Wikipedia

Axel F

This article is about the song. For the character, see Axel Foley. For the 2024 film, see Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.

"Axel F"
UK and West German picture sleeve
Single by Harold Faltermeyer
from the album Beverly Hills Cop and Harold F.
B-side"Shoot Out"
Released11 March 1985 (1985-03-11)[1]
Recorded1984
Genre
Length3:01
LabelMCA
SongwriterHarold Faltermeyer
ProducerHarold Faltermeyer
Harold Faltermeyer singles chronology
"Axel F"
(1985) 		"The Race Is On" / "Starlight Express"
(1987)

"Axel F" is an electronic instrumental track by German musician Harold Faltermeyer. The track served as the theme tune for the film Beverly Hills Cop, its eponymous character, and the film franchise it is based on, and became an international number one hit in 1985. The single was released in 1984 by MCA Records and reached number one in Ireland as well as on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. Additionally, it was a number-two hit in Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and West Germany.

In addition to the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack, the track also appears on Faltermeyer's own album Harold F. as a bonus track.[4] Its music video was directed by Faltermeyer himself.

Production

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Faltermeyer recorded the tune using five instruments: a Roland Jupiter-8 provided the distinctive saw lead, a Moog modular synthesizer 15 provided the bass, a Roland JX-3P provided chord stab brasses, a Yamaha DX7 was used for the marimba sound, and a LinnDrum was used for drum programming.[5] All instruments were played by Faltermeyer.

According to Faltermeyer, the initial reaction to his first presentation of the track to the film's producers and director did not result in an immediate approval; it was not until director Martin Brest voiced his approval that the producers showed enthusiasm.[6]

A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by Faltermeyer. Faltermeyer is featured wearing an overcoat, hat, and sunglasses; he sneaks into a computer lab at night and uses one of the machines to watch scenes from Beverly Hills Cop with himself edited in, interspersed with footage of a pole dancer, a female dancer, and of himself playing the synthesizer.[7]

The B-Side "Shoot Out", although featuring prominently in the film, was not included on the Soundtrack album.

Track listings

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  • 7-inch single
  1. "Axel F" – 3:00
  2. "Shoot Out" – 2:44
  • 12-inch maxi
  1. "Axel F" (M & M mix) – 7:00
  2. "Axel F" (extended version) – 7:09
  3. "Shoot Out" – 2:44
  • 12-inch maxi
  1. "Axel F" (extended version) – 7:09
  2. "Shoot Out" – 2:44

Charts

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Faltermeyer's version of the instrumental reached number two on the UK Singles Chart and number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. It also spent two weeks atop the US Adult Contemporary chart.

Certifications and sales

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[35] Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[36] Silver 250,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Techno Cop version

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"Axel F"
Single by Techno Cop
from the album The Best and More
B-side"Cops in Trance"
Released20 June 1992
Length3:01
LabelPolydor
SongwriterHarold Faltermeyer
ProducersCool & Cool
Techno Cop singles chronology
"Stop the Police"
(1992) 		"Axel F"
(1992) 		"The Vision"
(1994)

In 1992, German techno group Techno Cop covered the instrumental, and achieved modest success with a top 30 ranking on the German singles chart. Unlike the original, this version contains rap passages.

Track listings

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  • 12-inch maxi
  1. "Axel F" (Outlaw mix) – 5:50
  2. "Axel F" (Megaphone mix) – 5:20
  3. "Cops in Trance" – 4:15
  • CD maxi
  1. "Axel F" (U-Boot mix) – 6:00
  2. "Axel F" (radio edit) – 3:49
  3. "Axel F" (Minimalistixtendid) – 4:41
  4. "Beverly Kills" – 2:58

Charts

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Chart (1992) Peak
position
Germany (Media Control)[37] 30

Clock version

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"Axel F"
Single by Clock
from the album It's Time...
B-side"Keep Pushin'"
Released1995
Genre
Length
  • 3:38 (radio edit)
  • 3:22 (radio short stab)
Label
SongwriterHarold Faltermeyer
Producers
Clock singles chronology
"Keep the Fires Burning"
(1994) 		"Axel F"
(1995) 		"Whoomph! (There It Is)"
(1995)
Music video
"Axel F" on YouTube

