant and thoroughly American classic. Sure to complement any collection.

I wouldn't call this the ultimate 80's soundtrack like some do, I even like "Footloose" more, and there's too much filler here. But there's no doubt it was huge, and has alot of 80's anthems. Obviously "Danger Zone" was the song for many a maverick, though I like the almost-gay "Playing With The Boys" as much. "Take My Breath Away" was a massive hit for Berlin, even though they were more of a new-wave band really. There's also the minor hit "Heaven In Your Eyes" from Loverboy. I'll admit the bonus tracks here are a huge bonus, because a few of the added songs are much better than some of what was here before. Truth be known, unless Tom Cruise is your favorite guy ever, or you're Air-Force bound, I'd get the best of Kenny Loggins or Berlin first. That's just me.

I do not have a particular liking for 80's rock nor am I a fan of the original motion picture. So with those two facts in mind, I think it's safe to say that I have an unbiased opinion compltely untainted by mainstream hype. The Top Gun Soundtrack is completly worthy of the flawless 5 star rating. It doesn't matter which genre of music you enjoy, the tracks on this anthology translate into every genre is one way or another. I bought this album at a whim when I saw it on sale for 10$ at Best Buy and boy did I get my moneys worth.

On this soundtrack album to what is Tom Cruise's third starring film and first blockbuster,is,on my CD copy,the original 10-track line-up. It begins with DANGER ZONE,Kenny Loggins' first megahit since 1984's FOOTLOOSE,from the soundtrack album of the same title. He also performs PLAYING WITH THE BOYS. Cheap Trick performs MIGHTY WINGS. Lovergirl Teena Marie performs LEAD ME ON which rocks hard. The love theme performed by Berlin is TAKE MY BREATH AWAY. HOT SUMMER NIGHTS,performed by Miami Sound Machine,sounds cool. Another love song,this one a powerful ballad,is HEAVEN IN YOUR EYES,performed by Loverboy. That would make an excellent title for a cotillion or prom. THROUGH THE FIRE was performed by the almost unknown Larry Greene. Marietta,another almost unknown artist,performs DESTINATION UNKNOWN,not to be confused with the song recorded by Missing Persons. The TOP GUN ANTHEM is an instrumental piece recorded by Harold Faltermeyer,who wrote music for the "Beverly Hills Cop" trilogy,and Steve Stevens.

SACD sounds good on front speakers - I cannot find a review that states rear speakers are not used - good sound, extra tracks, but not enough to warrant SACD status - I wish reviewers would review music quality - everyone should already be familiar with songs