did tom cruise sing in danger zone

TOP GUN: MAVERICK - Singer Kenny Loggins On Why Tom Cruise Chose To Use The Original Danger Zone (Exclusive)

This week, fans of Top Gun: Maverick were met with the movie's digital release. To promote the flick coming to the small screen, we spoke with singer Kenny Loggins in depth about the song Danger Zone.

Although Top Gun: Maverick hit theaters back in May, the film is still soaring on the big screen and racking up records. Sitting at just under $700 million dollars domestically, the film has passed Avengers: Infinity War to become the sixth highest highest-grossing movie in history.

While the sequel may still be playing in theaters, fans are finally able to watch from their own homes, as Top Gun: Maverick was officially released on digital this week.

To support the digital release of the movie, we spoke with a number of members of the cast and crew, and were lucky enough to talk to the Danger Zone singer Kenny Loggins. He told us a number of things about the song, his involvement with his film, and even talked about his new memoirs.

The audio interview with Kenny Loggins is below, followed by the transcript, which has been edited for clarity.

Kenny Loggins: I met the director when I was playing the Hollywood Bowl with Mike McDonald a few years back now. And he asked me for a boy-girl remake of Playing With The Boys and perhaps a remake of Danger Zone, but they weren't sure where they stood on that yet. And then Tom decided to go with the original Danger Zone from thirty years ago because he wanted to conjure up the vibe from the first movie. But yeah, I was in from the get-go. It's a no-brainer.

Because we used the original version of Danger Zone, I just stuck with what we had. I had planned on and had actually started a re-record where I wanted the sounds to be bigger so they would be appropriate for that 5.1 remix of theater sound where it's all around you. So I had a mix where the drums would come in from behind, and the chorus would spread out with six guitars. And Tom said, no, I just want the original. I want that vibe. The one thing I noticed when I saw it in the theater the first time is the fidelity of Top Gun; because it's a 30-year-old mix, it's not the same level of fidelity as the rest of the music in the movie, but it's really close. And it was a really strong mix that especially jumped out back then, and it still holds up really well, so I was really pleased with that.

I had become involved with Top Gun: Maverick two years before, and we had already started work on that, so I wrote my memoirs duringÂ the interim. And because Tom withheld the movie for a couple of years, the timing of the book and the movie came out at the same time. So it was auspicious timing for me to release some memoirs. I talked about the fact that I considered the first Top Gun and Danger Zone marriage to be incredibly lucky timing. I was in the studio recording Playing With The Boys when I got the call from Georgio's office to consider doing Danger Zone.

As the urban legend would have it, there were a few acts ahead of me in line, but they were either passed on. Or, like Mickey Thomas of The Starship passed on the songÂ because he didn't hear it. And then I heard there was another issue where the lawyers mucked it up with another act. But I think I wasn't really on the top of the list because I was already recording a song for the movie, and I imagined they wanted a different artist for each song. But they came around to, who can sing a rock song and have the high notes to follow up on it? And I had definitely proven that, so I think they just went with, 'let's call Kenny because that's a safe call."

I wasn't really in the studio for this one because, like I said, we used the original version of Danger Zone. But when I did the original version, I brought in my Tina Turner record. I had Private Dancer on my turntable a lot. And I really loved how she was approaching rock and roll from her R&B roots. And so I wanted to bring that into my approach, so I played that for Georgio, and then I went into character so that I could emulate her somewhat. I especially found that the easiest place was on that line (sings Danger Zone), that very nasal edgy thing that she got. So I did the white skinny boy version of Tina Turner.

What do you guys think of Kenny Loggins's comments? Have you watched Top Gun: Maverick yet?

Be sure to watch the full video interview below. And, as always, share your thoughts in the comments section!

That's right, Kenny Loggins is on the show! During the press run for Top Gun: Maverick, Kenny sat down with me to talk about Danger Zone and the process of making it for the first film. We also talked about how he almost remade the song for Maverick, but Tom Cruise chose to stick with the original version. With Loggins' memoirs having just been released, we also touch on that quite a bit. Enjoy, and check out Top Gun: Maverick!

Top Gun: Maverick is now available in theaters and available on digital.

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Welcome to the Danger Zone: The Story Behind Kenny Loggins's 'Danger Zone'

By roger cormier | may 16, 2016.

Top Gun — the Tom Cruise-starring tale of brash Navy aviators flying with reckless abandon and a need for speed—wouldn't have its machismo without Kenny Loggins's hard-rocking (and very '80s) tune "Danger Zone" scoring the opening sequence. The song reached number two on the Billboard charts and, unlike thousands of other tunes written specifically for movies during that decade, it still stands tall today.

Long before "Danger Zone" achieved ironic fame status as a running gag on the likes of NPR's All Songs Considered and Archer , film producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson and music supervisor Michael Dilbeck were just trying to find the perfect music for Top Gun . Hundreds of songs were submitted to the filmmakers for possible inclusion in the film, and they were put together on an estimated 100 cassette tapes. Bruckheimer, Simpson, and Dilbeck agreed to listen to all of the songs together, under the condition that if any one of them didn't like a song in the first five seconds, they would move on to the next one. They weren't satisfied with any of them.

It was then that Bruckheimer and Simpson turned to Giorgio Moroder, a producer who by then had already amassed an impressive music career, producing hits for Donna Summer, and bringing home Oscars for the Midnight Express and Flashdance soundtracks, the latter of which was another Bruckheimer/Simpson production. Moroder composed and recorded two songs. Bruckheimer and Simpson didn't like them . Moroder was disappointed, but then he composed "Danger Zone" and "Take My Breath Away" (which would win him another Oscar).

"Danger Zone"'s lyrics were written, essentially, by Moroder's car mechanic. Tom Whitlock started writing songs at 15, and after some false starts he moved to California in 1983 to advance his music career. One fateful day, Whitlock was helping his friend move some speakers at a studio in the Valley when he overheard someone stomping down the hallway cursing. It was Moroder, and he was angry; the brakes on his Ferrari were not responding to his liking coming down Coldwater Canyon.

Whitlock went to Pep Boys, bought some Castrol brake fluid, and got Moroder's Ferrari working just right. The producer liked what he saw in Whitlock and hired him to work as his assistant. During the day, Whitlock would work the phones, handle billings, and run errands.

"If the Lamborghini broke down in Venice Beach, I would go sit there all night until the right kind of tow truck was available," Whitlock said, looking back at his hustle and determination. "If I needed to sleep on the floor to get up and let carpenters in at 5 a.m., I did that. If Brian De Palma wanted bagels, I got bagels. If Giorgio's mother wanted groceries from Gelson's, I went to Gelson's. It was a blast!"

After 5 p.m., Whitlock's patience paid off when he learned how to record and witnessed the Flashdance and Scarface soundtracks getting made. He would also work on his own songs, finally getting one of Moroder's publishers' attention. When Bruckheimer and Simpson reached out to Moroder, his usual lyrical collaborators weren't around: Keith Forsey was producing Billy Idol's album in New York City, and Pete Bellote was living in the United Kingdom. But Whitlock was still in the neighborhood.

"In retrospect, I may have been a bit too clever (or obvious) with all of the allusions," Whitlock later admitted about his lyrics.

Over time, rumors have persisted that the song was originally offered to Toto, but that the band backed out either over legal issues or because they wanted the whole group to play on the track. ( Kenny Loggins claimed he later found out the Toto story was not true.)

Once the two songs were approved, Moroder went to the band Berlin and its lead singer Terri Nunn (Moroder was co-producer on their previous hit, 1984's "No More Words"). He offered the band the choice between "Danger Zone" or "Take My Breath Away," hoping they would opt for the former. Nunn said Moroder intended for "Danger Zone" to be a duet between the band and Kenny Loggins, but Berlin went with "Take My Breath Away." (CBS records initially wanted Aimee Mann to record that one.)

It was Bruckheimer who came up with Loggins' name in the first place, knowing him from his work on the title track to Footloose . Still, Moroder's first meeting with Loggins was when he recorded "Danger Zone." ("We met and we did everything in one day— it was very fast," Moroder recalled .)

Loggins got the call asking if he wanted to sing "Danger Zone" when he was in the studio finishing up recording a different song for the Top Gun soundtrack, "Playing with the Boys." The only thing Loggins asked about the song, the demo of which he had yet to hear, was if it was "up-tempo" or not. When he was told it was, he agreed. Loggins thought a faster song would help him, believing he " needed some rock and roll " for his concerts.

Whitlock and Loggins met at a house in Encino, California to go over the lyrics, with Loggins adding some ideas of his own. Loggins sang the vocal a few days later at the studio. Loggins used Tina Turner as the vocal model for "Danger Zone," because he was deep into her "rock soul thing" at the time. "I think that's why I ended up singing DaaangAH zone," Loggins self-deprecatingly admitted on the DVD commentary.

Loggins would collaborate with the composer/lyricist duo again with "Meet Me Halfway," for the Over the Top (1987) soundtrack, but "Danger Zone" is, by Loggins' own admission, one of the biggest songs of his career.

"I didn't expect that song to be the type of song that would hold up for almost 30 years," he said in 2013 . "At the time, it seemed like a pretty simple piece of rock and roll. I just really wanted an up-tempo thing for my show, and I thought it would be fun to have a movie song. It would kick the show in gear, and it sure did."

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How Kenny Loggins Ended Up Recording ‘Danger Zone’ For ‘Top Gun’

When Top Gun blasted into theaters in 1986 it became a box office smash and sent Tom Cruise ’s star soaring to new heights.

If there was one track that summed up the film’s high-adrenaline attitude, it was the closing credit song “Danger Zone,” performed by Kenny Loggins . The track, written by Georgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock, became an iconic piece of mid-‘80s movie music. Still, things could have gone much differently.

Producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer enlisted Harold Faltermeyer to compose the film’s score. The men had worked together on a different hit movie, 1984’s Beverly Hills Cop . In addition to Faltermeyer’s epic score, the producers wanted to use an assortment of original and pre-existing songs throughout the film.

“The producers and the music supervisor came to the studio with over 300 songs to audition against various scenes,” Whitlock recalled in a 2014 interview . “There was a Sony TV in the studio and they would run footage and play bits of songs against various scenes.”

The filmmakers used this testing process to whittle down song options for various moments in the film. Despite having plenty of music to choose from, they couldn’t find the signature closing track.

“Nothing seemed to be working very well so (if I remember correctly) Jerry asked Giorgio to write something,” Whitlock explained. “Giorgio came up with the track that became ‘Danger Zone.’”

Moroder developed the song’s melody, while Whitlock crafted the lyrics. Session singer Joe Pizzulo sang the track’s demo, which garnered a positive response from the producers. With their climactic tune coming together, filmmakers sought an A-list artist to record the final product. Their search would not be easy.

“Since there was a soundtrack album deal in place, it took a while to figure out who was going to sing ‘Danger Zone,’” Whitlock recalled , noting that the record company behind the band’s soundtrack “wanted an artist that was signed to their label.” Several notable artists would be approached for the project, only to pass. Singer Bryan Adams turned the opportunity down, reportedly because he thought the film glorified war. Corey Hart declined, wanting instead to focus on works he’d written himself. REO Speedwagon passed for similar reasons.

At one point, it appeared that “Danger Zone” might be recorded by Toto . The group wrote another song for the film, “Only You,” and were reportedly interested in the closing credit tune as well. However, discussions fell apart and “Only You” would instead be released on their 1992 LP Kingdom of Desire .

With "Danger Zone" in hand, but no artist to record it, producers approached Loggins. “I was in the studio, and I had written a track for the movie called 'Playing With the Boys,'” the singer later recalled in a conversation with Movieweb . “There was definitely some other act or bands ahead of me, and it fell out. I just happened to be in the studio, and they needed a singer right away. I dropped what I was doing and went in.”

“Once Kenny Loggins was on board, I went to meet him at a house in Encino and ran the lyrics down,” Whitlock remembered. “He moved some stuff around and had a few ideas. He came over and sang it a few days later. He's masterful in how he uses his voice and extremely adept at recording. It all went down very quickly.”

The experience was a new one for Loggins. Though he’d scored a couple of hits on movie soundtracks -- specifically “I’m Alright” from Caddyshack and the titular song from Footloose -- this was the first time he’d recorded a song penned by someone else.

For that reason, the singer admitted he didn’t have a “heart connection” with the song. Instead, he saw "Danger Zone" as his chance to rock.

Loggins had been fond of Elvis Presley since childhood, regularly stealing the rocker’s album from his older brother. “I would come home early from school, I was the first one home,” the singer recalled during an interview with the Entertaining Insights podcast. “And then I would steal his records and I would always play ‘Hound Dog’ over and over and over again.”

“(Initially) I didn’t know who Elvis Presley was,” Loggins went on to admit. “I just knew the music was amazing. And it was all about fun.” It was that element of fun that he’d channel for his rendition of “Danger Zone.”

Released May 13, 1986 the Top Gun soundtrack would become a massive commercial success. The LP sold more than nine million copies in the U.S. alone, with “Danger Zone” serving as its first single. The song became a quintessential track of the era, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard chart. Loggins later admitted he was surprised by the success.

“At the time, it seemed like a pretty simple piece of rock and roll,” the singer revealed . “It turned into one of the biggest songs of my career… People love it!”

Decades after the original Top Gun film, a sequel was announced. Naturally, Loggins wondered whether his iconic song would again be featured. He got his answer when he came face to face with Cruise, who he surprisingly didn't meet until both stars appeared on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon in 2020.

“I stopped [Cruise] before we went on and I said, ‘So, yes or no. Is ‘Danger Zone’ in the new movie?’" Loggins recalled . The actor's response? "'We can’t do Top Gun without ‘Danger Zone.’”

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Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins

Songfacts®:

"Danger Zone" was featured in the action scenes of the 1986 movie Top Gun , starring Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer. The film was a blockbuster and generational touchstone, and this song is intertwined with it, even though the movie title never shows up in the lyric. For many, the song still triggers a rush of adrenaline from the opening lines: Revvin' up your engine Listen to her howlin' roar After the movie came out, the US Navy flying program got a wave of applicants looking to be the next Top Gun.
This was written by Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock, who also wrote " Take My Breath Away " for the movie. A year later, they wrote " Meet Me Half Way ," which Loggins recorded for the arm wrestling movie Over The Top .
Loggins was a movie soundtrack mainstay in the '80s, and had a #1 hit with the theme song to the movie Footloose two years earlier. Asked in 2007 about performing these soundtrack songs in concerts, Loggins said of "Danger Zone," "It's a good rock 'n' roll song, but I don't think it holds up that well."
By the time Top Gun producer Jerry Bruckheimer tasked the songwriters to write the theme, 300 songs had been tested against various scenes from the movie and rejected. They needed something catchy and exciting for the opening sequence, and they needed it fast. Whitlock told Rediscover The '80s how the song came together: "'Danger Zone' came from the track that Giorgio cooked up for the opening carrier deck scenes. I wrote the lyrics and Joe Pizzulo sang the demo and they flew it against those opening scenes and it worked. In retrospect, I may have been a bit too clever (or obvious) with all of the allusions but it was fun nevertheless. As with most of the stuff we did in those days, everything was conceived and executed under pressure. Giorgio wrote a track and melody. Richie [Zito], Arthur [Barrow] and Brian [Reeves] recorded it and by the next day we were cutting a demo vocal with Joe."
It took a bit longer to actually find someone to sing the tune because Columbia Records, who were releasing the soundtrack, wanted an artist from the label to perform it. It bounced around to Toto, Bryan Adams, REO Speedwagon, and Corey Hart, and Starship before it landed at Kenny Loggins. Mickey Thomas of Starship said the band loved the song but were uneasy about the movie's pro-military theme, which was allegedly the same reason Adams turned down the gig. Loggins, who also wrote and sang " Playing With the Boys " for the volleyball scene, immediately agreed to do "Danger Zone" when he learned it was an up-tempo number. "I'd been writing nothing but ballads and I needed a rocker for my show," he told Professor of Rock . "In those days, if the movie didn't hit, no one would ever hear it anyway. But if it did hit, then you had a hit record, so it made sense to me to just go for it. So I committed to it having never heard the song."
While Loggins added his own touches to the tune, including some lyrics and chord changes, he wasn't credited as a songwriter. The singer told Rock Music History he was left off the roster so Moroder and Whitlock could meet an eligibility requirement for an Academy Award category. "Giorgio and Tom had written most of the songs for Top Gun , just the two of them, and there's a particular category in the Academies for songs, and if you have like six songs, you can be eligible for this Academy Award, provided it's the same writers," he explained. ("Take My Breath Away" ended up taking Best Original Song in 1986.) Loggins agreed to take a cut of the publishing instead, but that deal got screwed up when Moroder sold his publishing, and Loggins has spent years trying to get his due.
Loggins said he channeled Tina Turner on the song's title lyric. "I think that's why I ended up singing DaaangAH zone," he explained on the movie's DVD commentary.
In 1997, "Danger Zone" was used in a popular Nissan commercial that debuted during the Super Bowl. In the spot, which parodies Top Gun , pigeon try to poop on freshly washed cars, but the vehicles prove too nimble.
Dann Huff of the band Giant played lead guitar on the track.
The song is used as a running gag throughout the animated series Archer , which follows a group of dysfunctional secret agents. The lead character, Sterling Archer, often references it to annoy his love interest, Lana Kane. In the 2014 episode "Baby Shower," he even recruits Loggins to perform at Lana's baby shower, where he ends up performing a country version of the Top Gun tune with the agency's secretary-turned-singer, Cherlene. Said Loggins: "I didn't believe that they could turn 'Danger Zone' into a country song, which makes it even funnier, because that's the last song of my repertoire that you'd expect to be turned into a country song."
This was used in the 2018 Family Guy episode "Veteran Guy," when Peter and his friends are forced to join the Coast Guard after they get caught impersonating military veterans. Loggins guest-starred in the episode. The song also showed up in the 2015 episode "Peter, Chris & Brian."
This was also used in these TV shows: Suits ("Bad Man" - 2018) DC's Legends Of Tomorrow ("Compromised" - 2016) It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia ("Ass Kickers United: Mac and Charlie Join a Cult" - 2015) Playing House ("Celebrate Me Scones" - 2015) How I Met Your Mother ("The Slutty Pumpkin" - 2005) The Simpsons ("Eight Misbehavin'" - 1999) And these movies: 17 Again (2009) Sex Drive (2008) Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008) Boob (1999)
"Danger Zone" also features in the 2022 sequel, Top Gun: Maverick , and appears on that soundtrack as well. The movie was in the works for years and details were kept secret, but Loggins spilled the beans long before it was released that "Danger Zone" would be used in the film, reassuring fans of the original who know that you can't do a Top Gun movie without it. The Maverick soundtrack includes two new songs: " Hold My Hand " by Lady Gaga and "I Ain't Worried" by OneRepublic.
More songs from Kenny Loggins
More songs used in Top Gun
More songs used in commercials
More songs covered by the Glee cast
More songs written or produced by Giorgio Moroder
More songs used in TV shows
More songs used on The Simpsons
More songs used in movies
More songs from 1986
Lyrics to Danger Zone
Kenny Loggins Artistfacts

