With the release of Top Gun: Maverick, thoughts inevitably turn to the original movie's iconic soundtrack and other 80s classics where songs weren't just played over the end credits, they were an inherent part of the film. The 1980s was a decade when “various artist” branded albums stood tall in the record store, proudly displaying the names of hit-makers such as Harold Faltermeyer, Survivor, and (of course) Kenny Loggins on their movie poster covers.
As variety is the spice of life, let's run through 12 great soundtracks from the 80s, kicking things off with the best of the best.
Top Gun (1986)
The quintessential 80s soundtrack, Top Gun is a triumph because it encapsulates the movie so well. From Kenny Loggins’ bombastic "Danger Zone" to Berlin’s soft-rock ballad "Take My Breath Away" (its biggest-selling single and Best Song Oscar winner), the album perfectly mirrors the film’s mix of high-flying action and romantic melodrama. The track-list is stuffed with bangers ("Mighty Wings" by Cheap Trick), toe-tappers ("Lead Me On" by Teena Marie), and smoochers ("Destination Unknown" by Marietta Waters) that ate the batteries on a generation of Walkmans.
Although Harold Faltermeyer provides the album’s iconic instrumental track, composer Giorgio Moroder (Scarface) is its secret weapon, co-writing and bringing his trademark synth-horn production to five of the original songs. As the homoerotic icing on the cake, Loggins' "Playing With The Boys" is impossible to hear without visualizing a beach volleyball court in the sunshine.
The Blues Brothers (1980)
Jake and Elwood Blues (John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd) might have started out as an SNL skit, but the soundtrack is no joke. Belushi and Aykroyd show their chops in renditions of "Gimme Some Lovin’" and "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love," along with other staples. Beyond that, the album is an embarrassment of blues, soul, and gospel riches delivered by legends (including Ray Charles, Cab Calloway, and James Brown) where it’s hard to pick the best track, although Aretha Franklin edges it out with "Think." The film’s funniest scene comes to life in the Brothers' rendition of "Theme From Rawhide," replete with whip cracks. A rare musical that honors traditions beyond Broadway.
Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982)
Directed by Amy Heckerling and based on Cameron Crowe’s journalistic account of going undercover as a high school student, Fast Times at Ridgemont High provides a virtual blueprint for coming-of-age dramedies in the 80s. While earlier teen movies (American Graffiti, Grease) had looked to the past, Fast Times is 80s contemporary in both its themes and music. Tracks by The Ravyns and Oingo Boingo rub shoulders with 70s survivors like Jackson Browne and Stevie Nicks, reminding us that this was the cusp of a new decade. Heckerling and Crowe show a deep understanding of how central songs are to the experience of their subjects, reflected in this generous double album. The film's brilliant opening scene at the Ridgemont mall, set to "Speeding" by The Go-Go's, is a pop culture time capsule that anticipates the look and sound of an era.
The King Of Comedy (1982)
The soundtrack to Martin Scorsese’s tale of fame-hungry fandom is typically eclectic, featuring artists as diverse as B.B. King and Talking Heads, and produced by long-time collaborator Robbie Robertson. "Come Rain Or Come Shine" by Ray Charles is used to ironic effect for the film titles, playing over a flashbulb freeze of a celebrity stalker (Sandra Bernhard) reaching out for talk show host Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis). In that context, the song lyrics of unwavering devotion take on a sinister meaning that resonates throughout. The album’s real gem, however, is Van Morrison’s cover of his own "Wonderful Remark," providing a soul-tinged version of the folksy original.
The Big Chill (1983)
"I Heard It Through The Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye sets the tone for Lawrence Kasdan’s ensemble piece about thirty-somethings coming to terms with the death of a college friend, Alex (a briefly glimpsed Kevin Costner). Featuring a roll call of Motown classics, Kasdan chose music that his protagonists (and his generation) knew and loved to evoke the passing of youth. Here the songs aren't just on the score, they're often being played in scenes as the characters reminisce, bicker and rediscover one another, most notably "Ain’t Too Proud To Beg" by The Temptations during a dinnertime dance-along. The film’s truly resonant track is "You Can’t Always Get What You Want," an organ rendition at Alex’s funeral that segues into the full version by The Rolling Stones. Songs don’t just fill The Big Chill, they’re the ties that bind for the boomer generation.
Beverley Hills Cop (1984)
If there’s an 80s instrumental to rival Faltermeyer’s "Top Gun Theme" in the popular consciousness, it’s his own "Axel F," an earworm that became indelibly associated with Eddie Murphy’s hero. While at least one instrumental number is common on a "various artists" album, "Axel F" is unusual in being the soundtrack’s biggest hit single. Glenn Frey of The Eagles provides another with "The Heat Is On," its saxophone hook sounding like cry from the past. With two high energy songs by Patti LaBelle ("Stir It Up" and "New Attitude") and a Danny Elfman track (who would reteam with director Martin Brest for the excellent Midnight Run score), the album perfectly matches the film’s streetwise cool.
