Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Top Gun!

"I feel the need, the need for speed!"

This iconic film had its theatrical release on May 16, 1986.

This is an image of a poster for the 1986 film *Top Gun*. Copyright Paramount Pictures.

The film stars Tom Cruise as Lieutenant Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, a young naval aviator aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. He and his radar intercept officer, Lieutenant (junior grade) Nick "Goose" Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards), are given the chance to train at the United States Navy's Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun) at Naval Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California. Kelly McGillis (as Charlotte "Charlie" Blackwood), the late Val Kilmer (as Lieutenant Tom "Iceman" Kazansky), and Tom Skerritt (as Commander Mike "Viper" Metcalf) also appear in supporting roles. Despite mixed reviews from critics, the film was immensely popular. Top Gun was the highest-grossing domestic film of 1986, as well as the highest-grossing film of 1986 worldwide. In 2015, the United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry, finding it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". Additionally, the soundtrack to the film has since become one of the most popular film soundtracks to date, reaching 9× Platinum certification. The film won both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for "Take My Breath Away" performed by Berlin.

Source: Wikipedia.org

The Music

Source: YouTube Enhanced Music Videos

The director of Top Gun used both diegetic and non-diegetic music to create narratives. Diegetic music is music that originates from within the story's world, meaning the characters within the scene can also hear it (see below; “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” and “Great Balls of Fire”). Non-diegetic music is a soundtrack or score added for the audience's benefit and cannot be heard by the characters. Directors also use music to help visualize scenes and to create a certain "sense memory" that connects with audiences.

Iconic songs and iconic scenes…

July 2019: Kansas City Barbeque in San Diego, California.

Photo Credit: Anthony Woodard

“In a few short years, my life had changed. I changed. The soundtrack of my life, like a movie soundtrack, became a reflection of the times. Even my favorite band, Van Halen, had experienced a major change with the introduction of a new lead singer, Sammy Hagar. Songs like “Best of Both Worlds”, “Dreams”, and “Why Can’t This Be Love” from their 5150 album were now indelibly tied to my time on the field. With movies like “Top Gun” and “Iron Eagle”, along with the unforgettable music video for the song Dreams, which featured footage of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, 1986 also became the year of the fighter pilot (or naval aviator) for countless teenagers across America, myself included.”

- Woodard, Anthony. “Lost and found… (Repost)”. Feb. 9, 2023