Comments: 31

Mav from Cockpit To those saying this is about a car, it clear is not. It was written for Top Gun, and is about the F-14. Before takeoff you're "revving up the engine", the "metal under tension" is the nose gear attached to the catapult, "touch and go" is a reference to training flights, "spreading out her wings" is the F-14 spreading the wings for takeoff, "jumping off the deck" is the launch from the carrier.
Barry from Sauquoit, Ny On this day in 1986 {July 20th} "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins peaked at #2 {for 1 week} on Billboard's Top 100 chart, for the week it was at #2, the #1 record for that week was "Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel... "Danger Zone" peaked at #7 on the Canadian RPM Singles chart... Between 1977 and 1991 the Everett, Washington native had twenty-one records on the Top 100 chart, five made the Top 10 with one reaching #1, "Footloose", for three weeks in March of 1984... Two of his twenty-one charted records were duets, one with Stevie Nicks and one with Steve Perry... As one-half of the duo, Loggins and Messina, he charted ten more times on the Top 100... Kenneth Clark Loggins celebrated his 73rd six months ago on January 7, 2021... And from the 'For What It's Worth' department, the remainder of Billboard's Top 10 on July 20th, 1986: At #3. "Invisible Touch" by Genesis #4. "Nasty" by Janet Jackson #5. "Glory of Love" by Peter Cetera #6. "Papa Don't Preach" by Madonna #7. "Love Touch" by Rod Stewart #8. "Mad About You" by Belinda Carlisle #9. "Holding Back The Years" by Simply Red #10. 'Modern Woman" by Billy Joel
Jacob from Texas Fun fact: if you start this song at the start of takeoff, the chorus of the song will start when you take off of the ground
Allan from P G So many people associate this street racing song with jet fighters,the key words that associate it with street racing are the words revving,and red light
Jennifer from Tampa I remember my late husband Steve telling me about the time he was standing next to his jet at the 1985 MacDill Air Fest. A woman came up to him and said, "They let old guys like you fly?!?". Mind you, he was 35 at the time. He just looked at her and said, "You know how to read, right? You see that name on the tail, it matches what's on my suit... Let me tell you a little secret, Tom Cruise was only faking it. I do it for real!". He couldn't help but laugh as she stormed off. It's still one of my favorite stories he shared with me. To Dragon/Steve, yes, I still love you and think about you everyday.
Seventhmist from 7th Heaven "Danger zone" became such a catchphrase for the title character in "Archer" that Loggins finally made an appearance on the show.
Scott from Uk Haha, Top Gun was voted one of the gayest films of the 80's. I've nothing against gays at all, nothing. But it's hilarious that a film trying to be so macho turned out so comical. It should be a comedy. It's pathetic, poorly acted, scripted, homo-erotic twaddle. The best 'actors' in the film were fighter jets. It's possibly one of, if not the most abysmal movie ever to be put on film.
Kym from Hagerstown, Md Just saw in the Blu-Ray commentary that Toto was originally slated to perform this song but they backed out and Harold Faltemayer approached Kenny Loggins to sing this one too. He agreed since it was an upbeat song and said he took a Tina Turner-like approach to the song.
Leon from Waterbury, Ct What a great guilty pleasure song, ha!
Wyatt from Winthrop, Wa i belive it is one of the best songs of all time
Wyatt from Winthrop, Wa i disagree, i think it is one of the best aulbums,movies, and songs of all time and i am srry you feel it is bad
Josh from Broadalbin, Ny The Guitar Master Dann Huff was the one who did the guitar work on this masterpiece.
Jeff from Austin, Tx Kenny Loggins' Beard ROOOOOOOOOOOCCCCCKKKKKKKS!!!!
Griff from Columbia, Sc This Movie is used in the 2008 Movie Harold & Kumar escape from Guantanamo Bay.
Sara from Silver Spring, Md They use this in a lot of things: one of the Chipmunk cartoons, a GEICO caveman commerical, Super Mario Brothers... Six Flags once used it for one of the Great America rides but they couldn't partly because the song was not owned by Warner Brothers (Top Gun was made by Paramount)
Sara from Silver Spring, Md This was used in the Disney Channel TV series Kids Incorporated which featured youngsters (including future Black Eyed Peas member Stacy 'Fergie Ferguson' singing the song) Fergie's character sang this with a bunch of kids while at some construction site. Several other Loggins songs were on that show but not as good as the original. Who cares about Top Gun? Loggins rules!
Scott from Ferny Hills, Australia This song was originally intended to be performed on the soundtrack by Toto.
Liquid Len from Ottawa, Canada This song is so bad, it was used by US forces to drive Noriega out of the Vatican in the late 80s.
Marx from Brisbane, Australia I saw a thing on Mirama last night and it talked about this movie when it was filmed. They talked to the actual Top Gun instructors that the directors got the stories they used in the movie from. They said that Tom Cruise was really cocky around the set, so they flew him at 6 G's to shut him up and he filled up 3 bags of puke haha.
V from Indianapolis, In This song was actually written about a car, corvette i believe.
Johnny from Brooklyn, Ny This is when Kenny Loggins decided that folk songs weren't in style and decided to rock! The movie was so good that you forget how bad the songs are, I guess that's how Loggins managed to sneak this one in. One thing I'll give Kenny credit for, he sure knew how to convince movie execs that he could "rock".
Nathan from From The Country Of, Canada part of the reason why top gun could play music through the entire movie and you wouldn't even notice, its that good
Ched from Charleston, Sc It's not a cliche if you're the first to do it. ;D
Rob from Vancouver, Canada Check out the far superior "Top Buns".
Sarah from Ottawa, Canada Top Gun: The movie I wish every one would shut up about...LOL, just kidding!
Alex from San Diego, Ca Top Gun: quite possibly the best movie of all time.
Adam from Lawrencetown, Canada I heart Top Gun
Wilfred from Melbourne, Australia "ash, Charleston, WV": Could not agree more.
Melissa from Irvine, Ca Top Gun: quite possibly the most under-rated "album" of all time.
Ash from Charleston, Wv Top Gun: quite possibly the most over-rated movie of all time.
Paul from Greenwood, Sc Too much Kenny on the silver screen. Too many cliches in this one. Tried too hard.

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'Top Gun: Maverick': Kenny Loggins talks ‘Danger Zone’ and meeting Tom Cruise for the first time

The singer shared with fox news digital that star tom cruise said ‘top gun: maverick’ wouldn’t be the same without ‘danger zone’.

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Kenny Loggins is "proud" of his contribution to the original " Top Gun " movie.

The singer, 74, shared with Fox News Digital that being able to record two songs for the 1986 action movie was a "real plum" for the musician.

"It was a great period of time for all of us, especially in my life at that time that I got two songs in ‘Top Gun.’ This was a real plum for me, you know?"

Kenny Loggins is "proud" of the songs he produced for the 1986 action movie "Top Gun." The iconic song "Danger Zone" will be featured in the movie's sequel "Top Gun: Maverick." (Photo by Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images)

Loggins created "Danger Zone," which is also featured in the movie’s sequel "Top Gun: Maverick." He was not the original person in mind to sing the song written by Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock.

TOM CRUISE ARRIVES TO 'TOP GUN' SEQUEL PREMIERE IN SAN DIEGO VIA HELICOPTER

"I really wasn't supposed to be the guy to record ‘Danger Zone,’" he shared. "There’s a lot of urban legends as to who was supposed to do it. My guess is Mickey Thomas and Starship were probably the first in line."

During the late 80s, Loggins created hit songs for some of the biggest movies of its decade, including "Top Gun," "Caddyshack," and "Footloose."

"I think the reason why I have that whole reputation of being that the movie guy from that era was because I lucked into three really iconic pieces in a row the ‘Caddyshack,’ ‘Footloose,’ and then, of course, ‘Top Gun,’" Loggins said.

He shared that he has already seen a screening of the new "Top Gun: Maverick," but he still plans on getting a group together and seeing it in theaters.

"It's so amazing," Loggins said of the sequel.

Kenny Loggins attends the Global Premiere of "Top Gun: Maverick" on May 04, 2022 in San Diego, California. He shared with Fox News Digital that he saw the movie before it was released. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)

Although Loggins made a massive contribution to the history of "Top Gun" he admitted to Fox News Digital that he didn’t meet the movie’s lead, Tom Cruise , until six years ago.

"When I ran into him, we were both doing [the late-night show Jimmy Kimmel Live!] together, and that was the first time we met," he said.

KATE MIDDLETON SHARES WHY HER 3 CHILDREN WEREN'T AT THE ‘TOP GUN: MAVERICK’ PREMIERE

"And I said, ‘So tell me, you know, the new Top Gun, you're doing it, right?’ Yeah [Cruise said]. I said, ‘Well, is Danger Zone in or out?’ And he said, ‘Kenny, it wouldn't be Top Gun without Danger Zone.’"

Loggins described hearing his song in "Top Gun: Maverick" as "exciting."

"It was just really exciting to see it in that place," he began. "For me, you know, having been around a while now, what it means is, how will the audience respond? You know, what? Will there be as much attention on ‘Danger Zone’ now as there was back then or what happens next? So for me, I'm sitting there, and I'm excited to see it in there. It's like rolling sevens. But what happens next? That's the big question."

Kenny Loggins shared that he only met the film's lead, Tom Cruise, six years ago. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

What’s next for Loggins is his upcoming memoir titled "Still Alright: Memoir" that has an expected release date of June 14. He shared that he was originally worried he "wouldn’t remember enough" to produce a memoir.

"I co-wrote it with a collaborator. We did like six months of interviews just to refresh our memories," he shared.