Footloose (1984)
Footloose is all about the title song's unstoppable pentatonic riff, which established Kenny Loggins as a soundtrack staple. "Let’s Hear It For The Boy" by Deniece Williams is also worth noting for its peak use of the “clips from the movie” music video form, which features Kevin Bacon et al in… yes… clips from the movie. It was perfect fodder for MTV, creating a virtuous circle of singles and ticket sales. Other key tracks include "Holding Out For A Hero" by Bonnie Tyler (used for the tractor duel) and "Never" by Moving Pictures (Bacon’s angry dance). A second Loggins track, "I’m Free (Heaven Helps The Man)," overshadowed by "Footloose," is ripe for rediscovery.
Rocky IV (1985)
By the fourth installment of the series, Sylvester Stallone had waved goodbye to realism, with Rocky facing off against a man-machine in a Reagan-era proxy war. In keeping with this escalation, the soundtrack goes big and loud. Rocky III had a massive hit with Survivor’s "Eye Of The Tiger" (which also appears here), and the Rocky IV album is bookended by the band’s chest-thumper, "Burning Heart," and the hoarsely delivered ode-to-self, "Man Against The World." Between those extremes, it's power chord-driven soft rock most of the way, with only the up-tempo "Double or Nothing" by Gladys Knight and Kenny Loggins resembling a ballad.
Vince DiCola replaced regular composer Bill Conti for the film, providing a synthesized take on the trademark orchestral sweep of the series. The album includes his wonderfully specific "Training Montage," used in the film to contrast Rocky’s down-home fight preparations with the Soviet super-technology available to his opponent. The album’s funk track, James Brown’s "Living In America," sings the praises of the 80s capitalism championed by the film.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
80s cinema enjoys one of its most iconic moments with "Oh Yeah" by Yello, as Ferris (Matthew Broderick) contemplates the Ferrari owned by the dad of his downtrodden friend, Cameron (Alan Ruck). John Hughes was an expert at conveying the inner lives of his teen protagonists through (often unexpected) song choices. Here he uses "Danke Schoen" by Wayne Newton to show Ferris’ ability to inspire his friends, immediately followed by a rousing, marching band-backed rendition of "Twist and Shout" by The Beatles. The soundtrack’s final masterstroke is the extended remix of "Oh Yeah" that plays throughout the end credits, as Dean Rooney (Jeffrey Jones) is sent to purgatory on a school bus. Criminally unavailable as a standalone album (apart from a very limited 2014 release), you’ll just have to watch the movie to enjoy its perfect selection of songs in one place.
Stand By Me (1986)
The mid-80s saw a wave of nostalgic films (such as La Bamba) filled with the music of the 50s. Stand By Me is the pick of the bunch, not least because of the unforgettable pie-eating contest and the classic Ben E. King song from which it takes its name. The album is a musical primer for the period including tracks by Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, and a host of bubble-gum pop bands. Its most memorable number is the infectious "Lollipop" by The Chordettes, which Corey Feldman and Jerry O’Connell sing as they walk the train tracks. It’s a perfect evocation of an endless summer and a particular moment in childhood.
The Lost Boys (1987)
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
The goth-rock aesthetic of the late 80s lives on in this soundtrack to the vampire hit. Typical of director Joel Schumacher, The Lost Boys is a glossy, teenage take on more serious films (such as its contemporary, Near Dark) and the soundtrack stays firmly on message (apart from the epic sax on Tim Capello’s "I Still Believe"). Roger Daltrey’s version of "Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me" is on the nose, but Echo And The Bunnymen’s cover of "People Are Strange" by The Doors is utilized perfectly to convey the sense of being the new kid in town (albeit one filled with vampires). The best original song on the album, Gerard McMann's screaming "Cry Little Sister," sets the pop angst tone over the film's opening-credit aerial shot.
Say Anything (1989)
Just as Cameron Crowe kick-started the decade with Fast Times at Ridgemont High’s teen-friendly tracklist, he rounds it off in style with Say Anything, prefiguring later successes, such as the grunge-inflected Singles. Its artist roster of Depeche Mode, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Joe Satriani feels edgier than its immediate predecessors, in keeping with the film’s nuanced take on a teen romance. "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel is the song on John Cusack’s boombox in the film’s enduring moment, a superb modern-day take on the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet, where the found artifacts of the mixtape replace Shakespearian blank verse.