Berlin emerged in the early 1980s, with the dawn of MTV. Fronted by the sexy and alluring Terri Nunn, the group initially charted with the techno-pop hit, "Sex (I'm A…)," which played off Nunn's overt sexuality and a heavy use of synthesizers. The L.A. based group that began as a trio (consisting of Nunn, bassist John Crawford and keyboardist David Diamond) grew to a six-piece lineup with the addition of guitarist Rick Olsen, keyboardist Matt Reid and drummer Rob Brill.
Berlin gained their initial exposure from the release of an EP called Pleasure Victim. The EP went gold (almost unheard of for a release that is not a full album), primarily from the strength of "Sex (I'm A…)," and a steady diet of West Coast live shows.
It would still be a few years down the road before the band recorded a ballad called "Take My Breath Away" that would be ultimately be chosen as the love theme for the film Top Gun. The group remained popular until 1987, when Nunn left to pursue a solo career and the band collapsed.