Harold Faltermeyer – born Hans Hugo Harold Faltermeier on October 5, 1952, in Munich, Germany – is a Los Angeles, California-based musician, producer, and composer best known for the international hit single “Axel F” (1984) from the soundtrack to the film Beverly Hills Cop and for composing “Top Gun Anthem” for the 1986 film Top Gun. At the age of 6, Harold Faltermeyer learned to play the piano, focusing on classical but became interested in rock music several years later. Attending the Academy of Music in Munich, he studied both piano and trumpet, eventually playing organ in a local band and getting a job at a recording studio. This job led to engineering classical sessions for Deutsche Grammophon label, and to being recognized by famed composer and producer Giorgio Moroder in 1978. Moroder was impressed by Harold Faltermeyers’ talents and asked him to play keyboards and arrange the music for the soundtrack to Midnight Express. Relocating to Los Angeles, he spent the six years working with Moroder on various projects including the soundtrack to American Gigolo (1980) and albums by Donna Summer and Sparks. In 1984, he began working as an independent composer, and wrote music for the movie Beverly Hills Cop. The song “Axel F” became so popular that it was released as a single and hit Number 3 in the US and Number 2 in the UK. After more soundtrack work for films such as Thief of Hearts (1984) and Fletch (1985), Harold Faltermeyer composed “Top Gun Anthem” for the 1986 film, Top Gun. Further soundtrack work included movies such as Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), The Running Man (1987), Fletch Lives (1989), Tango & Cash (1989), Kuffs (1992), and many others. Outside of his soundtrack work, he also collaborated with artists such as Al Corley, Laura Branigan, Billy Idol, Jennifer Rush, Glenn Frey, Pet Shop Boys, Falco, and Bonnie Tyler. Harold Faltermeyer also released solo albums - including Worldhits (1987) and Harold F (1988) as well as a compilation entitled A Portrait of Harold Faltermeyer: His Greatest Hits (2003). In 2022, he was a featured collaborator for the soundtrack to the film Top Gun: Maverick, working alongside Lady Gaga and Hans Zimmer.
