When you heard this song, you knew you were in for an hour's worth of excitement, glamour, fashion and hot music. The best show on TV deserved the best opening song and this is it. WOW!!
Couldn’t agree more. I honestly believe we peaked in the 80’s. The 90’s were great and we levelled off. The 00’s were a slow decline and the ‘10’s up to now have been an absolute car crash. Take me back to the mid/late 80’s please 🙏🏻
Yes its crazy how much the world has changed this was pre internet cell phones were just coming out on the market now it'd a.i running our lives and we are all cyborgs now walking around with our smart phones all the time😢
@@elitecombatfitnesscentral6170 And Harold Faltermeyer. How ironic and interesting that all three hail from the very small area in Central Europe perhaps like 300km apart (Prague, Munich and Tirol).
Apparently the basis of this track even pre-dates the making of Miami Vice. He handed Michael a tape with a demo on it. To ever hear that demo would be amazing.
I was born in 2004 but I watched Miami Vice with my mother on a television channel where retro series like Magnum, The A Team, among others, were shown, very good memories of those afternoons as a child with my mother who loves this series.
@@raymondmalcuit8361 Yes he is ! Great memories for many years. In the 80s back home they started airing it twice a day so if we missed one then we could catch it later. Fortunately all but a small few of the broadcasts still survive.
Hammer's music MADE this show. It is the only show where I would watch the entire introduction, to hear the music and watch the windsurfer drop her head into the water.
Back when men could run really really really fast and far far far in loafers without socks. Never any blisters. That was the day, man. That was the day. That, and layered synth tracks.
I never tire of Miami Vice's intro and never fast forward directly to the show whenever I play the DVD box set series. Jan Hammer's music theme is so energetic and an absolute icon.
Kamaráde, Jan pochází z České republiky a jeho oba rodiče byli v Jazzové hudbě velmi nadaní, otec významný lékař a hudebník, maminka zpěvačka... syn je skvělý po nich... je to další Čech, co dobyl Ameriku...ua-cam.com/video/j8h4Iubgrog/v-deo.html maminka Vlasta Průchová, s otcem jen zvukový záznam nebo rozhovor...ua-cam.com/video/_ejJtkliFik/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/jAQbHA6HVEs/v-deo.html nechte si to od Čechů v USA přeložit...
I am 46 also lol. I watched Miami Vice religiously back in the day as well as Knight Rider and Airwolf. Just recently bought the series on dvd and been binge watching lol. God I miss the 80's and being young again.
I so agree! Jan has indeed such talent when it comes to a TV show which needs music, and the Fairlight is his weapon of choice. He would use the CMI for apparently from 1984 to 1989 and his legacy lives on! Without his superb genius Miami Vice wouldn’t air in the 80s!
I remember one NBC commercial where a maitre'd in a busy restaurant picked up the phone, listened to it, then asked, "What do you mean it's MIAMI VICE tonight?" When she looked up...the restaurant was empty as the guitar from "In the Air Tonight" came through the phone...
38 Years Ago Tonight I'd Be Watching Miami Vice On NBC And Hearing That Absolutely Splendid Music By Jan Hammer...What Splendid Memories...I Received The Soundtrack For Christmas Of That Year: 1985...
This composition is a piece of brilliance, with tones as smokin' hot as Don Johnson in the 80's. Love the powerful drum accents and the end that sparkles like French champagne!
When this comes on my Spotify playlist, the volume goes all the way up and my right foot sinks to the floor. Same thing happens when Eminence Front comes on 😆
Not what I was expecting the guy who created one of the all time coolest TV theme songs to look like. Dude looks like such a geek, but man can he rock.
So much irony for feeling like you can judge who’s a “geek”, music videos are filmed in two stages, the musical and (vocals, optional) are recorded pre rolling, and then lip / instrument syncing is carried out after the song is made. I feel like he wasn’t all involved in this.
Possibly one of the best examples of Fairlight CMI programming. This is something I definitely come back to every once in a while and I enjoy it a lot.
@@toddphillips5590 thanks 👍. Now I know what all of that was. What kinds of machines or software are used these days for the same kind of work, i.e. synthesizing music?
