Miami Vice (1984-89 Television Series)

 (39 customer reviews)

One of the things that made Miami Vice such and cool and popular show was its use of music within the show. Creating an almost music video like setting, the show incorporated hits of the day along with some airy instrumentals by Jan Hammer. The theme to the show is one of the most instantly recognizable themes in TV history and quite catchy besides. The song was a major hit and went to number one in 1985 and is the last instrumental to reach the top of the charts. The other instrumentals by Mr. Hammer are okay, but they work much better in the context of the show then separately. Glenn Frey contributes two songs, the vividly written "Smuggler's Blues" was previously released on his The Allnighter album and it became the title and basis of an episode in which Mr. Frey guest starred and the airy "You Belong To The City" which was specifically written for the show. The song has that dark, brooding sound that captures the essence of the show. "Vice" by...Read more

Enough has been said about the styles and fashions of this era by previous reviewers relating to Miami Vice...So, I'll cut to the chase and say that I have thoroughly enjoyed this soundtrack throughout the years from it's inception back in 1984 to the present.It has not lost it's freshness in the sense that the music is almost pop/rock classic status to this day ! The soundtrack is one cohesive suite that works with all the various artists and genres compiled...Jan Hammer was to Miami Vice what Vangelis was to Chariots of Fire and other film scores. Glenn Frey's and Phil Collins' and Tina Turner's tracks gave the soundtrack that much needed sophisticated rock edge. Otherwise, the soundtrack would have been just a glitzy synth pop fad project with a couple of dance tunes and a rap track...The other less standout artists do indeed stand out in their own right! Chaka Khan's frenetic and upbeat dance track Own The Night serves as a counterpoint to the other rock edged tracks. Melle Mel's...Read more

Tense and intense lifestyles, inner dramas, what would be Miami Vice without its music? We were then in the videoclip days and in the highest manifestation of the eighties in television. For now, Miami Vice may be not more than TV history, but surely was hard to make a good cops show after. Hopefully, in time, the show may be remembered not as a fashion that passed, but as an incredible source of ideas, language, and television pop art. Like it or not, Vice is unique.And what would be its music without the images? It's impossible to hear "In The Air Tonight" or "Chase" without remembering the dark Daytona Ferrari crossing the Miami streets at night, Crockett and Tubbs with their minds faster than the car, time seems to stop moving. "Evan" and "You Belong to the City" bring us Crockett's conflicts. "Miami Vice" the extended version had an unforgettable videoclip, an edition of episodes making a tiny episode with composer...Read more