"The book has a lot of fun anecdotes about what it was like to be a kid in the late sixties, wanting to start a band and then going on the road with a psychedelic band called Electric Prunes. And then one thing leads to another. You know, I think it's a fun book. It's what I wanted it to be."

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(L-R) Musicians Rick Cowling, Kenny Loggins, and Adam Nitti of Kenny Loggins perform on stage at Viejas Concerts In The Park on September 24, 2021, in San Diego, California. (Photo by Daniel Knighton/Getty Images)

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Loggins is also making a return to performing for two nights only at the Hollywood Bowl in July. Jim Messina will be "sittin’ in," which is a nod to their first album together. The duo is scheduled to perform a few songs together.

"So, I'll come out and do an hour with Jimmy and then I'll go change clothes and do an hour alone with my band," he said.

" Top Gun: Maverick " is now in theaters.

Fox News’ Larry Fink contributed to this report.

Janelle Ash is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital.

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Kenny Loggins rides into the ‘Danger Zone’ once more (and he can still hit those high notes)

A man in the 1980s with sunglasses and a mullet and beard leaning against a wall

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Kenny Loggins had already established himself as a pop star — first as half of the rootsy Loggins & Messina, then as a yacht-rocking solo act — by the time he became the unofficial king of the movie soundtrack in the early 1980s. There was “ I’m Alright ,” from “Caddyshack.” There was the title track from “ Footloose .” And of course there was 1986’s “Danger Zone,” the fighter-jet-inspired anthem from “Top Gun” that hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped propel the film’s soundtrack to sales of more than 9 million copies.

This week “Danger Zone,” which was composed and produced by disco pioneer Giorgio Moroder with lyricist Tom Whitlock, returns to the big screen as part of “ Top Gun: Maverick ,” the long-delayed sequel starring Tom Cruise in an older version of one of his most iconic roles. For Loggins, 74, the movie comes as he’s preparing to release a memoir, “Still Alright,” and reunite with Jim Messina for two gigs at the Hollywood Bowl on July 15 and 16. He called the other day to remember revving up his engine and listening to her howling roar.

Were you up on Giorgio Moroder’s music before you did “Danger Zone” together? No. He was a really strong writer — a force in that era — but I didn’t know it until we got into “Top Gun.” In my world, Giorgio was well known only in that he used the Yamaha DX7 right out of the box. This was one of the first super-popular synthesizers in pop music, and all the sounds he used were stock sounds that came with it. We were all trying to create custom sounds, something unique, and he just plugged it in and made a s—load of hit records.

What does that say about him from a musician’s perspective? That I was taking too long and spending too much money.

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May 26, 2022

It’s well known at this point that a number of other singers were in line to do “Danger Zone” before you. Kevin [Cronin of REO Speedwagon] told me he passed because the high notes were too high for his voice. I was lucky that I could still hit those notes back then. I have a feeling that Mickey Thomas from Starship was probably the first choice. He just had that sort of white R&B/rock voice — and all the high notes in the world. But I think the lawyers couldn’t come to terms on it, and that’s why it went up for grabs.

Can you hit the high notes now? I can hit them now. I’ve been studying with a vocal coach for over a year to make sure I’m singing in a way that doesn’t tear my voice up. I had to relearn how to sing in a bel canto form that gets the sound off the vocal cords and up above it. As you get older, your vocal cords get drier. Things atrophy. By 2020 I couldn’t even hit the high note in “ Danny’s Song .”

A man with gray hair and a beard waves as he walks.

You write in your book that you were emulating Tina Turner when you recorded “Danger Zone.” What grabbed you about her singing? She had adopted a rock attitude that was so aggressive — the tone and where she was singing in her throat. And her pronunciation of words. I think you can hear it mostly with the way I say “danger zone” — that’s the way Tina would’ve pronounced it. One of the things that movie songs gave me the freedom to do was to be whoever I wanted to be, because it wasn’t really a Kenny Loggins thing. It was a movie thing. And if the movie flopped, no one would ever hear it. So just go for it. See where you can take it.

Was this one of those sessions where you do 50 takes of the vocal? Much quicker than that. Giorgio had to dub the song into the movie within 24 hours, so there was an urgency to getting in the studio. We were in there to get this sucker done.

You’re pretty generous in the book about not being credited as a writer on “Danger Zone,” even though you made significant contributions to the song. You write that Moroder and Whitlock didn’t cut you in because of a rule regarding Oscars eligibility. I couldn’t argue with that. Plus, it wasn’t my baby. I didn’t bring the idea into the room. It was Giorgio’s idea, and I was f—ing with [his song]. And he let me because he respected me. He could have gone, “No, no, no, the song is what it is.” But to my ear, it needed help. Not a lot, just some tweaking to make it a little more interesting in a chordal sense. And to have that bridge go somewhere. The middle eight bars should do something that relieves the tension — gives the listener a break for a minute and then takes you right back in. That’s what I added to the tune.

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Somebody else might’ve threatened to sue. I’m not a litigious person. I tend to want to avoid that s— whenever you can. It can be the door to the abyss.

It’s kind of funny that the music for “Top Gun,” this most indelibly American of movies, was spearheaded by an Italian guy in Moroder and a German guy in Harold Faltermeyer, who scored the film. I’ve never thought about that before. Tom really … utilizes, shall we say, the American military connection to the movie. But in the new one I think it was a wise decision not to identify the enemy. The planes have no markings. The uniforms have no markings. They’re just the bad guys who are building up nuclear stockpiles, and we have to stop them. It’s not the American military that’s overthrowing the government somewhere.

One reason Mickey Thomas is said to have turned down “Danger Zone” is because he thought the original movie was too jingoistic. Was that concern in your mind? No. To me, it was just an adventure movie. But when CNN took “Danger Zone” and used it as background music for the bombing of Iraq, then I pulled the song out of my show. To me, that went over the top. I didn’t want to be the guy who wrote the theme song to World War III. When I finally brought it back into my show, I tried to redefine the song as being about living on the edge of excitement. I put in extreme-sports footage — people jumping out of airplanes, snowboarders doing 360s. The lyric is about characters that do that.

Do you think you’ve been successful in rebranding the song? I don’t. But for me, how I can perform the song, I want to hold it that way.

You’re not doing a whole lot in the music video for “Danger Zone” — basically lying around in a bedroom with a ceiling fan. That was Tony Scott. I was lucky to get to use the same director as the movie. How often does that happen? And that was his vision. He just wanted a smoky room, don’t make too much production out of it: “We’re gonna use a lot of footage from the movie, so just show Kenny being thoughtful.”

So that’s what you’re doing. I’m really not sure what emotion I was supposed to be portraying. The sunglasses and the fan were the most important elements.

Did the success you had in Hollywood change your ideas about celebrity? Well, I never really became a part of Hollywood. Music is the last thing they think of; it’s really the bastard stepchild of the movies. I didn’t even get an invitation to a party.

Ever consider acting? Barbra Streisand asked me if I was interested. She and I had really clicked when we were working on tunes together for “A Star Is Born.” That’s when I met Jon Peters, who was her boyfriend at the time. He’s in the kitchen cooking, and Barbra and I are just jamming on bits and pieces of song ideas. He’s noticing how much we’re laughing together, and she says, “Have you ever thought about acting?” I said, “No, it’s not my thing,” and that was the end of that conversation. I did ask Tom if they would consider putting me in a uniform and having me walk through a scene [in “Top Gun: Maverick”] as a joke. But they had bigger fish to fry.

Where does “Danger Zone” place on the list of your most lucrative songs? Depends how “Maverick” does. But, you know, with streaming today, revenue streams are so dramatically different. Back in the day we had a soundtrack album, we had a single, we had airplay — there’s no such thing as airplay anymore. It all depends on how it streams and if it gets picked up again as a pop-culture zeitgeist thing. I’d say “Footloose” is probably still on top of the list. “Danger Zone” is two or three.

What are some other reliable revenue streams? Corporate gigs — those pay more than what you get when you play a performing arts center or something. But I live off my publishing. That’s the thing I can count on from year to year. When 2020 happened, there was no other revenue — couldn’t do any performances. I have five kids and three grandkids I’m still helping somewhat financially. A couple of my kids went to college; my first daughter went to Wesleyan. That’s a pretty deep bite.

How’s the vibe at a corporate gig? When you’re the performer at the end of a weeklong conference, sometimes it feels like people wish they could just go home and not have to stay for the meeting where you have the special guest. And quite often they want the performer to be a surprise. So you’d better hope people like the surprise.

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Kenny Loggins recorded a new version of 'Danger Zone' that wasn't used in Top Gun: Maverick

Ride into the danger zone.

Maureen Lee Lenker is a senior writer at Entertainment Weekly with over seven years of experience in the entertainment industry. An award-winning journalist, she's written for Turner Classic Movies, Ms. Magazine , The Hollywood Reporter , and more. She's worked at EW for six years covering film, TV, theater, music, and books. The author of EW's quarterly romance review column, "Hot Stuff," Maureen holds Master's degrees from both the University of Southern California and the University of Oxford. Her debut novel, It Happened One Fight , is now available. Follow her for all things related to classic Hollywood, musicals, the romance genre, and Bruce Springsteen.

If you've already seen Top Gun: Maverick , the opening sequence might've made you do a double take and check that you were in the right theater. That's because the intro to the film is exactly the same as the original 1986 movie, including the use of hit song, Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone."

But the song was almost a little different. Loggins tells EW he put a new spin on the famous track for the sequel. "I did re-record 'Danger Zone' to make a 5.0 version that would wrap around the audience," he says. "But Tom Cruise really wanted to conjure up the original version, the original feeling. So in the long run, it turned out to be the old track coming back."

