Why the Sky High Song List Still Slaps Decades Later

Disney’s 2005 cult classic Sky High is a weird fever dream of mid-aughts neon and primary colors. It basically predicted the superhero fatigue we’re all feeling now, but it did it with a side of high school angst and a soundtrack that has no business being this catchy. Most people remember the flying bus or Kurt Russell’s "Commander" suit. But if you actually sit down and look at the sky high song list, you realize it’s a brilliant, slightly chaotic love letter to the 1980s disguised as a pop-punk time capsule.

Honestly, it shouldn't work. It’s a movie for kids that exclusively uses covers of songs their parents grew up with.

The Weird Logic Behind the Sky High Song List

Usually, when a movie targets the "tween" demographic, the soundtrack is a landfill of whatever Top 40 tracks are currently rotting on the charts. But the producers of Sky High went a different route. They grabbed the biggest alternative and pop-rock acts of 2005—think Bowling for Soup, Vitamin C, and The Academy Is...—and forced them to cover New Wave staples.

It was a gamble.

The idea was to bridge the generational gap. While kids were watching Will Stronghold figure out his powers, their parents were nodding along to "Voices Carry." The result? A sky high song list that feels oddly timeless because it exists in two eras at once.

You’ve got Bowling for Soup doing a high-energy version of "I Melt with You" by Modern English. It’s faster. It’s louder. It’s incredibly "Disney Channel Original Movie" energy, even though this was a theatrical release. But it captures that 80s optimism perfectly. Then you have Vitamin C—the "Graduation" singer herself—taking on "Voices Carry" by 'Til Tuesday. It’s moody. It’s synth-heavy. It’s surprisingly good for a soundtrack that could have just been a cheap cash-in.

Bowling for Soup and the Pop-Punk Grip

The 2000s were obsessed with pop-punk. If you didn’t have a band with spiked hair and a Fender Stratocaster on your soundtrack, did you even make a movie? Bowling for Soup was the king of this niche. Their inclusion on the sky high song list with "I Melt with You" is arguably the highlight of the whole album.

Jaret Reddick’s voice has that specific nasal quality that defined the era. It fits the "loser becomes hero" trope like a glove. Most people don't realize that the original song is actually a bit darker—it’s about a nuclear apocalypse, technically—but in the world of Sky High, it’s just a sweet bop about a guy who likes a girl who can turn into a vine.

Every Track on the Official Release

If you go looking for the physical CD (if you even have a player anymore), you’ll find thirteen tracks. It’s a tight list. No filler.

1. "I Melt with You" – Bowling for Soup (Originally by Modern English)
2. "Through Being Cool" – They Might Be Giants (Originally by Devo)
3. "Save It for Later" – The English Beat (This one is actually the original, surprisingly)
4. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" – Christian Burns (Originally by Tears for Fears)
5. "One Thing Leads to Another" – The FIXX (Another original track)
6. "Lies" – The Thompson Twins (Original)
7. "Voices Carry" – Vitamin C (Originally by 'Til Tuesday)
8. "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" – Elefant (Originally by The Smiths)
9. "True" – Spandau Ballet (Original)
10. "Just What I Needed" – Caleigh Peters (Originally by The Cars)
11. "Under Pressure" – Keaton Simons and Josh Kelley (Originally by Queen and David Bowie)
12. "I'll Stop the World" – Annetta Duot (A different take on the Modern English track)
13. "And She Was" – Talking Heads (Original)

Wait. Did you notice that?

The sky high song list isn't just covers. It's a mix. About half the tracks are the actual 80s recordings. This is why the movie feels so grounded in nostalgia. It’s not just a mockery of the past; it’s a celebration. When "True" by Spandau Ballet kicks in during the slow dance, it isn't a joke. It’s the vibe. It works because the song is genuinely a masterpiece of romantic melodrama.

The Smiths Cover You Probably Forgot

One of the deepest cuts on the sky high song list is the cover of "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" by Elefant. Think about that for a second. This is a Disney movie for ten-year-olds featuring a cover of a song by The Smiths, the most miserable band in UK history.

It’s used during a moment of teen longing. It’s brilliant. It introduces kids to Morrissey and Johnny Marr without them even knowing they’re being schooled in 80s indie-rock history. The Elefant version is a bit more polished than the original, losing some of that lo-fi grit, but it retains the soul-crushing sadness that defines the track.

