The Terminator (soundtrack)

The soundtrack album was originally released through Enigma Records.[9] It was followed by a CD and cassette reissue on July 1, 1991 through DCC Compact Classics.[10]

The German record company Edel AG licensed the rights to release Fiedel's score without the songs in the film in 1994.[11] Fiedel agreed to having the album released but asked to be consulted on the studio sessions.[11] Fiedel stated that the label guaranteed him he would have "final say and be involved in the final mixes" which "didn't happen."[11] Fiedel expressed that this left him feeling "quite betrayed on that, because this was my work."[11] This remastered edition containing only Fiedel's score entitled The Definitive Edition (titled The Definite Edition on some editions) was released on August 22, 1995 through Edel AG. This edition contained a 73-minute running time and included a bonus track the "Judgment Day Remix" of "Theme from The Terminator." The liner notes of the album contained extensive annotations for each track.[12] Milan Records released a remastered version of the score on April 8, 2016.[13][14]

Online music database AllMusic praised the score of the film, referring to it as an "underrated highlight" of The Terminator and referred to it as a "marvelous synthesizer score". The review stated that the second half of the album featuring the pop songs was "generic".[7] The review praised the "Definitive Edition" version of the album which featured the entire film score, opining that it "comprises some of the best science fiction-oriented film music of recent decades."[12]

Reviewing the 2016 re-issue, Pitchfork gave the album an 8.5 out of 10 rating, and labeled it as one of their best new reissues.[15] The review stated that "Perhaps the root of Fiedel’s success here, though, is the way his score holds close to the main theme’s central melodic and rhythmic motifs, remaking and remolding them to keep a sense of narrative continuity even as he shifts around sound and tone. From the metallic march of “‘I’ll Be Back' – Police Station & Escape” to the yearning piano of “Love Scene,” a firm backbone runs throughout, and when the end credits ushers in a cold dawn, Fiedel holds back on fireworks or tidy emotional resolution."[15]

• Brad Fiedel – all instrumentation, production
• Ross Levison – electric violin
• Emile Robertson – music editing
• Robert Randles – music post-production
• Bill Wolford – digital editing, remixing