This Cinematic 1986 Pop No. 1, Partially Written By A Mechanic, Hit The Top Of The Charts 40 Years Ago Today

September 12, 1986, fell at the end of the week in which one of the all-time most swoon-worthy movie tunes claimed the No. 1 position on the Hot 100. It's the electronic, synth-based timeless '80s love ballad "Take My Breath Away," as heard throughout "Top Gun" and performed by Berlin. Lush, luxurious, and intimate despite a production and instrumentation that could've easily come off as sterile and robotic, "Take My Breath Away" is romantic and sensual thanks in part to a powerful vocal performance by Berlin singer Terri Nunn, who showed she had a wide range beyond the band's new wave comfort zone.

Disco producer Giorgio Moroder gracefully transitioned into '80s synth-pop, and he became one of the decade's most sought-after film music authors. In addition to composing for "American Gigolo," "Flashdance," and "The Never Ending Story," he wrote two songs for the soundtrack to the 1986 Tom Cruise fighter pilot saga "Top Gun" — the jaunty, flight-montage-ready "Danger Zone" and "Take My Breath Away," to underscore romantic scenes featuring Cruise and Kelly McGillis. After much searching, he found the right artist to bring those tunes to the screen — and to the top of the pop chart — in Berlin and Nunn.

"Take My Breath Away" is a song about the magnetic pull of romantic desire, and yet it took the "Top Gun" team a few tries to get somebody to record it, and to record it in a way that everyone liked. Written by Moroder and new collaborator Tom Whitlock — Moroder's one-time-mechanic who also happened to be a lyricist — the song was first offered to Martha Davis, singer for pop-rock group the Motels, an '80s band we completely forgot about. The producers of "Top Gun" heard Davis's version and weren't blown away, so Moroder approached another choice, Alison Moyet of Yaz, who said no, and then Berlin. He initially wanted the band to record both "Top Gun" songs he'd been hired to write, but vocalist Teri Nunn didn't care for "Danger Zone," nor Moroder's idea to make it a piece for two singers, so she opted for "Take My Breath Away," despite her manager thinking the song wouldn't do much business.

Kenny Loggins is worth a lot more than you think thanks to his successful soundtrack work on "Caddyshack" and "Footloose," and he wound up recording "Danger Zone" and taking it to No. 2. Then came "Take My Breath Away." Despite being credited to a band with limited mainstream success — Berlin previously scored one Top 30 single, "No More Words" — it out-performed Loggins' song. It topped the Hot 100 for a single week in September 1986, and in early 1987, "Take My Breath Away" won the Oscar for best original song.