British pop/dance act Clock released a successful dance cover of "Axel F" in 1995. Produced by Richard Pritchard and Stu Allan and released by MCA and ZYX Music, it was featured on their debut album, It's Time... (1995), and peaked at number five in Scotland, number seven in the UK overall, number eight in Ireland and number 37 in Sweden. On the Eurochart Hot 100, the single reached number 20 in March 1995, while in Australia, it peaked at number 42.[citation needed] The accompanying music video was a Box Top on British music television channel The Box in April 1995.[39]

Critical reception

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When the cover was released in 1995, James Masterton wrote in his weekly UK chart, "There is no denying the brilliance of this record, making the Harold Faltermeyer classic more of a dance hit than he could ever have dreamed as the song makes the Top 10 close on ten years since the original did the same."[40] Alan Jones from Music Week's RM Dance Update described the song as "another energetic remake".[41] Another RM editor, James Hamilton, declared it as an "ultra excitingly galloping 135bpm Hi-NRG" track in his weekly dance column.[38]

Track listings

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  • UK CD maxi
  1. "Axel F" (Radio Short Stab) – 3:22
  2. "Axel F" (Primax mix) – 4:47
  3. "Keep Pushin'" (Clock N-R-G mix) – 6:27
  4. "Keep Pushin'" (PTP 'London' mix) – 7:46
  • Sweden CD maxi
  1. "Axel F" (radio edit) – 3:38
  2. "Axel F" (Primax mix) – 4:44
  3. "Axel F" (Ten to Two mix) – 5:40
  4. "Keep Pushin'" (PTP London edit) – 4:40
  5. "Clock Megamix" - 15:40

Charts

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Psy version

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In 2002, South Korean singer Psy released a track titled "Champion" as part of his album 3 Mai,[51] tapping into Seoul's enthusiasm over the 2002 FIFA World Cup.[52][53] "Champion" was partially inspired by Korean street cheering during the 2002 World Cup.[54] Paul Lester of The Guardian called "Champion" a "thrashy disco ... which heavily samples "Axel F" by Harold Faltermeyer".[55]

Murphy Brown vs Captain Hollywood version

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In 2003, Murphy Brown and Captain Hollywood released their Eurodance version of "Axel F", titled "Axel F 2003". This version was produced by Matthias Wagner and Andreas Dohmeyer of the Off-cast Project, and Bass Bumpers. It contains a vocal sample from Max Headroom ("What's going on?"), heard at the beginning of the song. It reached number 18 on the official German Singles Chart.[56] This version was reworked two years later into the highly successful version by Crazy Frog, which was also completed by the same team of producers.

Crazy Frog version

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Main article: Axel F (Crazy Frog song)

