If you close your eyes and think about a pixelated skater bailing a 900 in a warehouse, you can probably hear that opening brass riff. You know the one. It’s Goldfinger. It’s "Superman." For a lot of us, that wasn’t just a song in a video game; it was the start of a massive shift in how we actually listened to music.
The music Tony Hawk Pro Skater brought into our living rooms in 1999 did something weirdly permanent. It basically acted as a punk rock Trojan horse. One minute you’re a ten-year-old trying to figure out how to ollie over a taxi, and the next, you’re suddenly a die-hard fan of the Dead Kennedys. It’s wild because back then, video game music was usually just bleeps and bloops or generic techno. But Neversoft, the developers, were broke. They had almost no budget left for the soundtrack, so they went after bands that were cheap or just friends of the skate scene.
Why the Music Tony Hawk Pro Skater Picked Felt So Real
Authenticity is a word people throw around a lot now, but back then, it was just the "vibe." Tony Hawk didn’t just slap his name on a box. He was in the room. He was suggesting bands he grew up with at the skate park, like Agent Orange and The Vandals.
Honestly, the soundtrack was a bit of a mess in the best way possible. You had:
- Old-school California punk (Dead Kennedys, The Adolescents).
- Third-wave ska that made everyone want to buy a checked belt.
- Underground hip-hop like The High & Mighty and Mos Def.
- Nu-metal and heavy alt-rock as the series progressed into the early 2000s.
Most games at the time used "market research" to pick songs. Neversoft didn't. They just picked tracks that made a two-minute run feel like a life-or-death mission. If a song didn't make you want to skate faster, it was out.
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The Goldfinger Effect
John Feldmann, the lead singer of Goldfinger, has said multiple times that "Superman" essentially saved the band’s career. They’d be touring in Manchester or some random city in Germany, and the second they played that song, the crowd would absolutely lose their minds. They weren't radio hits in those countries. The kids just knew the song from the PlayStation disc.
It wasn't just them, though. Bands like Millencolin or Lagwagon suddenly found themselves playing to 1,000 people a night instead of 200. The game did more for these bands than their record labels ever could.
It Wasn't Just Punk: The Hip-Hop Connection
People forget how much hip-hop was in these games. While the first game was heavy on the skate-punk, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 brought in "Bring the Noise" (the Anthrax and Public Enemy collab) and "B-Boy Document '99."
It taught a generation of suburban kids that skating and hip-hop weren't separate worlds. They were the same culture. They both lived in the streets. They both used the same concrete.
Breaking Down the Sound of a Generation
- The Energy Factor: Most tracks were high BPM. You couldn't have a slow ballad while trying to grind a helicopter blade.
- The Two-Minute Loop: The songs were often edited or chosen because they fit that two-minute timer perfectly. You’d hear the climax of the song right as you were trying to land your biggest combo.
- The Discovery Tool: In a world before Spotify or YouTube, this was our algorithm. If you liked one song on the disc, you’d go to the mall and look for that band's CD at Sam Goody.
The 2020 Remaster and the "New" Music Tony Hawk Pro Skater
When the THPS 1+2 remaster dropped a few years ago, there was a huge debate. People were terrified they’d lose the original feel. But they kept most of the classics and added new stuff like Viagra Boys, Skepta, and Baker Boy.
It was a risky move, but it worked because it followed the same rule: music that feels like the street. Tony Hawk actually had to approve the new tracks himself to make sure they didn't feel like "corporate" picks. He wanted the new generation to have the same "who is this?!" moment that we had in '99.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Soundtrack
A lot of critics think the game created the pop-punk explosion of the early 2000s. It didn't. Bands like Green Day and Blink-182 were already huge.
What the game actually did was give a platform to the underground versions of those sounds. It made it okay to like weird, fast, aggressive music that wasn't on the Top 40. It gave "uncool" kids a sense of identity. You weren't just a gamer; you were part of a subculture.
How to Curate Your Own "Skate" Vibe Today
If you’re looking to recapture that specific energy, don't just stick to the hits. The secret to the music Tony Hawk Pro Skater legacy is variety.
- Mix your genres. Put a hardcore punk track right next to a 90s boom-bap beat.
- Focus on the tempo. If it makes you want to move, it fits.
- Look for the "raw" sound. The best THPS songs aren't over-produced. They sound like they were recorded in a garage or a basement.
The impact of these soundtracks is still being felt. You see it in the way modern games like Skate or even GTA handle their radio stations. They aren't just background noise anymore; they are the heart of the game's personality.
Next time you hear those horns from "Superman," don't just feel nostalgic. Realize that a tiny development team with no money accidentally curated the musical taste of an entire generation because they cared more about being "legit" than being popular.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Audit your playlists: Look for the "dead space" in your workout or focus music. Replace one generic track with a high-BPM punk or underground hip-hop song from the original 1999 or 2000 tracklists to see how it shifts your energy.
- Support the OGs: Many of the bands featured in the early games, like The Vandals or Bad Religion, are still touring or releasing music. Check their current lineups—they often still play those "game" tracks live.
- Explore the "New Blood": Listen to the 2020 remaster additions (like Drain or Rough Francis) to see how the "skate sound" has evolved into the 2020s while keeping the same rebellious spirit.