Director Joseph Kosinki previously told EW that was a deliberate choice to reassure the audience they were in good hands. "I wanted that first few minutes to just tell you, this is a Top Gun movie, we love it as much you do," he said. "From there, our story goes in a very different direction, but I wanted the first few minutes to let the audience know: Don't worry, we love it too, this is going to be a Top Gun movie."

Loggins himself only found out about a month ago that his song was being utilized in the same place in the new film as it had been in 1986.

"When I met Tom Cruise on Jimmy Kimmel Live! about six years ago, I knew he had the property at that point," Loggins remembers. "I said, 'So, tell me, is "Danger Zone" in or out?' And he said, 'It wouldn't be Top Gun without "Danger Zone."' He stayed true to his word. When we first talked about it, they were thinking it might go in a scene in the middle of the movie or somewhere near the end where he comes to the rescue. Instead, Tom opted to use it at the beginning of the movie so that it really conjures up the energy and excitement of the original Top Gun ."

Loggins wasn't even supposed to record "Danger Zone" in the first place. He'd written "Playing With the Boys" specifically for the film's iconic volleyball sequence when he got the call to put his own spin on the track that has become something of a theme song for Top Gun .

Originally composed by Giorgio Moroder, with lyrics by Tom Whitlock, "Danger Zone" was considered for several other artists before producers went to Loggins. "In the process of recording 'Playing With the Boys,' I got a message that Giorgio needed me to come in and help finish the tune up," Loggins explains. "One thing led to another — I sat with Tom Whitlock and made some changes to the chords and a little bit of melody changes, a little bit of words here and there."

Loggins deferred receiving any writing credit to ensure that Moroder and Whitlock could get the Oscar nomination for Best Original Song (they did end up winning that year, but for Top Gun 's love ballad, "Take My Breath Away").

"But then I got a call that he needed a singer," Loggins adds. "I was writing ballads mostly, and I needed something up-tempo for my show. I had not yet heard it until I got together with Tom and we worked on that. Then the next day I was in the studio, singing it with Giorgio."

Loggins notes that the writing-recording experience was different from other songs he's done for movies, including the title track from Footloose and "I'm Alright" from Caddyshack . In this case, he was more the singer than the architect of the song. Still, he says, writing for film is radically different than writing for an album, because you're writing to story and character rather than simply speaking from the heart.

Even though Loggins' new version of "Danger Zone" didn't make the final cut, he loves the way his iconic track is used in the film. "It really does capture that vibe from the very first time [I saw it], 36 years ago," he marvels.

Tom Cruise returns to the danger zone in 'Top Gun: Maverick'

AILSA CHANG, HOST:

It's been 36 years since Tom Cruise first took to the skies as Pete Mitchell with the call sign Maverick, you know, the hotshot jet fighter pilot in "Top Gun."

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "TOP GUN")

TOM CRUISE: (As Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell) I feel the need.

TOM CRUISE AND ANTHONY EDWARDS: (As Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell and Lieutenant Nick "Goose" Bradshaw) The need for speed.

CRUISE: (As Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell) Ow (ph).

CHANG: Now Cruise is back in the cockpit in "Top Gun: Maverick." The sequel premiered last week at the Cannes Film Festival, and critic Bob Mondello says it's the same but sharper.

BOB MONDELLO, BYLINE: The opening credits sequence is identical, almost shot for shot, as if to reassure audiences the filmmakers haven't forgotten what worked the first time - airmen readying sleek jet fighters in predawn light on the deck of an aircraft carrier, planes silhouetted against a sky just starting to glow orange as the sun burns off the mist, then the whine of jet engines as one plane fires up, then another and another and a roar as each one rockets into what Kenny Loggins is about to remind us is the danger zone.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DANGER ZONE")

KENNY LOGGINS: (Singing) Revvin' up your engine, listen to her howlin' roar.

MONDELLO: Having seen the original "Top Gun," what about the recruitment ads modeled on it after the 1986 Navy saw a 500% spike in enlistees wanting to be aviators?

LOGGINS: (Singing) Highway to the danger zone.

MONDELLO: We are in the zone here, going straight to shots of a still seriously fit, almost 60-year-old Tom Cruise revving up his Kawasaki Ninja, roaring down a highway to what looks like a gigantic arrowhead that he's supposed to fly to Mach 9. But, I mean, seriously, 9 with Ed Harris about to shut down the test? How about 10? How about 10.2, just so they'll have something to talk about when he's called on the carpet?

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "TOP GUN: MAVERICK")

ED HARRIS: (As Rear Admiral Chester "Hammer" Cain) Thirty-plus years of service, combat medals, citations, only man to shoot down three enemy planes in the last 40 years, yet you can't get a promotion. You won't retire. Despite your best efforts, you refuse to die. You should be at least a two-star admiral by now, yet here you are, Captain. Why is that?

CRUISE: (As Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell) It's one of life's mysteries, sir.

MONDELLO: Maverick gets assigned to train new blood in the Top Gun pilot program, much to the annoyance of Jon Hamm, his immediate superior.

JON HAMM: (As Admiral Beau "Cyclone" Simpson) I have everything I need to have you court martialed and dishonorably discharged.

MONDELLO: Yeah, well, Maverick has a guardian angel. His rival ace, Iceman, is now an admiral, still played by Val Kilmer, whose offscreen battle with throat cancer brings significant resonance when he shows up here. There is a mission. Call it impossible, if you must. Certainly, it's a risky business flying 30 feet off the ground at 500 miles an hour between cliffs. You get the impression Cruise could do this with eyes wide shut, but they've given him a few good men to work with...

GLEN POWELL: (As Lieutenant Jake "Hangman" Seresin) What do we have here?

MONDELLO: ...And one good woman...

MONICA BARBARO: (As Lieutenant Natasha "Phoenix" Trace) Fellas, this here's Bagman.

POWELL: (As Lieutenant Jake "Hangman" Seresin) Hangman.

BARBARO: (As Lieutenant Natasha "Phoenix" Trace) Whatever.

MONDELLO: ...All with descriptive call signs they've earned in flight.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #1: (As character) Where's he going?

BARBARO: (As Lieutenant Natasha "Phoenix" Trace) That's why we call him Hangman. He'll always hang you out to dry.

MONDELLO: Others include...

CRUISE: (As Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell) Rooster.

MILES TELLER: (As Lieutenant Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw) Phoenix.

BARBARO: (As Lieutenant Natasha "Phoenix" Trace) We've got to move, Coyote.

GREG TARZAN DAVIS: (As Lieutenant Javy "Coyote" Machado) Who are your friends?

JAY ELLIS: (As Lieutenant Reuben "Payback" Fitch) Payback.

DANNY RAMIREZ: (As Lieutenant Mickey "Fanboy" Garcia) Fanboy.

BARBARO: (As Lieutenant Natasha "Phoenix" Trace) What do they call you?

LEWIS PULLMAN: (As Lieutenant Robert "Bob" Floyd) Bob.

ELLIS: (As Lieutenant Reuben "Payback" Fitch) No, your call sign.

PULLMAN: (As Lieutenant Robert "Bob" Floyd) Bob.

MONDELLO: OK, from my perspective, that's a cheap joke - just saying. Director Joseph Kosinski has clearly studied what the original "Top Gun" did, but he has a far better script to work with - not more plausible, exactly, but one that puts an adult Cruise in charge of all that free-range testosterone the film's unleashing that lets it channel emotions the first one couldn't, as when Maverick tells Rooster, the grown-up son of his wingman, Goose, who died all those years ago, to follow his instincts.

CRUISE: (As Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell) You think up there, you're dead. Believe me.

TELLER: (As Lieutenant Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw) My dad believed in you. I'm not going to make the same mistake.

MONDELLO: Rooster is played by Miles Teller with a mustache nearly as big as the chip on his shoulder and ripped abs that he and his fellow airmen display in team-building beach football rather than beach volleyball this time, all of which is designed to help the film barrel right past your plot objections before they quite have time to form in nerve centers overstimulated...

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #2: (As character) What the hell?

MONDELLO: ...By vertigo-inducing...

CRUISE: (As Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell) Good morning, aviators.

MONDELLO: ...Aspect-ratio exploding...

CRUISE: (As Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell) This is your captain speaking.

MONDELLO: ...IMAX flight sequences. Cruise insisted that these be filmed with the actors actually in flight, and they are nerve-scrambling in ways digital trickery on screen just isn't. I'm not going to say "Top Gun: Maverick" takes my breath away, exactly, but it's one hell of a ride. I'm Bob Mondello. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

Tom Cruise returns to the danger zone in 'Top Gun: Maverick'

AILSA CHANG, HOST:

It's been 36 years since Tom Cruise first took to the skies as Pete Mitchell with the call sign Maverick, you know, the hotshot jet fighter pilot in "Top Gun."

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "TOP GUN")

TOM CRUISE: (As Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell) I feel the need.

TOM CRUISE AND ANTHONY EDWARDS: (As Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell and Lieutenant Nick "Goose" Bradshaw) The need for speed.

CRUISE: (As Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell) Ow (ph).

CHANG: Now Cruise is back in the cockpit in "Top Gun: Maverick." The sequel premiered last week at the Cannes Film Festival, and critic Bob Mondello says it's the same but sharper.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DANGER ZONE")

KENNY LOGGINS: (Singing) Revvin' up your engine, listen to her howlin' roar.

MONDELLO: Having seen the original "Top Gun," what about the recruitment ads modeled on it after the 1986 Navy saw a 500% spike in enlistees wanting to be aviators?