@philaman1972 It sure did. Name anuther 80`s show: NIGHT RIDER? Nope. STINGRAY? Uh-uh. HARD CASTLE & McCORMICK? MAGNUM P.I.? Pretty ok but, it aint MV. MV wins.
Yes Miami Vice was one of those shows that defined the '80s. I still get the goose pimples when watching one of their DVDs and of course hearing the music. Almost like time travel.
My husband and I were dating when this show was at its hiatus. He showed up at my door one evening with one of those jackets, sleeves pushed up, sunglasses on. He was so hot. ❤ we are celebrating 39 years next October
Absolutely iconic. The distinctive sound of Jan Hammer defined so many movies and TV shows of the 80s - back when TV was amazing! I've always loved this theme and the Miami Vice album "Escape from Television" is also great if you're a fan of Mr Hammer!
Back in the mid 1980's I took my bosses 88' BMW E-30 M3 on a joy ride, and this was in the CD player. It rocked then, and it rocks now! Had that car cranked up to 155 MPH with this song playing. I will never forget that. Felt like king of the world
I read a Jan Hammer interview where he talked about recording this song. It sounded very difficult; this was pre-DAW, and each sound had to be very carefully sequenced and recorded. A long tough process. Go Jan!
The easiest thing for him was probably getting the Minimoog guitar sound just right, but that was only because he had been doing that for years before Michael Mann even thought of "Miami Vice." Jan was a true pioneer of the keyboard player-as-guitar-hero movement :)
I was today years old when I learned Jan Hammer had a video for his Miami Vice Theme. How the hell being the Miami Vice/Hammer fan that I was growing up never knew this existed???
When you heard this song, you knew you were in for an hour's worth of excitement, glamour, fashion and hot music. The best show on TV deserved the best opening song and this is it. WOW!!
Knight rider, Airwolf and magnum p.i. good as well. Also Axel F.
It’s not a song. Songs have lyrics. This doesn’t. It’s a tune.
De las mejores series de todos los tiempos no solo por sus argumentos también por su música y porque impusieron moda de lo mejor
Speedboats, sport cars and sun-kissed skins
Never seen it.
For 2 minutes 42 seconds I was back in my 20's again. Thanks for that.
Ja 14
Just dont know they messed that movie up so badly
It's funny but I can remember every bit of the opening credits.
@@simonchandler1735You're not alone.
@@simonchandler1735Me too. Loved Monday nights at 22:00.
One of the best ever TV themes, still kicks ass in 2024
No doubt, the opening for shows like Miami Vice, Magnum PI, Airwolf etc. were outstanding. I even miss the Jeffersons. It's good to be a kid again.
@@RommelsAsparagus As I have said elsewhere, theme tunes were like an event in themselves in those days.
Yours or mine?
second only to the theme of SWAT
Damn Right
The end of the analog times. The 80s were this sweet spot where there was enough technology to aid us but not too much to overwhelm us...
100%
Yup. Got it!
Well I mean if you were an elderly person back then or lived in a rural area I'm sure you would've been overwhelmed by all the technology.
Couldn’t agree more. I honestly believe we peaked in the 80’s. The 90’s were great and we levelled off. The 00’s were a slow decline and the ‘10’s up to now have been an absolute car crash. Take me back to the mid/late 80’s please 🙏🏻
Yes its crazy how much the world has changed this was pre internet cell phones were just coming out on the market now it'd a.i running our lives and we are all cyborgs now walking around with our smart phones all the time😢
Jan Hammer's sound was such a huge part of defining the 80's
This theme, WAS WHAT THE 80S WAS IN JUST 2 MINUTES!
Him and Georgio Moroder
@@elitecombatfitnesscentral6170 And Harold Faltermeyer. How ironic and interesting that all three hail from the very small area in Central Europe perhaps like 300km apart (Prague, Munich and Tirol).
And Alan Silvestri too.
Did not know he was in one of the episodes
One of the greatest TV show themes of all time.
Not one of the greatest
THE GREATEST!!!
