Danger Zone (song)

"Danger Zone" is a song, with music composed by Giorgio Moroder and lyrics written by Tom Whitlock, which American singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins recorded and released in 1986. The song was one of the hit singles from the soundtrack to the 1986 American film Top Gun, the best-selling soundtrack of 1986, and one of the best-selling of all time.[1][2] According to Allmusic.com, the album "remains a quintessential artifact of the mid-'80s" and the album's hits "still define the bombastic, melodramatic sound that dominated the pop charts of the era".[2] The song is also featured in the 2022 sequel film Top Gun: Maverick and its soundtrack, using the same original recording.

This article is about the Kenny Loggins song. For other songs, see Danger Zone § Music.
"Danger Zone"
Single by Kenny Loggins
from the album Top Gun
B-side"I'm Gonna Do It Right"
ReleasedMay 1986
RecordedJanuary 1986
Genre
Length3:36
LabelColumbia
Composer(s)Giorgio Moroder
Lyricist(s)Tom Whitlock
Producer(s)Giorgio Moroder
Kenny Loggins singles chronology
"I'll Be There"
(1985)		 "Danger Zone"
(1986)		 "Playing with the Boys"
(1986)
Music video
"Danger Zone" on YouTube

Background

Film producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson, along with music supervisor Michael Dilbeck, had over 300 songs to employ on Top Gun. Testing 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.[3] 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.[4] According to Steve Lukather, when the band sent their version to the producers, they were told that only Joseph Williams' vocal would be used, which the band deemed unacceptable and pulled out.[5] 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.[6]

Corey Hart was also approached to perform "Danger Zone", which he declined, preferring to write and perform his own compositions.[7] Loggins said in a 2022 interview that Kevin Cronin told him he said no because the notes were too high.[8]

Eventually, the film producers offered the song to Loggins, who would recall his assent to recording "Danger Zone" as "a very snap judgement".[4][9] Whitlock went to Loggins' Encino home, and once shown the lyrics, the singer added his own improvisations.[3] Reaching 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, bested only by his 1984 number 1 hit "Footloose". In a 2008 interview, Loggins said that the song does not represent himself as an artist.[9]

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.[10] Ultimately, however, 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.[11][12]

Overview

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 the week of July 26, 1986.

Music video

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.

The song is a constant reference in the animated show Archer, mostly by series protagonist Sterling Archer, as both his favorite song and a catchphrase. Loggins also appeared on an episode as a fictionalized version of himself, where he duetted on a country version of the song with Cheryl Tunt, in the guise of country singer "Cherlene."

The song appears in the 2008 films Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay and Sex Drive.

The song appears in the fictional radio station Los Santos Rock Radio, which is hosted by Loggins playing a fictionalized version of himself, on the enhanced version of the 2013 video game Grand Theft Auto V.

A remix of the song appeared in the 2019 video game Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, through a collaborative DLC to promote Top Gun's sequel Top Gun: Maverick.

The song made an appearance in the Nickelodeon series The Really Loud House as part of a montage in the episode "Ro-Bro".

The song made an appearance in the Electronic Arts game Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 in the intro cutscene for Infinity Time.

The song made an appearance in the Nintendo series “The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!”.

The song apperars in 2009 movie 17 Again.

The song was featured in the trailers for Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, Valiant and Penguins of Madagascar.

Personnel

Charts

Certifications
Certifications for "Danger Zone"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[30] 4× Platinum 280,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[31] Gold 45,000‡
Japan (RIAJ)[32]
Digital single 		Platinum 250,000*
New Zealand (RMNZ)[26] Platinum 30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[33] Platinum 600,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Sampling

References
  1. Denisoff, R. Serge; Romanowski, William D. (2011-12-31). Risky Business: Rock in Film. Transaction Publishers. ISBN 9781412833370.
  2. "Top Gun [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] - Original Soundtrack | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2017-05-19.
  3. "Back to the 80s: Interview with Tom Whitlock, co-writer of 'Take My Breath Away' & more – Kickin' it Old School". Archived from the original on 2016-04-12. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  4. "Top Gun (Soundtrack)". Toto Official Website. April 29, 2007. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  5. Lukather, Steve (2019). The Gospel According to Luke (1st ed.). Post Hill Press. p. 179. ISBN 978-1-64293-285-0.
  6. AXS TV (May 29, 2022). Kenny Loggins Reveals How 'Danger Zone' from Top Gun Came to Life. YouTube. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  7. "Corey Hart". Encyclopedia of Music in Canada. December 16, 2013. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  8. Wood, Mikael (May 26, 2022). "Loggins Rides into 'Danger Zone' Once More". Los Angeles Times.
  9. Springfield News-Sun. "Kenny Loggins Will Cut Footloose at Kuss: singer's adaptability has kept career going since '70s". October 9, 2008. p. B1.
  10. "Kenny Loggins is recording a new version of 'Danger Zone' for Top Gun: Maverick". Consequence of Sound. June 7, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  11. "Kenny Loggins Re-Recorded 'Danger Zone' for 'Top Gun: Maverick' — Why the Sequel Passed On It". Variety. May 31, 2022. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
  12. Lenker, Maureen Lee (May 31, 2022). "Kenny Loggins recorded a new version of 'Danger Zone' that wasn't used in Top Gun: Maverick". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
  13. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 180. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA from mid-1983 until June 12, 1988.
  14. "Kenny Loggins – Danger Zone (song)" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  15. "Kenny Loggins – Danger Zone". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  16. "Kenny Loggins – Danger Zone". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  17. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  18. "Billboard > Kenny Loggins Chart History > Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  19. "Billboard > Kenny Loggins Chart History > Mainstream Rock Songs". Billboard. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  20. "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 13 June 2022". The ARIA Report. No. 1684. Australian Recording Industry Association. June 13, 2022. p. 4.
  21. "Kenny Loggins Chart History (Canadian Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  22. "Kenny Loggins Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
  23. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  24. "IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
  25. "Billboard Japan Hot 100: Week of June 8, 2022". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  26. "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. June 6, 2022. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
  27. "Kenny Loggins Chart History (Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  28. "Kent Music Report No 650 – 29 December 1986 > National Top 100 Singles for 1986". Kent Music Report, via Imgur.com. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  29. "1986 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 98, no. 52. December 27, 1986. p. Y-21.
  30. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2022 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
  31. "Danish single certifications – Kenny Loggins – Danger Zone". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  32. "Japanese digital single certifications – Danger Zone" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved December 27, 2016. Select 2016年4月 on the drop-down menu
  33. "British single certifications – Kenny Loggins – Danger Zone". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
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