LOGGINS: (Singing) Highway to the danger zone.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "TOP GUN: MAVERICK")

CRUISE: (As Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell) It's one of life's mysteries, sir.

MONDELLO: Maverick gets assigned to train new blood in the Top Gun pilot program, much to the annoyance of Jon Hamm, his immediate superior.

JON HAMM: (As Admiral Beau "Cyclone" Simpson) I have everything I need to have you court martialed and dishonorably discharged.

GLEN POWELL: (As Lieutenant Jake "Hangman" Seresin) What do we have here?

MONDELLO: ...And one good woman...

MONICA BARBARO: (As Lieutenant Natasha "Phoenix" Trace) Fellas, this here's Bagman.

POWELL: (As Lieutenant Jake "Hangman" Seresin) Hangman.

BARBARO: (As Lieutenant Natasha "Phoenix" Trace) Whatever.

MONDELLO: ...All with descriptive call signs they've earned in flight.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #1: (As character) Where's he going?

BARBARO: (As Lieutenant Natasha "Phoenix" Trace) That's why we call him Hangman. He'll always hang you out to dry.

MONDELLO: Others include...

CRUISE: (As Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell) Rooster.

MILES TELLER: (As Lieutenant Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw) Phoenix.

BARBARO: (As Lieutenant Natasha "Phoenix" Trace) We've got to move, Coyote.

GREG TARZAN DAVIS: (As Lieutenant Javy "Coyote" Machado) Who are your friends?

JAY ELLIS: (As Lieutenant Reuben "Payback" Fitch) Payback.

DANNY RAMIREZ: (As Lieutenant Mickey "Fanboy" Garcia) Fanboy.

BARBARO: (As Lieutenant Natasha "Phoenix" Trace) What do they call you?

LEWIS PULLMAN: (As Lieutenant Robert "Bob" Floyd) Bob.

ELLIS: (As Lieutenant Reuben "Payback" Fitch) No, your call sign.

PULLMAN: (As Lieutenant Robert "Bob" Floyd) Bob.

CRUISE: (As Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell) You think up there, you're dead. Believe me.

TELLER: (As Lieutenant Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw) My dad believed in you. I'm not going to make the same mistake.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #2: (As character) What the hell?

MONDELLO: ...By vertigo-inducing...

CRUISE: (As Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell) Good morning, aviators.

MONDELLO: ...Aspect-ratio exploding...

CRUISE: (As Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell) This is your captain speaking.

‘Top Gun: Maverick’ will feature ‘Danger Zone,’ Kenny Loggins confirms

Cruise into the Danger Zone... the anthem for 1986’s ‘Top Gun’ is back for the Top Gun: Maverick soundtrack.

Get ready to fly back into the danger zone, as the Keny Loggins classic song “Danger Zone” is officially confirmed to be part of the long-awaited Tom Cruise Top Gun sequel, Top Gun: Maverick . The song by Loggins is one of the most recognizable features of the classic ‘80s movie, so fans are sure to be happy to hear that it will once again play as a de facto theme song for Maverick as he soars through the air.

Loggins confirmed the exciting news when he recently was on Rob Lowe’s podcast, Literally with Rob Lowe . Lowe asked Loggins if he was involved in Top Gun: Maverick , to which the Grammy-winning musician said he was “finally” able to say that “Danger Zone” would play in the sequel. Though apparently, he has known for a while.

Loggins told Lowe that a few years ago when he and Tom Cruise were both on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (surprisingly the only time the two have ever met, per Loggins) he asked Cruise straight up: “So, yes or no? Is ‘Danger Zone’ in the new movie?” To which he said Cruise replied, “We can’t do Top Gun without ‘Danger Zone.’”

In case you need a quick refresher, Top Gun starred Tom Cruise as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, a hotshot Navy pilot who attends the best flight combat training school, known as Top Gun. Featuring multiple aerial sequences, “Danger Zone” was played during a number of these. Check it out in the music video below.

Top Gun was nominated for four Oscars when it was released, including one win for Best Original Song. However, “Danger Zone” was not the recipient of that award. Instead, it was the love song “Take My Breath Away”, by Berlin, that took the trophy. All due respect to “Take My Breath Away,” a memorable song in its own right, but “Danger Zone” has stood the test of time in the culture, including being part of a long-running joke on the hit animated series Archer .

“Danger Zone” won’t be the only bit of nostalgia in Top Gun: Maverick . In addition to Tom Cruise reprising his leading role, Val Kilmer is slated to return as Maverick’s frenemy Iceman. New cast member Miles Teller’s character also has a connection to the past, as he plays Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, the son of Maverick’s copilot Goose.

Here is the synopsis of Top Gun: Maverick :

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“After more than 30 years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him.”

Top Gun: Maverick , after a couple of pandemic-related delays, is scheduled for take-off only in movie theaters on May 27. And we can't wait.

Michael Balderston is a DC-based entertainment and assistant managing editor for What to Watch, who has previously written about the TV and movies with TV Technology, Awards Circuit and regional publications. Spending most of his time watching new movies at the theater or classics on TCM, some of Michael's favorite movies include Casablanca , Moulin Rouge! , Silence of the Lambs , Children of Men , One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Star Wars . On the TV side he enjoys Only Murders in the Building, Yellowstone, The Boys, Game of Thrones and is always up for a Seinfeld rerun. Follow on Letterboxd .

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Revisiting the Meaning Behind “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins

by Catherine Walthall May 31, 2022, 2:27 pm

Welcome back to the Danger Zone.

Videos by American Songwriter

After 36 years, the sequel to the action film Top Gun has finally arrived, and it’s proving to be wildly successful. Top Gun: Maverick (2022) has already grossed $282 million dollars at the box office worldwide and scored the biggest movie opening weekend over Memorial Day.

And to kick it all off are the striking chords of Kenny Loggins singing “Danger Zone” in the opening scene once again. So, in honor of Maverick’s return to the big screen, we’re diving into the meaning and creation of “Danger Zone.” Prepare for takeoff.

The meaning behind the lyrics.

Just like Tom Cruise’s character Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, the lyrics to “Danger Zone” are focused and packed with a goosebump-inducing amount of exhilaration. Revvin’ up your engine/ Listen to her howlin’ roar , Loggins sings.

The song hones in on overt aviation allusions to provide a runway for not only the movie’s stars but also Loggins vocals. “Danger Zone” highlights the process of a plane or jet taking off, headin’ into twilight , with its pilot pushing the mechanical bird into overload going as high as you can go .

Highway to the Danger Zone Ride into the Danger Zone

How we got to the “Danger Zone.”

“Danger Zone” was written by composer Giorgio Moroder and songwriter Tom Whitlock in 1986. Moroder was brought in on the project after film producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson rejected hundreds of songs for the opening sequence. And as we now know, Moroder delivered.

“‘Danger Zone’ came from the track that Giorgio cooked up for the opening carrier deck scenes,” Whitlock explained in a 2018 interview . “I wrote the lyrics and Joe Pizzulo sang the demo and they flew it against those opening scenes and it worked. In retrospect, I may have been a bit too clever [or obvious] with all of the allusions but it was fun nevertheless. As with most of the stuff we did in those days, everything was conceived and executed under pressure.”

Loggins was later tapped to sing the track after Toto supposedly passed due to legal complications. At this point, Loggins was already building his legacy as The King of the Movie Soundtrack. (Loggin’s number one hit “ Footloose ” for the film of the same name debuted just two years earlier.) It was a match made in heaven.

Tina Turner influence

A large part of the “Danger Zone” charm is Loggins’ delivery. It’s direct with soaring amounts of adrenaline. And interestingly enough, Loggins drew a lot of inspiration from rock powerhouse Tina Turner for the track.

“[Turner] had adopted a rock attitude that was so aggressive—the tone and where she was singing in her throat. And her pronunciation of words. I think you can hear it mostly with the way I say ‘danger zone’—that’s the way Tina would’ve pronounced it,” Loggins told The Los Angeles Times . “One of the things that movie songs gave me the freedom to do was to be whoever I wanted to be, because it wasn’t really a Kenny Loggins thing. It was a movie thing. And if the movie flopped, no one would ever hear it. So just go for it. See where you can take it.”

Check out “Danger Zone” sung by Kenny Loggins below.

Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images

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Kenny loggins talks ‘danger zone’ return for ‘top gun: maverick’.

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For Kenny Loggins , the highway to the “Danger Zone” has been one hell of a ride.

As he explains in his upcoming Still Alright: A Memoir, due out June 14, the iconic Grammy-winning and Oscar-nominated musician wasn’t even among the top choices to record the high-octane number written by Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock for the 1986 Top Gun soundtrack. But, through a series of events, Loggins went on to rock the song, which became arguably his most synonymous hit, instantly cemented in pop culture as a quintessential ’80s anthem.

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Kenny Loggins Recorded a ‘5.0 Version’ of ‘Danger Zone’ For ‘Top Gun’ Reboot, But Tom Cruise Had Other Ideas

"So in the long run it turned out to be the old track coming back," the singer said about the opening sequence's throwback vibe.

By Gil Kaufman

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Kenny Loggins was excited to record an updated version of his classic Top Gun adrenalin-pumping anthem “Danger Zone” for the new Top Gun: Maverick reboot. And the iconic song about pushing it to the limit does in fact appear in the opening sequence of the Tom Cruise-led fighter pilot drama that just smashed box office records over the Memorial Day weekend.

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Kenny Loggins

But in an interview with EW , Loggins, 74, revealed that his song reboot ended up on the cutting room floor. “I did re-record ‘Danger Zone’ to make a 5.0 version that would wrap around the audience,” he said. “But Tom Cruise really wanted to conjure up the original version, the original feeling. So in the long run, it turned out to be the old track coming back.”