No show intro was so fast ,exciting and thrilling. A ride all by itself
@@whateveritwasitis This and the Original Hawaii 5-0 theme -
@@cheskybaba4864 Miami Vice is the greatest TV show of all time and my favorite
Probably the greatest
Greatest theme song ever
Bella la sigla, eppure la serie tv!😊
For sure
Jan Hammer plus Michael Mann equals MIAMI VICE, the most wonderful series of all time
Apparently the basis of this track even pre-dates the making of Miami Vice. He handed Michael a tape with a demo on it. To ever hear that demo would be amazing.
@@80sandretrogubbins25Micheal man knew how to handle it everyone ate off that buffalo 🦬
The song is so simple but such an Masterpiece.
How's it simple? It's pretty involved and there's quite a lot going on.
I am so privileged to have lived through the 80s
Dude I totally drove a trans Am and had a Coke problem
You and me both brother!!! This theme song kicked ass!!😉👍🏻👍🏻
Same here..
No joke.
Very sentimental
Legend opening theme !
Was it ever
@shellyweiers121 A-team and night rider eat your heart-out.
I was born in 2004 but I watched Miami Vice with my mother on a television channel where retro series like Magnum, The A Team, among others, were shown, very good memories of those afternoons as a child with my mother who loves this series.
Welcome to the 80s genx here grow up watching is show as kid
Can't forget Airwolf, KR, and Murder she Wrote.
Your mother has raised you well.
Good stuff, kid!
This Instrumental Went To Number 1 On The Billboard Hot-100 Chart In 1985.
Nov 9, 1985 (had to look it up for the exact date) I was listening to Casey Kasem's countdown that morning. I thought yeah buddy!!!
@@muffs55mercury61 Casey Kasem Was And Still Is The King Of The Countdown.
@@raymondmalcuit8361 Yes he is ! Great memories for many years. In the 80s back home they started airing it twice a day so if we missed one then we could catch it later. Fortunately all but a small few of the broadcasts still survive.
Yeap, hit #1, but only stayed there for a week because it was knocked out by "We Built This City" by Starship.
But of course! Anything else would be uncivilized...
This theme gives me the chills each time I listen to it. Pure genius. Jan is a legend.
Me too! I thought i was alone feeling that ! Lol
And entirely done on a synthesizer.
@Teal VR Hahahahahahahaha 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
It's the linear non linear syncopation between the timbale pattern and the bass drum pattern that I love if that makes any sense.
@@mikestanley9176guitar part too?
Hammer's music MADE this show. It is the only show where I would watch the entire introduction, to hear the music and watch the windsurfer drop her head into the water.
Yeah how good was that. Just all of it.
The jiggle inside the bikini top wasn't bad either. :)
@@swalk813 The two girls walking away from the camera for me ;)
It did indeed. The show was never the same after he left.
Don't forget this show gave us Smugglers Blues by Glen Frey.
bloody genius
This song defined an era.
Back when men could run really really really fast and far far far in loafers without socks. Never any blisters. That was the day, man. That was the day. That, and layered synth tracks.
And cocaine - lots of cocaine.
no, i think you're just getting old 🤷
lmfao
Haha I love the last part, layered synth, I didn't know what it was actually called, but it sure sounds amazing!
And shooting at helicopters with a pistol.
I never tire of Miami Vice's intro and never fast forward directly to the show whenever I play the DVD box set series.
Jan Hammer's music theme is so energetic and an absolute icon.
Kamaráde, Jan pochází z České republiky a jeho oba rodiče byli v Jazzové hudbě velmi nadaní, otec významný lékař a hudebník, maminka zpěvačka... syn je skvělý po nich... je to další Čech, co dobyl Ameriku...ua-cam.com/video/j8h4Iubgrog/v-deo.html maminka Vlasta Průchová, s otcem jen zvukový záznam nebo rozhovor...ua-cam.com/video/_ejJtkliFik/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/jAQbHA6HVEs/v-deo.html nechte si to od Čechů v USA přeložit...
This tune screams 1980's like no other, believe me I was there and know.
Are you high?
You was there, while it was filmed?
Yes!!!!
I'm back in the 80's and life is good!
Very, VERY good, pal…!
I am 46 right now...this song back to my 10 years old...my ears never forget!!..Best intro evermade!!
