1986 Action Film, One of the Biggest Box Office Hits of the '80s, Turns 40 Today
It was on this day in 1986 that Top Gun first took flight.
Exactly 40 years ago, the world was introduced to the hotshot fighter pilot Lieutenant Pete "Maverick" Mitchell for the first time when Top Gun released in theaters on May 16, 1986. Since then, the blockbuster smash has already sparked one sequel, plus another one in the works, and it remains a defining film of the '80s.
The Tony Scott-directed action movie follows a group of elite U.S. naval aviators training at the Top Gun Naval Fighter Weapons School in California. It famously stars Tom Cruise as the effortlessly cool and skilled pilot known by the call sign "Maverick," plus Val Kilmeras Tom "Iceman" Kazansky, and Anthony Edwards as Nick "Goose" Bradshaw. The cast also includes Meg Ryan, Kelly McGillis, Tim Robbins and more.
The film was a major box office success, and was the highest-grossing film of that year, according to Box Office Mojo. It was even one of the highest-earning films of the entire decade, grossing over $176.7 million domestically.
Top Gun is appreciated by both critics and fans, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 96 percent on the Tomatometer (critics score) and 99 percent on the Popcornmeter (audience score). It also has a 3.5 star rating on Letterboxd.
Aside from the storyline, cinematography and star-studded cast, Top Gun is also known and loved for its iconic soundtrack, particularly the theme "Danger Zone," by Kenny Loggins which earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Male Vocal Performance.
Another song from the soundtrack, "Take My Breath Away" by Berlin (written by Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock) ended up winning an Oscar for Best Original Song. The soundtrack, which also features "Playing with the Boys" and "Mighty Wings," hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and is ranked No. 1 on Variety's 25 Most Quintessential 1980s Soundtracks.
Top Gun inspired the 2022 sequel Top Gun: Maverick, while a third film is officially in the works at Paramount.
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This story was originally published May 16, 2026 at 3:18 AM.