The Very First Miami Vice Soundtrack

On Saturday when I posted music picks from Heat, Collateral and early Miami Vice, I promised to delve deeper into the first-ever Miami Vice soundtrack. So without further delay, here’s every (downloadable) song that was in the pilot episode of the TV show. As Miami Vice Month continues, I will do more music picks from the show’s history, from Michael Mann’s movie history, and of course from the upcoming Miami Vice movie soundtrack.

Phil Collins: In The Air Tonight (tv show)
Nonpoint: In The Air Tonight (movie)
In The Air Tonight by Phil Collins became a pop culture icon because of Miami Vice. It’s one of those songs that everyone -- even pompous music snobs -- can at least appreciate because it’s got pop accessibility with just the right dash of dark flavor. It was the pitch perfect anthem for the sordid yet stylized crime underworld Miami Vice depicted. For those who don’t know what the song is about, I’d suggest listening to Stan by Eminem – it tells you everything you’d ever need to know about In The Air Tonight (in minute 3:55) with a strong dash of it’s own dark flavor.

As for the Miami Vice movie soundtrack, wannabe metal band Nonpoint’s 2004 cover of the song will replace Phil Collins’ version. I’m sure it will fit the visuals to a tee, but it’s too bad Collins’ version didn’t make the cut because it still stands the test of time and needed no update – especially not by some pseudo thrashers who wouldn’t know a hardcore riff if it was sitting on their face.

Cindi Lauper: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
Talk about pseudo musicians, the Miami Vice pilot also featured Cindi Lauper and the song that made her famous. Which I will never understand because she wasn’t hot, she dressed like ass, and her music blew. It would seem to me you’d need at least one of those things to become an American idol.

Lionel Richie: All Night Long
Rockwell: Somebody’s Watching Me
Now that I’m done channeling my inner Simon, we can move on. Next up are two definitive 80s songs, which normally wouldn’t be a positive. But Lionel Ritchie, like Phil Collins, was a staple of the decade. What his post-Commodores party songs lacked in outright funkiness, they more than made up for in good vibes. The nostalgia effect of listening to him now just compounds the joy, making this song a must download – actually the whole album, Can’t Slow Down from 1981, is worthy of your collection.

The other 80s hymn featured was by one-hit-wonder Rockwell. Whereas Richie’s music of the day successfully combined pop and soul, this was the first entrée into mixing new wave and soul. Again, if the song’s chorus doesn’t get you, the nostalgia will.

Rolling Stones: Miss You
This song brings us back to the timelessness. It was part of Miami Vice’s 1984 pilot, but it was released in 1978 on the otherwise lackluster Some Girls album. Even today, it has a sound that can’t really be pinned down to any one era, especially not the 80s. While the rest of Some Girls was an attempt to usher in a newer sound, Miss You was the only one that didn’t miss in any way ... another must-download.