I'm watching this with my 12-year-old son right now. I am also 46 and verbatim just set out loud what I saw in your comment. Absolutely insane!
Same there such an inspiration thats why i live in Miami For a While 😊
#YEPP!
I am 46 also lol. I watched Miami Vice religiously back in the day as well as Knight Rider and Airwolf. Just recently bought the series on dvd and been binge watching lol. God I miss the 80's and being young again.
I'm 44 and I remember it like it was yesterday !!! 😆 I had the Miami Vice soundtrack on tape and listened to it every night !
the most iconic score for a tv series EVER! Jan Hammer is a genius! I think the show had that much success because of his music too!
I so agree! Jan has indeed such talent when it comes to a TV show which needs
music, and the Fairlight is his weapon of choice. He would use the CMI for apparently
from 1984 to 1989 and his legacy lives on! Without his superb genius Miami
Vice wouldn’t air in the 80s!
@@jamiemiles1979 This theme was the first to go to #1 on the charts in 20 years.
Can anyone here name the previous champ?
@@a.barnard3205 I'm going to guess the theme to the original Hawaii Five-O
more iconic than knight rider?
@@jeremysaint2911 Good question - I guess both are very much famous :)
Legendary theme song to a legendary TV show.
The world is a better place because of this kind of music. And because of Miami Vice.
At least no Sox attire anyways😊
@@phillm156 MV arrire was AWESOME! No socks, designer pants, jackets, shirts. & of course FERRARI automobiles; esp. the TESTAROSSA!!!
GREATEST THEME IN TELEVISION HISTORY BY FAR!!!!!!!!
From the 80s to now. This still gives me chills.
Hello ,how are you doing?
80's and 90's the golden age of TV series
Legendary! His music, Michael Mann and Don Johnson made the show become paramount
Not Paramount.... This show was Universal at it's peak.
@@shaneharrisnj3484 That's not what he meant by "paramount"...
@@SCLStuntFan I know, I was being Funny...
@@shaneharrisnj3484 Oh, was it a pun? Sorry then, lol
@@SCLStuntFan yup. It's a corporate pun 😅
Possibly the greatest TV theme of all time. Changed the way cop shows were made & scored from that day till now & probably beyond.
Yes it is ✅
Gotta go with the Hawaii 5-0 theme song as the most recognizable and greatest theme song from a cop show.
Hill Street Blues and Rockford Files as well…
Dont forget baywatch theme also.. think its also amazing!
I miss those days. Jan gave my teenage years a soundtrack.
As a teen in the 80’s I looked forward to Friday nights and this show!!
I remember one NBC commercial where a maitre'd in a busy restaurant picked up the phone, listened to it, then asked, "What do you mean it's MIAMI VICE tonight?"
When she looked up...the restaurant was empty as the guitar from "In the Air Tonight" came through the phone...
They say there is no such thing as perfection. This is perfect.
👌
Now they just said.
The 2 in the bikinis a tree perfect !!
38 Years Ago Tonight I'd Be Watching Miami Vice On NBC And Hearing That Absolutely Splendid Music By Jan Hammer...What Splendid Memories...I Received The Soundtrack For Christmas Of That Year: 1985...
I had the cassette soundtrack too!!!!
Amazing🎸🎸🎸
Wish those days were here again, Legend of series from a Legendary time .
One of the best police programmes I always watched without fail during my school days.
Jan Hammer was a pure genius, but he was EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE performing the song LIVE or appearing in music videos.
All in all, he did quite well in the video. As you said, he was a brilliant composer, but hardly an actor.
I’ve been watching Miami Vice for 40 years and never knew what Jan Hammer looked like until now.
Bringing back alot of memories, and still timeless in 2023...
I LOVE this video! I also like Jan playing the role of the bad guy too.
I think he did in a episode too.
He’s here…. Lol
@@mr_demeanor6008 ah really? Do you know the title?
Miss the 80'S so much....wish I could be back again.
When Music and videoclips were pure talent.
Better times.
I love the ancient computer with the 8 inch floppy drive! It's amazing what they could do with it. Good song too.
