An edited version of the song without the electric guitar is played in the opening sequence set aboard the aircraft carrier deck during launch preparations - the music is set so that after the F-14 Tomcat's engines are on full afterburner and the aircraft subsequently launches from the catapult, it immediately changes to "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins. This edited version would re-appear in a similar fashion during the opening scene of Top Gun: Maverick, but with F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets and F-35s replacing the F-14s.
In an interview for Red Bull Academy in 2014, Faltermeyer recalled simultaneously recording keyboard parts for Billy Idol's Whiplash Smile while also composing a melody for a scene in the movie Fletch. Idol passed by the control room on a break and opened the door for a listen. He liked the melody and pumped his fist in the air, saying it was "Top Gun". In a 2022 interview with AXS TV, Stevens said Faltermeyer showed him a Betamax copy of the film's workprint and offered him to record the guitar section of the song.[1]
The song's music video, directed by Dominic Sena, shows 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.
Stevens used a Hamer SS signature guitar in the music video but for the recording he used his Charvel San Dimas Glow and a 100-watt Marshall amplifier to record his part. He also used a Bosscompressor pedal to add more sustain.[citation needed] There is only one guitar track throughout the entire piece, with the exception of the ending.
A remixed version of the song is featured as the official soundtrack for the Top Gun: Maverick DLC in Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, alongside "Danger Zone".
Charts
Chart performance for "Top Gun Anthem" (Maverick version)