Why Some Songs Didn't Make the Album

There’s a difference between the "Soundtrack Album" and the actual music used in the film. This is a common trap for fans. You buy the album, you pop it in, and you’re like, "Where’s that song from the fight scene?"

"C'mon Feel the Noize" by Quiet Riot shows up in the film but didn't make the cut for the CD. Same with "Born to be Wild." These are licensed tracks that were likely too expensive or redundant for a 13-track retail release.

Then there’s the score.

Michael Giacchino did the score for Sky High. Before he was winning Oscars for Up or scoring The Batman, he was crafting these heroic, brass-heavy themes for teenage superheroes. If you listen closely to the incidental music between the pop songs, you can hear the DNA of his later work. It’s orchestral, it’s grand, and it treats the stakes of a high school prom like they’re the end of the world. Because for a teenager, they are.

The Caleigh Peters Connection

Caleigh Peters covers "Just What I Needed" by The Cars. If that name doesn't ring a bell, don't feel bad. She was a staple of Disney soundtracks in the mid-2000s (she was also in the Ice Princess and Herbie: Fully Loaded soundtracks).

Her version is pure "pop-rock princess" energy. It’s got that crunchy guitar sound that was everywhere in 2005. While it lacks the cool, detached synth-vibe of Ric Ocasek and The Cars, it fits the movie's bright, saturated aesthetic. It’s loud. It’s unapologetic. It’s the sound of a movie that knows exactly what it is.

Tracking Down the Music Today

If you’re trying to recreate the sky high song list on Spotify or Apple Music, it’s actually kind of a pain. Some of the covers are tied up in licensing hell.

The Vitamin C cover of "Voices Carry" is famously hard to find on streaming services in certain regions. You might have to resort to YouTube rips if you want the specific movie versions. However, the original tracks—The Talking Heads, The English Beat, Spandau Ballet—are obviously everywhere.

Creating a "Sky High Inspired" playlist is actually a great way to discover 80s music. Start with the covers from the movie, then go back and listen to the originals. You'll realize that the producers of this movie had incredible taste. They weren't just picking random hits; they were picking songs that defined a specific "New Wave" sound that mirrored the technicolor world of Sky High.

Misconceptions About the Soundtrack

A lot of people think the soundtrack was produced by Hollywood Records (Disney’s internal label). It actually wasn't. It was released through Hollywood, but the curation felt much more like a passion project from the music supervisors.

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They avoided the typical "Disney Star" covers. We didn't get Miley Cyrus or the Jonas Brothers doing these songs. We got legitimate indie and alternative bands. That’s why it has a bit more "edge" than your average Disney flick. It feels like someone actually cared about the music.

Practical Steps for Fans and Collectors

If you're looking to dive deeper into the music of Sky High, don't just stop at the credits.

• Hunt for the Physical CD: They are dirt cheap on eBay or at local thrift stores. The liner notes have some great art that isn't available digitally.
• Compare the Covers: Listen to "Through Being Cool" by They Might Be Giants and then listen to the Devo original. TMBG adds a layer of "nerd-rock" that fits the Sidekick (sorry, Hero Support) theme of the movie perfectly.
• Check the Credits: Watch the end scroll. There are several pieces of production music and minor tracks that never made any list but add to the atmosphere of the cafeteria and gym scenes.
• Create a Hybrid Playlist: Mix the 2005 covers with the 1980s originals. It creates a weird, time-bending listening experience that perfectly mirrors the film’s "retro-futurism" vibe.

The sky high song list is more than just background noise. It’s a blueprint for how to do a "teen movie" soundtrack right. It respects the past while leaning hard into the trends of the present. Whether you’re a fan of the Commander, Jetstream, or just a really good synth-pop cover, this soundtrack remains one of the best things to come out of the 2000s superhero boom.

Most soundtracks from 2005 feel dated now. They feel like a specific moment in time that we've all moved past. But because Sky High leaned so heavily into the 80s, it avoided that trap. It feels like a timeless tribute to being a teenager, regardless of whether you're graduating in 1985, 2005, or tomorrow. It’s about the angst, the crushes, and the feeling that you might just be able to fly if the right song comes on.