Box Office: Tom Cruise's 'Top Gun 2' Rockets to Record $156M Opening

Which is why if you were one of the millions who went out to see the movie over the weekend you might have noticed that director Joseph Kosinki opted for an opening sequence that is pretty much the same as the iconic one in the 1986 original, down to the use of the vintage “Danger Zone” track. The director previously told EW that the intention all along was to tell the audience, “‘This is a Top Gun movie, we love it as much as you do… From there, our story goes in a very different direction, but I wanted the first few minutes to let the audience know: Don’t worry, we love it too, this is going to be a Top Gun movie.”

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Loggins said he just found out last month that “Danger Zone” was going to be reprised in the opening sequence, then recalled the time he ran into Cruise on Jimmy Kimmel Live! 6 years ago and they had a chat about the franchise. “I knew he had the property at that point,” Loggins said. “I said, ‘So, tell me, is ‘Danger Zone’ in or out?’ And he said, ‘It wouldn’t be Top Gun without “Danger Zone.”‘ He stayed true to his word. When we first talked about it, they were thinking it might go in a scene in the middle of the movie or somewhere near the end where he comes to the rescue. Instead, Tom opted to use it at the beginning of the movie so that it really conjures up the energy and excitement of the original Top Gun .”

And though his new version got the boot, Loggins said he had no hard feelings. “It really does capture that vibe from the very first time [I saw it], 36 years ago,” he said.

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Tom Cruise takes marching band to the ‘danger zone’

Movie star brings early screening of ‘top gun: maverick’ to columbus for tbdbitl.

Just as he promised late last year , Tom Cruise treated The Ohio State University Marching Band to a private showing of his latest film, “Top Gun: Maverick.”

Cruise saw a replay of the band’s “Top Gun” tribute during the 2021 Purdue football game. The band performed a medley of songs from the 1986 film including “Top Gun Anthem,” “Take My Breath Away,” “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” and “Danger Zone.” Through carefully planned choreography, 195 students formed a fighter jet, a volleyball game and Cruise’s iconic aviator sunglasses on the Ohio Stadium field. The band also spelled “Top Gun” and “Maverick,” Cruise’s character’s callsign.

He said he was thrilled by the performance, sending a note to the band as well as T-shirts from the new film.

Band members saw the film at the Wexner Center for the Arts on Friday evening. They all received free bandanas to celebrate the event. Afterward, they were encouraged to come up with call signs, or nicknames, of their own as they left the theater.

“It was absolutely amazing,” said Isabel Slaven, fourth-year sousaphone player, KL Row. “There were so many twists and turns, literally, inside the movie. I thought I predicted so many different things that were happening as I was watching it but I was wrong. The movie was absolutely amazing and blew us out of our seats.”

“This was such a special night for our students,” said Chris Hoch, director of the marching and athletic bands. “They were thrilled to hear from Tom Cruise last winter. We’re grateful for this experience.”

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Tom cruise returns to the danger zone in 'top gun: maverick'.

Bob Mondello

Three Decades after the original Top Gun , Tom Cruise returns to lead a fresh squadron of Navy fighter pilots in Top Gun: Maverick.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

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While the 1986 blockbuster “Top Gun” can be dismissed as homoerotic airplane porn with a catchy electronic soundtrack, it did serve one serious purpose — to highlight the risks taken by Navy fighter pilots, illustrated when “Goose,” played by a pre-“ER” Anthony Edwards, dies during an aborted mission.

But while real-life fighter pilots face death daily, the filming of this scene showed how moviemaking carries hazards of its own. Not only was a veteran pilot killed shooting aerial footage for the scene, but it almost cost Tom Cruise his life.

“Cruise came as close to dying as anybody on a set I’ve ever seen,” says Barry Tubb, who played “Wolfman,” in the film, which gets a 25th anniversary Blu-ray edition this Tuesday,

In the aftermath of the on-screen accident, hotshot pilot Maverick (Cruise) cradles Goose’s body in the ocean, waiting for rescue. But while shooting the scene, Cruise didn’t know that his parachute had begun filling with water.

“They were refilling the camera or something, and luckily one of the frogmen in the chopper saw his chute ballooning out,” says Tubb. “He jumped in and cut Cruise loose right before he sank. They would have never found him. He would have been at the bottom of the ocean.”

Cruise was lucky, but veteran aviator and aerial cameraman Art Scholl was not. Toward the end of the shoot, Scholl, who had shot aerial footage for films and TV shows including “The Right Stuff” and “The A-Team,” was to fly a maneuver called an inverted flat spin to film the rapidly twirling sight of water and land that Maverick would have seen as his plane spun out.

When Scholl’s Pitts S-2 biplane approached 3,500 feet, he radioed back, “I’ve got a problem.” Then, as he descended, spinning, to 2,500 feet, he echoed, “I’ve got a big problem.”

Those were his last words.

Pilots trailing him in another plane watched him descend through a series of clouds, but neither Scholl nor his plane were ever seen again. There’s a supreme irony in that fact that a well-respected veteran pilot would perish on a film where so many others were first introduced to the joys — and challenges — of high-speed, high-intensity flight.

Jack Epps Jr., who wrote the script with partner Jim Cash, was already a pilot, but quickly learned that his experience was no preparation for the speed and power of a supersonic F-14.

“I thought I knew everything about flying, but [an F-14] is like strapping yourself onto an engine,” says Epps. “It’s a speed and altitude you’re not used to. You’re at 28,000 feet in what feels like 10 seconds. It’s exhilarating, exciting and very physical.”

“I threw up everything in my body,” says Tubb of the Mach-speed flights that would turn two complete loops in just one second, then immediately repeat those loops in the opposite direction. “I had my little [sickness] bag, but we did a stunt, and it went all over the plane. I got out of the plane holding an empty bag.”

“It was really something your body had never been through,” says Whip Hubley, who played “Hollywood,” and was inspired by working on the film to become a real-life pilot.

“You have a suit like a pair of chaps that’s hooked into the air system,” Hubley recalls. “When you go [especially fast], the pants inflate, pushing the blood back into the upper part of your body and your brain, because you start to ‘brown out’ — the blood rushes out of your brain, and you can pass out. I remember thinking, this is the most unnatural environment a human being could be put in.”

As cast members endured the rigors of military training, they also partied and pranked like Navy men.

“We were getting our pictures taken with all the pilots,” says Hubley, “when suddenly you turned around and realized that everybody around you had their zippers undone, revealing everything.”

“Val Kilmer [who played “Iceman”] had one of the first video cameras I’d ever seen, and everybody had to get caught on the loo, taking a s – – t,” says Tubb, who also woke up one morning to find a mysterious motorcycle in his room. “There’s footage somewhere of everybody being caught on the john, and if someone was to entice an extra into their trailer, that was filmed as well.”

While most of the cast developed this closeness, often riding down to Mexico in Val Kilmer’s van — the same van he reportedly lost his virginity in — one who kept to himself was Cruise, who even then had the same laser intensity he later used to practically demolish Oprah’s couch.

While Epps and Cash wrote the script with Cruise in mind, the white-hot actor was reluctant. In order to convince him, producers had the Navy’s Blue Angels flight squadron take him for a ride in an F-14.

“He had just finished ‘Legend,’ ” says Epps, “so his hair was really long. He arrives on his motorcycle and most of the fighter pilots had no idea who he was. They see this long-haired guy who wants a ride, and said, ‘OK, we’ll give you a ride.’ They shook him upside down, every way but up. He came off that thing hyped, and said, ‘I gotta do this.’ ”

Cruise’s excitement carried over to audiences, who made “Top Gun” the highest grossing movie of the year. And while critics were less enamored, it did attract some unexpected fans.

“I’ll never forget sitting in the Paramount Theatre in Times Square for the premiere, and Andy Warhol’s sitting next to me,” says Tubb. “He loved it. He’s like, ‘That must have been so neat, to fly planes.’ ”

Which is exactly what the cast and audiences alike took from it, and why it became a true ’80s classic.

“Having a rocket strapped to your back — you’ll never forget that,” says Tubb. “People spend their whole lives in the Navy and Marines and never get to ride an F-14.”

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Tom Cruise returns to the danger zone in 'Top Gun: Maverick'

AILSA CHANG, HOST:

It's been 36 years since Tom Cruise first took to the skies as Pete Mitchell with the call sign Maverick, you know, the hotshot jet fighter pilot in "Top Gun."

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "TOP GUN")

TOM CRUISE: (As Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell) I feel the need.

TOM CRUISE AND ANTHONY EDWARDS: (As Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell and Lieutenant Nick "Goose" Bradshaw) The need for speed.

CRUISE: (As Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell) Ow (ph).

CHANG: Now Cruise is back in the cockpit in "Top Gun: Maverick." The sequel premiered last week at the Cannes Film Festival, and critic Bob Mondello says it's the same but sharper.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DANGER ZONE")

KENNY LOGGINS: (Singing) Revvin' up your engine, listen to her howlin' roar.

MONDELLO: Having seen the original "Top Gun," what about the recruitment ads modeled on it after the 1986 Navy saw a 500% spike in enlistees wanting to be aviators?

LOGGINS: (Singing) Highway to the danger zone.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "TOP GUN: MAVERICK")

CRUISE: (As Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell) It's one of life's mysteries, sir.

MONDELLO: Maverick gets assigned to train new blood in the Top Gun pilot program, much to the annoyance of Jon Hamm, his immediate superior.

JON HAMM: (As Admiral Beau "Cyclone" Simpson) I have everything I need to have you court martialed and dishonorably discharged.

GLEN POWELL: (As Lieutenant Jake "Hangman" Seresin) What do we have here?

