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.
