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While “Take My Breath Away” was not the first soundtrack ballad to reach #1, it is often seen as a pivotal moment and a harbinger for the golden age of film tie-in songs. Compared to later, functionally similar tracks like “I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing,” this song feels more thoughtful and delicate.
The musical foundation of the song was composed by super-producer Giorgio Moroder. The lyrics were penned by Tom Whitlock, who reportedly wrote them while driving home from the studio, later spending a few hours perfecting them.
The track was written specifically for the 1986 movie Top Gun, which helped solidify Tom Cruise as a major star. A demo of the song impressed the film’s director, Tony Scott, and producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson. Their enthusiasm was so great that they decided to film additional romantic scenes between Tom Cruise and his co-star, Kelly McGillis, just to feature the song more prominently.
Initially, the song was offered to the American new wave band The Motels, who would later release their original demo on the compilation album Anthologyland. While Columbia Records suggested other potential artists, Giorgio Moroder had a specific band in mind: Berlin, for whom he had previously produced the song “No More Words.” After a few lyrical adjustments by Whitlock, Berlin’s vocalist, Terri Nunn, recorded the final vocals.
Berlin is an American new wave band that formed in California. The group, which had several hits before this ballad, included members John Crawford (bass, vocals), Terri Nunn (vocals), David Diamond (keyboards), Ric Olsen (guitar), Matt Reid (keyboards), and Rod Learned (drums). Moroder has stated that out of all his many hits, he is most proud of “Take My Breath Away.”
The song was released as the second single from the Top Gun soundtrack, following “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins. It became a massive success, hitting #1 in both the UK and the US in 1986. It also topped the charts in Canada, the Netherlands, the Republic of Ireland, and Belgium, and was the fifth best-selling single of 1986 in the UK.