MONDELLO: ...And one good woman...

MONICA BARBARO: (As Lieutenant Natasha "Phoenix" Trace) Fellas, this here's Bagman.

POWELL: (As Lieutenant Jake "Hangman" Seresin) Hangman.

BARBARO: (As Lieutenant Natasha "Phoenix" Trace) Whatever.

MONDELLO: ...All with descriptive call signs they've earned in flight.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #1: (As character) Where's he going?

BARBARO: (As Lieutenant Natasha "Phoenix" Trace) That's why we call him Hangman. He'll always hang you out to dry.

MONDELLO: Others include...

CRUISE: (As Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell) Rooster.

MILES TELLER: (As Lieutenant Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw) Phoenix.

BARBARO: (As Lieutenant Natasha "Phoenix" Trace) We've got to move, Coyote.

GREG TARZAN DAVIS: (As Lieutenant Javy "Coyote" Machado) Who are your friends?

JAY ELLIS: (As Lieutenant Reuben "Payback" Fitch) Payback.

DANNY RAMIREZ: (As Lieutenant Mickey "Fanboy" Garcia) Fanboy.

BARBARO: (As Lieutenant Natasha "Phoenix" Trace) What do they call you?

LEWIS PULLMAN: (As Lieutenant Robert "Bob" Floyd) Bob.

ELLIS: (As Lieutenant Reuben "Payback" Fitch) No, your call sign.

PULLMAN: (As Lieutenant Robert "Bob" Floyd) Bob.

CRUISE: (As Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell) You think up there, you're dead. Believe me.

TELLER: (As Lieutenant Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw) My dad believed in you. I'm not going to make the same mistake.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #2: (As character) What the hell?

MONDELLO: ...By vertigo-inducing...

CRUISE: (As Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell) Good morning, aviators.

MONDELLO: ...Aspect-ratio exploding...

CRUISE: (As Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell) This is your captain speaking.

IMAGES

Top Gun Danger Zone Full HD Tom Cruise Music Video
Tom Cruise is back in the 'danger zone' with ‘Top Gun: Maverick’
Tom Cruise back in the danger zone for Top Gun 2
Tom Cruise Back In Danger Zone In 'Top Gun: Maverick' Trailer
Tom Cruise Returns To The Danger Zone In First 'Top Gun: Maverick
TOP GUN: MAVERICK Trailer Reignites The Legend As Tom Cruise Zooms Back

VIDEO

Danger Zone
Danger Zone (From "Top Gun" Original Soundtrack)
Top Gun: Maverick “Danger Zone” Music Video (2022)
DANGER ZONE
Why Tom Cruise's Tropic Thunder Role Never Should Have Worked
TOP GUN

COMMENTS

TOP GUN: MAVERICK
This week, fans of Top Gun: Maverick were met with the movie's digital release. To promote the flick coming to the small screen, we spoke with singer Kenny Loggins in depth about the song Danger Zone.
Welcome to the Danger Zone: The Story Behind Kenny Loggins's 'Danger
Top Gun—the Tom Cruise ... Danger Zone." ("We met and we did everything in one day— it was very fast," Moroder recalled.) Loggins got the call asking if he wanted to sing "Danger Zone ...
How Kenny Loggins Ended Up Recording 'Danger Zone' For 'Top Gun'
When Top Gun blasted into theaters in 1986 it became a box office smash and sent Tom Cruise's star soaring ... it took a while to figure out who was going to sing 'Danger Zone,'" Whitlock ...
Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins
Songfacts®: "Danger Zone" was featured in the action scenes of the 1986 movie Top Gun, starring Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer. The film was a blockbuster and generational touchstone, and this song is intertwined with it, even though the movie title never shows up in the lyric. For many, the song still triggers a rush of adrenaline from the opening ...
'Top Gun: Maverick': Kenny Loggins talks 'Danger Zone' and meeting Tom
Kenny Loggins spoke with Fox News Digital about the history of his hit song "Danger Zone" that appears in "Top Gun" and "Top Gun: Maverick." Loggins also detailed how he "lucked into three really ...
Kenny Loggins on Tom Cruise's Promise to Keep "Danger Zone ...
Singer and songwriter Kenny Loggins talks about his song "Danger Zone" in the new film "Top Gun: Maverick" with ComicBook's Chris Killian. Top Gun: Maverick ...
Kenny Loggins on 'Danger Zone' and 'Top Gun ...
This week "Danger Zone," which was composed and produced by disco pioneer Giorgio Moroder with lyricist Tom Whitlock, returns to the big screen as part of " Top Gun: Maverick ," the long ...
Kenny Loggins recorded a new, unused Danger Zone for Top Gun: Maverick
Loggins tells EW he put a new spin on the famous track for the sequel. "I did re-record 'Danger Zone' to make a 5.0 version that would wrap around the audience," he says. "But Tom Cruise really ...
Kenny Loggins Talks "Danger Zone" Return for 'Top Gun: Maverick' and
How did that come about? Did Tom Cruise personally ask? ... It was a style that I hadn't allowed myself to sing. The rock of "Danger Zone" is really fun for me now because the audiences are ...
Tom Cruise returns to the danger zone in 'Top Gun: Maverick'
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DANGER ZONE") LOGGINS: (Singing) Highway to the danger zone. MONDELLO: We are in the zone here, going straight to shots of a still seriously fit, almost 60-year-old Tom Cruise revving up his Kawasaki Ninja, roaring down a highway to what looks like a gigantic arrowhead that he's supposed to fly to Mach 9.
Tom Cruise returns to the danger zone in 'Top Gun: Maverick'
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DANGER ZONE") LOGGINS: (Singing) Highway to the danger zone. MONDELLO: We are in the zone here, going straight to shots of a still seriously fit, almost 60-year-old Tom Cruise revving up his Kawasaki Ninja, roaring down a highway to what looks like a gigantic arrowhead that he's supposed to fly to Mach 9.
The Meaning Behind The Song: Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins
The History Behind "Danger Zone". "Danger Zone" was the theme song for the 1986 blockbuster movie "Top Gun," starring Tom Cruise. The movie showcased the life of Navy pilots, their daring missions, and the thrill of flying a fighter plane. The song starts with a guitar riff that is followed by an electronic beat that captures the ...
Danger Zone (song)
"Danger Zone" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins in 1986, with music composed by Giorgio Moroder and lyrics written by Tom Whitlock.The song was one of the hit singles from the soundtrack to the 1986 American film Top Gun.It was the best-selling soundtrack of 1986 and one of the best-selling of all time. According to Allmusic.com, the album "remains a quintessential ...
'Top Gun: Maverick' will feature 'Danger Zone,' Kenny Loggins confirms
Get ready to fly back into the danger zone, as the Keny Loggins classic song "Danger Zone" is officially confirmed to be part of the long-awaited Tom Cruise Top Gun sequel, Top Gun: Maverick.The song by Loggins is one of the most recognizable features of the classic '80s movie, so fans are sure to be happy to hear that it will once again play as a de facto theme song for Maverick as he ...
Revisiting the Meaning Behind "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins
The meaning behind the lyrics. Just like Tom Cruise's character Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, the lyrics to "Danger Zone" are focused and packed with a goosebump-inducing amount of ...
Tom Cruise Takes James Corden to the Danger Zone with Frightening
James Corden feels the need — the need for a speedy landing. The Late Late Show host, 43, had an adventurous two days with Tom Cruise on Monday night's show, joining the Top Gun: Maverick actor for a terrifying trip in the air on a pair of fighter jets. It was a once-in-a-lifetime getaway that Corden wasn't necessarily excited about.
Kenny Loggins Talks 'Danger Zone' Return For 'Top Gun: Maverick'
How did that come about? Did Tom Cruise personally ask? I did not get a call, but I did Jimmy Kimmel Live! about four years ago, and Tom was on the same show. And, ... It was a style that I hadn't allowed myself to sing. The rock of "Danger Zone" is really fun for me now because the audiences are much more responsive than they were back ...
Kenny Loggins Recorded New 'Danger Zone' for 'Top Gun' Reboot
Kenny Loggins Recorded a '5.0 Version' of 'Danger Zone' For 'Top Gun' Reboot, But Tom Cruise Had Other Ideas "So in the long run it turned out to be the old track coming back," the ...
Tom Cruise takes marching band to the 'danger zone'
Share this. Tom Cruise takes marching band to the 'danger zone'. Just as he promised late last year, Tom Cruise treated The Ohio State University Marching Band to a private showing of his latest film, "Top Gun: Maverick."Cruise saw a replay of the band's "Top Gun" tribute during the 2021 Purdue football game.
Tom Cruise returns to the danger zone in 'Top Gun: Maverick'
Tom Cruise returns to the danger zone in 'Top Gun: Maverick' Three Decades after the original Top Gun, Tom Cruise returns to lead a fresh squadron of Navy fighter pilots in Top Gun: Maverick.
Tom Cruise's 'danger zone'
Tom Cruise's 'danger zone'. By. Larry Getlen. Published Aug. 28, 2011, 4:00 a.m. ET. A water-logged parachute nearly killed Tom Cruise (above, with co-star Kelly McGillis) while filming ...
Tom Cruise returns to the danger zone in 'Top Gun: Maverick'
MONDELLO: We are in the zone here, going straight to shots of a still seriously fit, almost 60-year-old Tom Cruise revving up his Kawasaki Ninja, roaring down a highway to what looks like a ...
Tom Cruise is back in the 'danger zone' with 'Top Gun: Maverick'
Tom Cruise's eagerly anticipated sequel "Top Gun: Maverick" is finally set to touch down in theaters on Friday after years of pandemic delays. The trailer for the next "Mission Impossible ...