Danger Zone (song)

Film producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson, along with music supervisor Michael Dilbeck, had over 300 songs to employ on Top Gun. They tested compositions against the dailies of the opening scenes at the aircraft carrier. Nothing satisfied them and Bruckheimer asked soundtrack producer Giorgio Moroder to write something. With the help of songwriter Tom Whitlock, he composed "Danger Zone" and had Joe Pizzulo record a demo. With the approval of the producers, soundtrack distributor Columbia Records requested Moroder to have "Danger Zone" performed by an artist signed by the label.^[4] Pizzulo's original demo version would later make a partial appearance in the 1987 TV movie Cracked Up.

The band Toto was originally intended to perform the track, but legal conflicts between the producers of Top Gun and the band's lawyers prevented this.^[5] According to Steve Lukather, they were told that only Joseph Williams' vocals would be used when the band sent their version to the producers. Toto deemed it unacceptable and pulled out.^[6] In a 2022 interview with AXS TV, Kenny Loggins revealed that it was Jefferson Starship that was the first act to be offered the track, but the band pulled out of the project.^[7]

Corey Hart was also approached to perform "Danger Zone". He declined, preferring to write and perform his own compositions.^[8] According to Loggins in the 2022 interview, Kevin Cronin from REO Speedwagon also declined the offer for the soundtrack, because the notes were too high for him.^[9]

Eventually the film producers offered the song to Loggins who would recall his assent to recording "Danger Zone" as "a very snap judgement".^[5][10] After Whitlock went to Loggins, the singer added his own improvisations^[4] and reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Danger Zone" was kept out of the number 1 spot by Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer". It became Loggins' second-highest chart hit after his 1984 number 1 hit "Footloose". In a 2008 interview, Loggins said that "Danger Zone" does not represent him as an artist.^[10]

In 2018, Loggins told TMZ that he was having discussions with the film's lead actor Tom Cruise about having a new version of the song featured in the then-upcoming film Top Gun: Maverick.^[11] Ultimately the original recording was used instead. Loggins stated that Cruise wanted to invoke the same feelings listening to the song as with the original Top Gun.^[12][13]

Dann Huff, singer and guitarist of the 1980s hard rock group Giant, played guitar on the song. The bass line is performed on a Yamaha DX7 synthesizer. A tenor saxophone is added near the end of the song.

The song peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 for a week in July 1986.

A music video was released in May 1986 to promote the single. The video was directed by Tony Scott and featured footage of Loggins singing, as well as clips from the film Top Gun, which Scott also directed.

• Kenny Loggins – vocals and rhythm guitar
• Dann Huff – lead guitar
• Giorgio Moroder – synthesizers, sequencer and drum machine
• Tom Whitlock – synthesizer
• Tom Scott – saxophone