Decoding Axel F, the theme song of the Beverly Hills Cop series by Harold Faltermeyer

The enduring composition has inspired sequels and musicians over the decades

Eddie Murphy and Paul Reiser in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. AP

The nostalgia pervading Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, the latest instalment of the action-comedy franchise, is not limited to the screen.

Joining the reassembled cast of Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold and John Ashton is the signature theme song Axel F by Harold Flatermeyer.

Conceived for Beverly Hills Cop in 1984, Axel F went on to feature in all proceeding three films. While each update reflected some of the sounds and production technology of the time, it never detracted from its key appeal – the irresistible synth riff that not only propelled the on-screen action but the song itself to the top of the charts.

With Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F now streaming on Netflix, here is all you need to know about the track and composer.

1. A new take on a classic

While Faltermeyer, 71, is the original composer of Axel F, the German opted out of making a fresh version for the new film.

Instead, it was done by Lorne Balfe. The Scottish composer has pedigree in revitalising classic scores as heard in Top Gun: Maverick (2022) and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023).

Speaking to Netflix, Balfe explained that the latest take was created by a “synth orchestra” using the same type of vintage synthesisers used in the original score.

“We had a clear idea of wanting to be faithful to the past and slightly reinvent so the audience felt connected to it,” he says. “The Axel F theme has been reinvented so many times. It's getting into all these single generations that people are kind of being aware of. So it's something that reminds you of your childhood.”

Balfe also noted the classic feel of the new version is a reaction to the overblown composition in Beverly Hills Cop 3 (1994) by Nile Rodgers.

“I think we’ve learnt our lesson with Beverly Hills Cop where the first two scores were quintessentially classic,” he told The Wrap. "(This time) We’ve used the orchestra more as a bed around it, just to be an underbelly.”

2. It was done in the nick of time

The enduring popularity of Axel F continues to be a source of amazement for Faltermeyer, considering it was composed under pressure.

“When I made Axel F my back was against the wall and it was a collage of different things because they needed the song the next morning and I couldn’t make something from scratch,” he told website Dazed.

“So I took all the tracks I had made for the entire movie and cut them together. I worked all night 'til 8am and delivered the song.”

That painstaking approach characterising the rest of the film’s overall score was down to the decision by director Martin Breast to make the synthesiser the key instrument heard in the film.

“At that time, to score a comedy was always done with an orchestra,” Faltermeyer said in a session at the Red Bull Academy in 2014.

“Now, there’s the idea of doing an electronic score and doing that with one of the most successful comedians we had in America at that time, Eddie Murphy, so the studio was nervous.”

3. From K-pop to Eurodance: it has many covers versions

Buoyed by the Beverly Hills Cop's success – the film was second highest grossing movie of 1984 behind Ghostbusters – Axel F became a club hit and topped the charts in the US.

The momentum moved Faltermeyer to self-direct a music video where clips from the film are interspersed with him performing on synthesisers.

The song took on new life over the decades with cover versions ranging from the faithful to the annoying.

The most high profile of them was from Crazy Frog, a CGI character soundtracked by German dance production team Bass Bumpers. It became a global success on both the pop and mobile phone ringtone charts.

Gangnam Style rapper Psy sampled the track for the disco-fuelled Champion in 2002, while a Eurodance version was released a year later by Murphy Brown vs Captain Hollywood.

Faltermeyer’s last full film score was 2010 action-comedy Cop Out and reportedly blamed his absence from Hollywood on a backlash against the synthesiser.

Then again and similar to fashion, he always felt his approach will be in vogue again when the time comes.

“There was a fallout against the synth sound and I moved back to Germany to concentrate on other projects,” he told Dazed. “One day you’re out of fashion and then you become fashionable again. People always take elements of the past and merge it with the future. This will always happen.”

Axel F is also a reminder how a great song, in its various guises, is timeless.