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Why The Soundtrack to ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ is The Quintessential Anthem of the Eighties
The eighties were a dramatic era that summoned the very best in entertainment that still captivates and inspires decades later. Artists like Taylor Swift and a slew of others have greatly benefited from the influences of high-tempo beats — mixed in with functional verses that stick to your memory like glue.
It was also a time when movies and the soundtracks that accompanied them were virtually inseparable. The standouts of that winning practice include The Big Chill, Footloose, Dirty Dancing and of course the incomparable Purple Rain. Each of those films featured a collection of hits that are just as relevant and endearing today as they were when they stormed the charts.
It’s been about 33 years since the much-heralded release of Beverly Hills Cop, the action comedy blockbuster that certified comedian and former SNL alum — Eddie Murphy’s movie star status — and as hard as it is to believe that it’s been that long — it’s even harder for me to admit that I was old enough to remember the phenomenal impact both the film and the soundtrack had on the cultural front.
Murphy’s Axel Foley was a charismatic, street-wise cop from Detroit who ends up inhabiting the polished streets of Beverly Hills as he investigates the brutal murder of his friend. Every detail of Beverly Hills Cop captures the splendor of the eighties — down to Foley’s signature attire and the tangible trends that are normally associated with the period that is nostalgically referenced as “the decade of excess.”
It’s also worth noting that aside from shattering the box office — the film was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy and an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 1985.
It didn’t win either of those awards, but it did manage to snag a well-deserved Grammy in 1986 — for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media and that victory shouldn’t have come as a surprise — when you consider the immaculately packaged recordings that would still overwhelm anything that’s been produced since its inception.
