Harold Faltermeyer (born Hans Hugo Harold Faltermeier; named after a US-Colonel stationed in Germany; 5 October 1952) is a German musician, keyboard player, composer and record producer. He is recognized as one of the composers/producers who best captured the zeitgeist of 1980s synthpop in film scores. He is best known for writing and composing the "Axel F" theme for Beverly Hills Cop and the Top Gun Anthem for the film Top Gun. Both works were influential synthpop hits in the 1980s.
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Biography from TMDB.
- October 5, 1952 (74)
- Munich, Bavaria, West Germany [now Germany]
- Composer, also actor
- 14 on MovieCove · 27 credits in all
What are Harold Faltermeyer's films like?
Across their 14 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
A split, not a type: Ironic 4 · Wry 1 · Earnest 8
Light 12 · Serious 2 · Dark 0
Grounded 4 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 3
Gentle 2 · Charged 7 · Intense 5
Steady 3 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 3
Straight-faced 1 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 8
Slow burn 0 · Even-paced 9 · Relentless 5
Casual 10 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 12 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 0
Resolved 14 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy12
- Bittersweet2
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Harold Faltermeyer's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 11 of their 14 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (4).
Subscription and free streaming for Harold Faltermeyer's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
27 credits, 14 with a MovieCove page; 17 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
Top Gun: Maverick(2022)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Hopfen, Malz und Blei (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)
Cop Out(2010)
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
Gier (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
Best of the Best: Inside the Real Top Gun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
Die Hit-Giganten (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
Ski to the Max (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
Der König von St. Pauli (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)
Frankie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
White Magic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
Asterix in America(1994)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
Sauerkraut (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
Kuffs(1992)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
Fire, Ice and Dynamite (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
Tango & Cash(1989)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Fletch Lives(1989)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
The Running Man(1987)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
Fatal Beauty(1987)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
Beverly Hills Cop II(1987)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Snow Motion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)
Top Gun(1986)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
Fire & Ice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
Fletch(1985)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Beverly Hills Cop(1984)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Thief of Hearts(1984)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
Non-Stop Trouble with my Double (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)
Career shape
A full career of 26 titles from 1984 to 2022.
Biggest box office
Top Gun (1986)
Highest rated
Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
Most popular right now
Top Gun (1986)
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
Awards
2 major awards from 10 major nominations, 1986–2023.
- Grammy Award, nominated · Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media
- Oscar, nominated · Best Music, Original Song
- Golden Globe, nominated · Best Original Song - Motion Picture
- Golden Globe, nominated · Best Original Score - Motion Picture
+1 other major body · 1 win and 1 nomination
- Grammy Award, won · Best Pop Instrumental Performance, (Orchestra, Group or Soloist)
- Grammy Award, nominated · Best Instrumental Composition
- BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Score
+1 other major body · 1 win and 2 nominations
- Grammy Award, won · Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special
- Grammy Award, nominated · Best Instrumental Composition
- Grammy Award, nominated · Best Pop Instrumental Performance, (Orchestra, Group or Soloist)
Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.
How do Harold Faltermeyer's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 59th percentile, the median of all 14; across their 14 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 58th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up4
- 50th to 74th4
- 25th to 49th5
- Below 25th1
Shape of the crowd
None of their 14 titles divides audiences: 7 are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved1
- Crowd Pleaser7
- Broadly Agreed2
- Mixed4
Reviewers score the sound and music 63/100 in their films, across 13 reviewed titles; fans 71, detractors 40. The element that speaks to their work as a composer.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Harold Faltermeyer's work okay for kids?
Across up to 10 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore and profanity run heavier than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Harold Faltermeyer work with?
People who share at least 2 of Harold Faltermeyer's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Jerry Bruckheimer shares the most, 6.
Directors
- Michael RitchieShared titles: Fletch Lives (1989), Fletch (1985)See all 2 shared titles with Michael Ritchie
- Tony ScottShared titles: Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Top Gun (1986)See all 2 shared titles with Tony Scott
Writers
- Daniel Petrie Jr.Shared titles: Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Beverly Hills Cop (1984)See all 3 shared titles with Daniel Petrie Jr.
- Danilo BachShared titles: Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Beverly Hills Cop (1984)See all 3 shared titles with Danilo Bach
Actors
- Eddie MurphyShared titles: Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Beverly Hills Cop (1984)See all 3 shared titles with Eddie Murphy
- John AshtonShared titles: Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Beverly Hills Cop (1984)See all 3 shared titles with John Ashton
- Judge ReinholdShared titles: Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Beverly Hills Cop (1984)See all 3 shared titles with Judge Reinhold
- Paul ReiserShared titles: Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)See all 2 shared titles with Paul Reiser
Cinematographers and editors
- Billy WeberShared titles: Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Top Gun (1986), Beverly Hills Cop (1984)See all 3 shared titles with Billy Weber
- Jeffrey L. KimballShared titles: Danger Zone: The Making of 'Top Gun' (2004), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Top Gun (1986)See all 3 shared titles with Jeffrey L. Kimball
- Thomas Del RuthShared titles: Kuffs (1992), The Running Man (1987)See all 2 shared titles with Thomas Del Ruth
- Richard A. HarrisShared titles: Fletch Lives (1989), Fletch (1985)See all 2 shared titles with Richard A. Harris
Producers
- Jerry BruckheimerShared titles: Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024), Danger Zone: The Making of 'Top Gun' (2004), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Top Gun (1986), Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Thief of Hearts (1984)See all 6 shared titles with Jerry Bruckheimer
- Don SimpsonShared titles: Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Top Gun (1986), Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Thief of Hearts (1984)See all 4 shared titles with Don Simpson
- Alan GreismanShared titles: Fletch Lives (1989), Fletch (1985)See all 2 shared titles with Alan Greisman
- Peter DouglasShared titles: Fletch Lives (1989), Fletch (1985)See all 2 shared titles with Peter Douglas
Mixed roles
- Jack Epps Jr.Shared titles: Danger Zone: The Making of 'Top Gun' (2004), Top Gun (1986)See all 2 shared titles with Jack Epps Jr.
- Warren SkaarenShared titles: Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Top Gun (1986)See all 2 shared titles with Warren Skaaren