This guy made the soundtrack for the 80s
The theme song for the 80's decade! Happy Birthday, MR. HAMMER 🎶🎂🍾🌴🦩🎶
To say Jan Hammer was the man would be an understatement.
Masterpiece of the 80's themes !
I was at the time Miami Vice was starting on TV in 1984 12 years old. Best Tv show of the 80's. Greetings from Belgium.
This composition is a piece of brilliance, with tones as smokin' hot as Don Johnson in the 80's. Love the powerful drum accents and the end that sparkles like French champagne!
Absolutely the most recognizable 80's ...
I still blast this loud in my car.
Hell yeah!!
When this comes on my Spotify playlist, the volume goes all the way up and my right foot sinks to the floor. Same thing happens when Eminence Front comes on 😆
@@samschossig334 I used to blast Eminence Front same as this while coming back from work. Excellent choice of music.
@@clone-2322 it’s my favorite song of all time. There’s just something about it. It’s an absolute masterpiece, and same to you! 😁
Now all you need is to be cruising down the Florida coast.
The heavy guitar riff is the icing on the cake 👍
No guitar. No drums. All synth.
best soundtrack ever!
Not what I was expecting the guy who created one of the all time coolest TV theme songs to look like. Dude looks like such a geek, but man can he rock.
@Durwood Same with the late great Jeff Porcaro of Toto! Looked more like a teacher than a world famous rock drummer!
When you make soundtracks this amazing you're allowed to look as geeky as you wish.
So much irony for feeling like you can judge who’s a “geek”, music videos are filmed in two stages, the musical and (vocals, optional) are recorded pre rolling, and then lip / instrument syncing is carried out after the song is made. I feel like he wasn’t all involved in this.
Lol, yeah looks like George from Seinfeld
Possibly one of the best examples of Fairlight CMI programming. This is something I definitely come back to every once in a while and I enjoy it a lot.
Gotta love the programming.
What is Fairlight CMI Programming?
@kfurt9513 The Fairlight CMI is the synth used in the video and song. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairlight_CMI#Series_II:_1982%E2%80%931985
@@toddphillips5590 thanks 👍. Now I know what all of that was. What kinds of machines or software are used these days for the same kind of work, i.e. synthesizing music?
The first ever electronic rock ("Synth") composition to hit the number one on the pop charts in the US.
For those of who missed the 80s, if you want to know what that decade was like, this song really crystallizes it well!
Well...
@philaman1972 It sure did. Name anuther 80`s show: NIGHT RIDER? Nope. STINGRAY? Uh-uh. HARD CASTLE & McCORMICK? MAGNUM P.I.? Pretty ok but, it aint MV. MV wins.
His outfit too
Yes Miami Vice was one of those shows that defined the '80s. I still get the goose pimples when watching one of their DVDs and of course hearing the music. Almost like time travel.
As much as like Crockett's theme, i wish this got played in radio instead. I was born in 1988, so i'm too young to remember the 80s.
One of the greatest era defining themes of all time! A Masterpiece!!
Two great legends in the music industry, Jan Hammer and the Fairlight CMI.
My husband and I were dating when this show was at its hiatus. He showed up at my door one evening with one of those jackets, sleeves pushed up, sunglasses on. He was so hot. ❤ we are celebrating 39 years next October
I can can sense you still love him
"Hiatus"?
@@MAte925 very much so and he me. We still laugh and have fun together. 🥰🥰🥰🥰
@@joshuabekel9700 oops, you're right. I used the wrong word. I should have used height. Or zenith or apex.
@@lisawillis8227 😆
the most powerful track of 80s .. jan hammer .. thank you
You're welcome and thank you for your support!!!
great song that really made the series that pretty much defined a decade!!
Apparently he had the idea for a piece similar to this theme before he knew what Miami Vice even was. Which makes the dude a total badass.
This really is an amazing piece of music.
It is a great composition.
The video is intentionally cool too 😆
@@yasserressay7755 Intentionally cool? Jan Hammer is so cool, he can just turn his cool on and off at will.
Did an awesome floor exercise to this in gymnastics when I was a kid. Gotta love the 80's
Miami Vice... Who can forget that awesome and iconic theme... The photography and the tight scripting... And the jiggling whoppers at 1:14...
