Steelport is a dump. Honestly, compared to the sprawling detail of Los Santos or the gritty realism of Liberty City, the setting of Saints Row: The Third feels like a neon-soaked fever dream that someone sketched on a cocktail napkin. But the moment you jump into a Torch, hit the gas, and the Saints Row 3 soundtrack kicks in, none of that matters. The world stops being a collection of low-res textures and starts being a playground.
Music in video games usually falls into two camps. You’ve got the background noise that fills the silence, and then you’ve got the curated experience that actually defines how you play. Volition didn't just pick "cool songs" for this game. They picked songs that made you feel like a god-king of a criminal empire, even when you were running around in a mascot outfit hitting people with a giant purple bat. It was lightning in a bottle.
The Power of the Scripted Music Moment
We have to talk about "Power" by Kanye West. If you’ve played the game, you already know. If you haven't, you missed out on one of the most perfectly synchronized moments in gaming history.
You’re skydiving out of a helicopter. You're crashing through a penthouse skylight. The beat drops exactly as the glass shatters. It isn't just a licensed track playing in the background; it's the heartbeat of the mission. Most games try to replicate this—Grand Theft Auto has done it, Cyberpunk 2077 tried it—but there’s a specific, unhinged energy in the way Saints Row: The Third uses its soundtrack to elevate the gameplay from "fun" to "legendary."
Then there’s the "Sublime" moment. Driving with Pierce while "What I Got" plays on the radio. It starts as just another drive across the bridge, and then the characters start singing along. It’s off-key. It’s goofy. It’s completely human. It broke the fourth wall in a way that made the Boss feel like a person instead of just a customizable avatar. This wasn't some high-concept cinematic masterpiece. It was two friends hanging out in a stolen car, and that’s why it stuck with us for over a decade.
Breaking Down the Radio Stations
The variety was staggering. You had everything from 80s pop to death metal, and somehow, it all fit the vibe of a city undergoing a hostile takeover by a gang of celebrities.
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The Mix 107.7 (The 80s/90s Nostalgia Trip)
This was arguably the soul of the game. When you’re causing absolute mayhem, there is something inherently hilarious about doing it to the tune of "Holding Out for a Hero" by Bonnie Tyler. It leaned into the absurdity. The station featured tracks like "Take On Me" by a-ha and "The Final Countdown" by Europe. It understood that Saints Row was never about being "cool" in a traditional sense; it was about the spectacle.
GenX 89.3
This was for the skaters and the rebels. You had The Vines, Deftones, and LCD Soundsystem. It provided a grittier, alternative backdrop that grounded the more over-the-top elements of the Syndicate. If The Mix was for the jokes, GenX was for the actual work of taking over the city.
KRHyme 95.4
Rap is the backbone of any urban open-world game, and KRhyme delivered. From Rick Ross to Tyler, The Creator, it captured the era perfectly. It felt current for 2011, but many of the tracks—like "Yonkers"—actually aged better than the game’s graphics did.
Blood 106.66
For the metalheads. Amon Amarth and Job for a Cowboy. Because sometimes, you just need to blow up a tank to the sound of Swedish death metal. It’s niche, but it gave the Saints Row 3 soundtrack an edge that felt missing from its competitors.
Why Licensed Music is Getting Harder to Do
Look at the Saints Row: The Third Remastered release. There was a lot of anxiety around whether the original tracks would make the cut. Licensing music is a legal nightmare. Usually, these deals are signed for 5 or 10 years. After that? The songs have to be stripped out, or the developer has to pay a fortune to renew them.
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This is why modern games are leaning more heavily on original scores. It’s cheaper. It’s safer. But it loses that "time capsule" feeling. When you hear "You're the Best" by Joe Esposito while fighting through a Deckers simulation, you are instantly transported back to a specific era of gaming culture. You can’t manufacture that with a generic synth-wave original score.
The Secret Sauce: Sound Design and Placement
It wasn't just about the radio. The original score by Malcolm Kirby Jr. did a lot of the heavy lifting. The "Saints Go Marching In" motif that plays throughout the game gives the gang a sense of identity. It’s regal but dirty. It tells you that the Saints aren't just thugs anymore; they're a brand.
The way the music ducks and weaves during combat is a masterclass in sound engineering. When the heat level rises and the STAG forces show up, the music intensifies. It’s subtle, but it drives the adrenaline. You aren't just watching a meter go up; you're feeling the pressure through your headphones.
The Legacy of the Saints Row 3 Soundtrack
The Saints Row 3 soundtrack changed how developers thought about licensed music. It proved that you didn't need to be "serious" to be impactful. You could use a cheesy 80s ballad to create a more memorable moment than a $10 million orchestral suite.
It also highlighted the importance of character-driven music. By having the characters interact with the radio, Volition made the world feel lived-in. It wasn't just a playlist; it was the soundtrack to the Boss's life.
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Even in 2026, when we look back at the seventh generation of consoles, this game stands out. Not because the shooting was the best (it wasn't) or because the story was deep (it definitely wasn't), but because it had a vibe. And that vibe was built entirely on its audio.
How to Experience it Today
If you're looking to revisit this era, the best way is still the Remastered version on PC or modern consoles. Most of the iconic tracks are still there, which is a miracle in itself given how licensing usually goes.
- Check the Radio Settings: Don't just leave it on "Auto." Take the time to build a custom playlist in the in-game phone menu. Mixing "Power" with "Stand and Deliver" creates a chaotic energy that defines the game.
- Turn Up the Music Volume: The default mix sometimes buries the radio under the sound of explosions. Slide that music bar up to 100%.
- Listen for the Idle Dialogue: Some of the best moments happen when you’re just sitting in a parked car listening to the DJs. The world-building in the radio commercials is top-tier satire.
The reality is that we might never get another soundtrack quite like this. The industry has changed. The costs have gone up. But for a brief moment in 2011, we had a game that knew exactly what it was: a loud, proud, and incredibly catchy middle finger to the status quo.
Whether you're skydiving into a pool or just cruising through the neon lights of the Diamond District, the music is what makes you feel like a Saint. It’s the difference between playing a game and living a moment.
Next Steps for the Ultimate Playthrough
To get the most out of the audio experience, go into the "Audio" menu and set the Dynamic Range to 'High' if you are using headphones. This allows the contrast between the quiet character moments and the booming bass of the combat tracks to really pop. Also, prioritize the "Sing-Along" missions early in the campaign—specifically "The Belgian Problem"—to see the best integration of the soundtrack and character development. If you're on PC, check the community mods for "Extended Radio" to see if you can restore any tracks that might have been removed in regional versions due to licensing quirks.