In 2005, Crazy Frog, an animated CGI character created by ringtone provider Jamba! released a cover of "Axel F". The song, itself a re-working of the 2003 Murphy Brown/Captain Hollywood version, was created in response to a popular unauthorized song using the Crazy Frog ringtone audio.[57] "Axel F" would become a chart topping hit across Europe and Australia in summer 2005, while achieving Top 40 status in the United States.[58]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "BPI".
  2. ^ "Axel F – Harold Faltermeyer". Toponehitwonders.com. 31 October 2010. Archived from the original on 1 October 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2013. 'Axel F' is a brilliant one-hit wonder on many levels. It's a synthpop one-hit wonder, placing it in the same company as 'Cars' by Gary Numan (...) and 'Autobahn' by Kraftwerk to name just a few genius synthpop hits.
  3. ^ Fraser McAlpine (14 July 2017). "What was the most annoying novelty song of all time?". BBC Music. Retrieved 12 November 2022. Then in 2004 the voice was used to launch an obnoxious ringtone called Crazy Frog, which proved so popular, it was then set to Harold Faltermeyer's 1984 electro hit Axel F and released as a global hit single.
  4. ^ "The 40 greatest synth sounds of all time, No 36: Harold Faltermeyer". Music Radar. 7 April 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
  5. ^ Rogersonpublished, Ben (5 October 2023). ""Nah. It doesn't work": How Harold Faltermeyer's iconic Axel F nearly didn't make it into Beverly Hills Cop at all". MusicRadar. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  6. ^ Red Bull Music Academy (5 November 2014). "Harold Faltermeyer Lecture (RBMA Tokyo 2014) – Red Bull Music Academy". Archived from the original on 12 December 2021 – via YouTube.
  7. ^ Moir, Tammy (15 December 2023). "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. has just given us what we needed - Harold Faltermeyer's iconic theme mash up with The Notorious B.I.G." Happy Mag. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  8. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  9. ^ "Harold Faltermeyer – Axel F" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  10. ^ "Harold Faltermeyer – Axel F" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  11. ^ "Axel F – HAROLD FALTERMEYER". VRT (in Dutch). Top30-2.radio2.be. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 20 July 2013. Hoogste notering in de top 30 : 2
  12. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Image 0548". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  13. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Image 9309". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  14. ^ "Danish Charts Archive?". 11 November 2009.
  15. ^ "The Irish Charts – All there is to know". IRMA. Archived from the original on 2 June 2009. Retrieved 20 July 2013. 1st and 3rd results when searching "Axel F"
  16. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Harold Faltermeyer – Axel F" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  17. ^ "Harold Faltermeyer – Axel F" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  18. ^ "Harold Faltermeyer – Axel F". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  19. ^ "Harold Faltermeyer – Axel F". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  20. ^ "Harold Faltermeyer – Axel F". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  21. ^ "Official Singles Chart on 6/7/1985 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  22. ^ "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. 1 June 1985. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  23. ^ "Adult Contemporary". Billboard. 8 June 1985. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  24. ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. 25 May 1985. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  25. ^ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts (West Germany)" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  26. ^ "Kent Music Report No 599 – 30 December 1985 > National Top 100 Singles for 1985". Kent Music Report. Retrieved 23 January 2023 – via Imgur.
  27. ^ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – 1985". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  28. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1985". Ultratop. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  29. ^ "RPM's Top 100 Singles of 1985". RPM. Vol. 43, no. 16. 28 December 1985. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  30. ^ "Single top 100 over 1985" (PDF) (in Dutch). Top40. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  31. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1985". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  32. ^ "1985 Swiss Singles Chart" (in German). Swisscharts. Archived from the original on 13 January 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  33. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1985/Top 100 Songs of 1985". www.musicoutfitters.com.
  34. ^ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts 1985" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  35. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Harold Faltermeyer – Axel F". Music Canada. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  36. ^ "British single certifications – Harold Faltermeyer – Axel F". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Formats field. Type Axel F Harold Faltermeyer in the "Search:" field.
  37. ^ "Axel F. von Techno Cop". www.chartsurfer.de.
  38. ^ a b Hamilton, James (18 February 1995). "Dj directory" (PDF). Music Week. p. 11. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  39. ^ "M&M Airplay Station Reports: The Box/London" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 13. 1 April 1995. p. 27. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  40. ^ Masterton, James (5 March 1995). "Week Ending March 11th 1995". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  41. ^ Jones, Alan (25 March 1995). "Club Chart Commentary" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental insert). p. 12. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  42. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 11. 18 March 1995. p. 27. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  43. ^ "Clock - Axel F" (in Dutch). top40.nl. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  44. ^ "Clock – Axel F" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  45. ^ "Scottish Singles Chart 12 March 1995 - 18 March 1995". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  46. ^ "Top 50 Airplay Hits" (PDF). Music Week. 25 March 1995. p. 19. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  47. ^ "The RM Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental insert). 11 February 1995. p. 6. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  48. ^ "The RM on a Pop Tip Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental insert). 11 March 1995. p. 10. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  49. ^ "Top 100 Singles 1995" (PDF). Music Week. 13 January 1996. p. 9. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  50. ^ "On a Pop Tip Club Chart 95" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 23 December 1995. p. 7. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  51. ^ Limb, Jae-un (18 June 2014). "Streets of Gangnam fill with World Cup cheers". Korea.net. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  52. ^ Wi, Tack-whan (10 October 2012). "PSY, the man behind the name". Korea.net. Archived from the original on 30 June 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  53. ^ Lee, Hyo-won (17 June 2014). "World Cup 2014: Psy Performs 'Gangnam Style' in Gangnam for the First Time". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  54. ^ "싸이 위선 가득한 세상 조롱".
  55. ^ Lester, Paul (13 September 2012). "K-pop new band of the week – Psy (No 1,350)". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  56. ^ "MURPHY BROWN VS. CAPTAIN HOLLYWOOD - AXEL F 2003 - Offizielle Deutsche Charts". Offiziellecharts.de.
  57. ^ Administrator, men (12 January 2013). "THAT frog song was spawned in Salford". Manchester Evening News. Archived from the original on 12 December 2025. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
  58. ^ "Crazy Frog | Awards | AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 10 January 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
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