Jiggling yes. Whoppers no.
Jiggling Whopper Juniors 🍔 at best.
Just blew me back to the 80's!
Friday nights started when this came on
My man was rockin!! God bless this man
This is the most 80s thing I've ever seen. I remember my step dad had the Miami Vice soundtrack on vinyl - it was a big damn deal back then.
Still sounds as good all these years later.
Before the days of UA-cam took me a while before I heard the full version of this, and it's still bangs!
Awesome music by the talented Jan Hammer!
This man made me buy a synth and a sequencer 35 years ago.
THIS THEME SONG STILL ROCKS!! BADASS!! LOVE IT!!!❤❤💯💯💯🙂
this is a Diamond Opus , one of the best electronic music of the 80s
Absolutely iconic. The distinctive sound of Jan Hammer defined so many movies and TV shows of the 80s - back when TV was amazing! I've always loved this theme and the Miami Vice album "Escape from Television" is also great if you're a fan of Mr Hammer!
This music takes me away, I miss those days. Still one of my all time favorite programs.
I love the overlapping layering of the different sounds in this music. It was a unique creation for it's time. No wonder so many liked it.
Yep. This theme song is almost as good as the theme for Hawaii Five-O and they are both equally famous and memorable.
@@zz449944 BETTER!! Not almost as good. Better.
The fills and cross over fills are delightful
@@aaronhellinger6185 I don't really care what they're called, as much as I do about how it sounds. Which, is just as I described it.
You sound uneducated when you’re trying to sound educated. Music is hard
Jan is a pure genius! The true embodiment of the 80’s!
Just like it was yesterday! I remember the first time I ever watched this show...awestruck!
God I loved the 80s
This song is great and still is, it aged well! Long live the 80s 🎉🎉
He's here.
This is the finest theme song ever!!
Die Musik, der Hammer 🤘🏼, zur besten Serie aller Zeiten 😎👍🏼🤘🏼
The best TV show on TV ever. 😎👍
When you are Jan Hammer, all music gets nailed.
Yes Sir!...and don`t forget his time with Mahavishnu Orchestra !
Very gifted and hugely talented tunesmith that made Synth exciting, who could not like that Electric Piano and Orchestral Stab finale.
Back in the mid 1980's I took my bosses 88' BMW E-30 M3 on a joy ride, and this was in the CD player. It rocked then, and it rocks now! Had that car cranked up to 155 MPH with this song playing. I will never forget that. Felt like king of the world
This soundtrack was so powerful that it made you time travel back into the mid ‘80s while driving a late ‘80s car.
@@ibelieveicansoar 🤣
Hammer time!
"Miami Vice Theme" was one of a handful of adventure themed top 40 hits in the 1980's!!!
I read a Jan Hammer interview where he talked about recording this song. It sounded very difficult; this was pre-DAW, and each sound had to be very carefully sequenced and recorded. A long tough process. Go Jan!
The easiest thing for him was probably getting the Minimoog guitar sound just right, but that was only because he had been doing that for years before Michael Mann even thought of "Miami Vice." Jan was a true pioneer of the keyboard player-as-guitar-hero movement :)
Add to that the pressure of doing a new set of tracks every week.
@@80ssynthfan48 I was just about to bring that up.
Highly underrated so much creativity and art
This tune is still a banger after all these years!
I actually auditioned for this show in early pre-production days!
Still in love with that song ever since. Thanks Jan !
Pure 80s Brilliant music
Hearing the sax intro you are instantly beamed into the early 80s LA.
Almost 40 years later and still epic. Good ol'days of 1985
Great song!
In the Miami Vice title video, 1:13 will forever be etched in my mind.
I remember those good Times. Greetings from Austria.
Wow 😳 I have loved this since it's release and to see Jan playing it is very impressive. This WAS the 80s!
I was today years old when I learned Jan Hammer had a video for his Miami Vice Theme. How the hell being the Miami Vice/Hammer fan that I was growing up never knew this existed???
VH-1 played the video many times back in the 80s .
That Fairlight CMI with the 8" floppies, ground breaking for the time.