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Harold Faltermeyer
Hot track: Axel F.
Year: 1985
Chart Position: 2
Although best known for his mid-’80s instrumental smash Axel F., Harold Faltermeyer was also a notable producer and session player. His career began with work as an arranger on Giorgio Moroder’s soundtrack to the 1978 film Midnight Express, the first in a long series of film-related projects; from there, Faltermeyer moved on to play synthesiser on Donna Summer’s 1979 classic Bad Girls before reuniting with Moroder to co-produce Sparks’ Terminal Jive.
His breakthrough came in 1984 when he worked on the smash feature comedy Beverly Hills Cop; Faltermeyer’s instrumental theme Axel F. became an unexpected pop hit, and he was soon contracted to work on movies like Top Gun. In 1990, he co-produced Pet Shop Boys’ Behavior, but as the decade progressed his profile diminished.
