Top Gun Anthem - Wikipedia Top Gun Anthem `` Top Gun Anthem '' Single by Harold Faltermeyer and Steve Stevens from the album Top Gun ( soundtrack ) Released 1986 ( 1986 ) Format CD Recorded 1985 Genre Instrumental rock glam metal hard rock Length 4 : 12 Label Columbia Songwriter ( s ) Harold Faltermeyer Producer ( s ) Harold Faltermeyer `` Top Gun Anthem '' is an instrumental rock composition and the theme for the 1986 film Top Gun. Harold Faltermeyer wrote the music. Steve Stevens played guitar on the recording. In the film, the full song is heard in the film 's ending scene. An edited version of the song without the electric guitar is played in the opening scene when an F - 14 Tomcat is being prepared to take off from an aircraft carrier. After the F - 14 's engines are on full afterburners and the aircraft subsequently launches from the catapult, the music changes immediately to `` Danger Zone '' by Kenny Loggins. `` Top Gun Anthem '' won a 1987 Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. The song 's music video, directed by Dominic Sena, shows Harold Faltermeyer playing the piano and Stevens on electric guitar in a hangar with naval aircraft. This video was re-released within the 2004 Top Gun Collector 's Edition DVD. The song was written by composer Harold Faltermeyer, who was recording keyboard parts for Billy Idol 's Whiplash Smile album. Faltermeyer asked Stevens, Idol 's longtime guitarist, to play guitar on the track. Stevens was shown a clip of the film, and agreed to play on the track because he felt the film would be a hit. A guitar track had already been recorded on the demo that was given to Stevens. Stevens wanted to record his parts using one track, and avoid any overdubbing. Stevens used a Hamer SS and a 100 - watt Marshall amplifier to record his part. He also used a small Boss compressor pedal to add more sustain. There is only one guitar track throughout the entire piece, with the exception of the ending. The song is available on both the original Top Gun soundtrack album and the expanded edition. Personnel Harold Faltermeyer -- piano Steve Stevens -- electric guitar Other uses The theme was played on organ as an intro to `` Do n't Need a Gun '' during Billy Idol 's Whiplash Smile tour. A similar tune was found in the 1988 Amiga flight simulator F / A-18 Interceptor. Rapper T.I. sampled the guitar riff for his song `` Big Things Poppin '. '' On July 3, 2008, Activision released a free downloadable version of the `` Top Gun Anthem '' covered by Steve Ouimette for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of Guitar Hero III : Legends of Rock. References Jump up ^ Ludwig Kietzmann ( 2008 - 07 - 01 ). `` Guitar Hero III Getting Free Top Gun Anthem DLC ''. Joystiq. Retrieved 2008 - 07 - 02. Steve Stevens Studio albums Atomic Playboys ( 1989 ) Flamenco a Go - Go ( 1999 ) Memory Crash ( 2008 ) Bozzio Levin Stevens Black Light Syndrome ( 1997 ) Situation Dangerous ( 2000 ) Related articles Billy Idol `` Top Gun Anthem '' Top Gun soundtrack Original release `` Danger Zone '' ( Kenny Loggins ) `` Mighty Wings '' ( Cheap Trick ) `` Playing with the Boys '' ( Kenny Loggins ) `` Lead Me On '' ( Teena Marie ) `` Take My Breath Away ( Love Theme from Top Gun ) ( Berlin ) `` Hot Summer Nights '' ( Miami Sound Machine ) `` Heaven in Your Eyes '' ( Loverboy ) `` Through the Fire '' ( Larry Greene ) `` Destination Unknown '' ( Marietta ) `` Top Gun Anthem '' ( Harold Faltermeyer & Steve Stevens ) 1999 Special Edition bonus tracks `` ( Sittin ' on ) the Dock of the Bay '' ( Otis Redding ) `` Memories '' ( Harold Faltermeyer ) `` Great Balls of Fire '' ( Jerry Lee Lewis ) `` You 've Lost That Lovin ' Feelin ' '' ( The Righteous Brothers ) `` Playing with the Boys '' ( 12 '' Version ) ( Kenny Loggins ) 2006 Deluxe Edition bonus tracks `` Ca n't Fight This Feeling '' ( REO Speedwagon ) `` Broken Wings '' ( Mr. Mister ) `` The Final Countdown '' ( Europe ) `` Nothing 's Gonna Stop Us Now '' ( Starship ) `` The Power of Love '' ( Jennifer Rush ) This 1980s rock song - related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Top_Gun_Anthem&oldid=792321496 '' Categories : 1986 songs Rock instrumentals Songs written for films Songs from Top Gun Music videos directed by Dominic Sena Theme music Songs written by Harold Faltermeyer 1980s rock song stubs Hidden categories : Articles with hAudio microformats All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from November 2011 All stub articles Talk About Wikipedia Português Edit links This page was last edited on 25 July 2017, at 21 : 24 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who wrote the theme song to top gun
Answer: Harold Faltermeyer