Top Gun (soundtrack)

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Top Gun
Top Gun cover
Soundtrack
Released 1986/1999/2006
Genre Soundtrack
Length 56:51
Label Columbia Records
Producer Don Simpson, Jerry Bruckheimer
Professional reviews

Top Gun is the soundtrack from the movie of the same name starring Tom Cruise, released in 1986 by Columbia Records. In 1999, it was reissued in a Special Expanded Edition with extra tracks added. The album reached first place in the charts for several weeks in 1986.

A separate CD of the score was released as a limited promotional item. It was never sold in stores and fetches high prices on auction sites like eBay when it turns up. However, even this CD does not contain the complete score. Noticeably missing are the Hop 19 instrumental, and the music from when Maverick flies with Sundown.

Contents

[edit] Track listing

The original version had only 10 tracks. Tracks 11 to 15 are only available in Special Expanded Edition released in 1999. A 2006 reissue adds in five additional tracks, however these are just "of the period" songs that have nothing to do with the movie.

  1. "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins – 3:36
  2. "Mighty Wings" by Cheap Trick – 3:51
  3. "Playing with the Boys" by Kenny Loggins – 3:59
  4. "Lead Me On" by Teena Marie – 3:47
  5. "Take My Breath Away (Love theme from "Top Gun")" by Berlin (Cantonese Sung By Sandy Lam) – 4:11
  6. "Hot Summer Nights" by Miami Sound Machine – 3:38
  7. "Heaven in Your Eyes" by Loverboy – 4:04
  8. "Through the Fire" by Larry Greene – 3:46
  9. "Destination Unknown" by Marietta – 3:48
  10. "Top Gun Anthem" by Harold Faltermeyer & Steve Stevens – 4:12
  11. "(Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding – 2:42 *
  12. "Memories" by Harold Faltermeyer – 2:57 *
  13. "Great Balls of Fire" (Original Version) by Jerry Lee Lewis – 1:57 *
  14. "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" by The Righteous Brothers – 3:44 *
  15. "Playing with the Boys" (12" Version) by Kenny Loggins – 6:41 *

* not included in the original album.

  • Fans have expressed their wishes for another CD to be released that contains the film's original score. Notable tracks include the full title music played when the opening text comes up at the beginning of the film, dogfight tracks used when Maverick is at Top Gun school and the full track that was used when Maverick drove to Charlie's house, only to see she had left.

[edit] Omissions

Bryan Adams was approached to allow his song "Only the Strong Survive" on the soundtrack. He refused because he felt the film glorified war and he didn't want any of his work linked to it.

Judas Priest were also approached to allow their song "Reckless" on the soundtrack, but declined, both because they thought the film would flop and because it would have meant leaving the song off their 1986 album Turbo.[1] Ironically, they contributed the title track to the film Johnny Be Good two years later, which was a commercial failure.

The song "Through the Fire" by Larry Greene has appeared on all pressings of the soundtrack, but does not appear in the film in any shape or form. However, the film does list it in the music listings during the end credits.

Other songs not included on any release of the soundtrack include the cast recordings of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" and "Great Balls of Fire", as well as the "humming" version of "Take My Breath Away" and Giorgio Moroder's "Radar Radio".

[edit] Chart positions

Year Chart Position
1986 The Billboard 200 1

[edit] Hit singles

  1. "Take My Breath Away (Love theme from "Top Gun")" - #1 in Billboard
  2. "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins - peaked at #2
  3. "Heaven In Your Eyes" by Loverboy - peaked at #12

[edit] References

  1. ^ Top Gun Soundtrack http://www.topgunsoundtrack.com/index.htm#1
Preceded by
Winner in You by Patti LaBelle		 Billboard 200 number-one album
July 26 - August 15, 1986
September 20 - September 26, 1986
October 11 - October 16, 1986		 Succeeded by
True Blue by Madonna