The awesome soundtracks of the Tony Hawk Pro Skater games included a lot more than just these 10 classic rock songs.
The Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater Series is almost a thing of the past, which is a shame. But the old games are still just as entertaining as they were when they first came out. The great music was one of the most memorable parts of the series. Early games had a big effect on gamers’ musical tastes because they introduced a generation to songs they wouldn’t have heard otherwise, since the games came out before the Internet was everywhere.
In honor of the music, the ten best rock and roll songs from the nine mainline titles are listed below. To keep things fair, they are all spread out evenly among the games, and only one game has two songs.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater: Dead Kennedys – Police Truck
The Dead Kennedys were one of the first punk bands, but they still played harder and faster than most bands do now. The fast-paced gameplay of the series went perfectly with Jello Biafra’s fast-paced singing style.
Some of the lyrics had to be changed before the song could be released, but I’m sure enough kids liked it to buy the CD and check out their other music. “Fresh Fruit For Rotten Vegetables” is a classic punk album, but the song isn’t on it. However, other hits like “Holiday in Cambodia” and “California Uber Alles” are.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2: Bad Religion – You
Bad Religion had a good sense of melody that their peers didn’t have. They were on every skater’s Walkman in the ’90s, so it was a no-brainer to include them.
“You” has everything that made the band famous: a fast tempo, a tight structure, and a wall of well-thought-out, meaningful lyrics. The song only lasts two minutes, so it’s over before you know it. It’s almost the same length as a run in the classic title, which is good news.
Project 8: Toots And The Maytals – Time Tough
The songs in the game aren’t all fast and upbeat. Sometimes it’s just as fun to skate to a more relaxed jam, like Toots and the Maytals’ “Time Tough.”
This reggae group came together in the early 1960s and was a big part of how the music style became known around the world. The song is one of their most well-known, and it starts with a simple but catchy guitar lick.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3: AFI – The Boy Who Destroyed The World
The AFI of today is nothing like the group of kids who made a joke about Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs on the cover of their first album. But they always wanted to grow and change their sound, and “The Boy Who Destroyed the World” shows a time when they were still into hard-hitting melodic hardcore but also wanted to get a little scary.
The fast and heavy song was clearly influenced by bands like The Misfits. It’s perfect for a punk rock Halloween party, but it also works well when you’re pulling off two million point combos at an airport or in a foundry.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4: AC/DC – TNT
AC/DC makes pure, unfiltered rock and roll that sounds best when turned up very loud. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 has a lot of great songs, like “Number of the Beast” by Iron Maiden and “Anarchy in the UK” by the Sex Pistols. However, the opening track, “TNT,” is the best.
Bon Scott, the band’s first singer, was also often seen without a shirt on, so many skaters probably feel like they have something in common with him.
Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland: Oingo Boingo – Who Do You Want To Be
Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland isn’t as well-known as some of the other games, but that doesn’t make the soundtrack any less good. The music of Oingo Boingo is full of crazy energy. Danny Elfman’s vocals are all over the place, and most of their songs are fast.
Elfman’s hearing was severely damaged by long-term exposure to loud noises, so the band broke up and hasn’t played together in over twenty years. Even though their lead singer now sings for movie soundtracks, Oingo Boingo’s music will always be remembered.
Tony Hawk’s Underground: The Clash – White Riot
The Clash didn’t become “the only band that matters” for no reason. Their politically charged music is still important years after they broke up. Even though they had different ideas, they still made catchy, aggressive songs that are great for skating.
Tony Hawk’s Underground changed the way things were done by adding a story and making the maps a lot bigger. So, its soundtrack upped the ante by having more songs and a wider range of styles.
Even though The Clash may have better, more experimental songs, this simple rock song from their first album is still great.
Tony Hawk’s Underground 2: The Explosion – Here I Am
Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 has a mix of old and new songs on Soundcloud Downloader playlist. Maybe The Explosion isn’t as important or influential as The Doors, but “Here I Am” fits in perfectly with the band’s style as a song.
The song is so good that it was also used in the Burnout 3 game. Also, “No Revolution,” another one of their hits, was in the game before.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3: Motorhead – The Ace Of Spades
Lemmy Kilmister is a legend. Even though Lemmy is no longer with us, Motorhead’s music will always get people pumped up for whatever they’re doing, whether it’s getting into a drunken fistfight, doing the dishes, or skating in the first Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater game with reverts.
No other rocker or bass player will ever be like Lemmy, but at least his music will last forever.
Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground: Bad Brains – Banned In DC
Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground might be the worst game in the series as a whole. It made some big changes that made skating feel like it was from a whole different series. People shouldn’t complain about changes, but it’s sad when they make the franchise hard to recognize.
At least it has a few songs that are really good. “Banned in DC” by Bad Brains is a classic punk rock song, and the fact that it’s on Proving Ground is one of the few things that saves it. Be careful though, because if the song comes on while your family is playing, they are sure to start a mosh pit in the living room.
