Name a video game series that’s more synonymous with music than Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. Wipeout? Maybe. Fifa? Maybe. Grand Theft Auto? Maybe.
But ask anyone who’s played the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games to share their favourite memory and they’ll likely recall something music-related, whether it’s discovering ska-punk kings Goldfinger as they dropped into The Warehouse, or singing ‘Tony Hawwwwwwk! Tony Hawwwwwk!’ as they misheard the lyrics to Amoeba by the Adolescents.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater is responsible for shaping the music tastes of millions of players. Remember: there was no Spotify, YouTube, or Limewire in 1999. If you played these games during your most formative childhood years, the soundtracks were probably your introduction to punk, hardcore, and hip-hop. And if you’re anything like me, you took the pocket money your parents gave you, headed down to your local record store, and started building your first CD collection from bands in the game.
While the first game focused heavily on punk and hardcore music, sequels such as THPS 3 and 4 introduced more rap, hip-hop, funk, and hard rock to reflect the diverse music tastes of skate culture. Similarly, Activision’s decision to only include 10 original songs from Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 in remake, but this decision was taken “to keep the feel of the original games but also introduce new artists and songs,” according to
A spokesperson for the band told VGC: “The crossover between skate culture and Motörhead has always been seamless, especially for OGs like Tony Hawk, who have literally fueled their passion by super-charging off their favorite music. It was great to know how much Tony loved Motörhead’s music when ‘Ace of Spades’ featured on Tony Hawk’s Pro-Skater 3 game back in 2001 (24 years ago!), and it’s great to know that the timeless energy remains so important to Tony, as evidenced by the return of ‘Ace of Spades’ in Tony Hawk’s Pro-Skater 3+4.
“The thing with Tony’s games is that they are not just entertainment; they’re educators when it comes to music. Tony’s such a clear, passionate, and no-bullshit fan of the music you hear on the Pro Skater games that the soundtracks are almost like another major radio station, or an immortal mega playlist, that skaters and surfers flock to. And because of that, Motörhead continues to see lots of grommets and groms-in-training getting into Motörhead. It’s also worth noting that Tony’s son, Riley Hawk, is also a huge Motörhead fan, and via Lakai, designed a special Motörhead shoe and apparel capsule back in 2018.”
CKY
Song featured: 96 Quite Bitter Beings
Chad Ginsburg (vocalist) tells VGC: “Tony Hawk was one of my earliest skateboard heroes, probably before I had any rock ‘n’ roll heroes. I owned several Powell-Peralta Tony Hawk decks and watched The Search for Animal Chin a hundred times. Tony has always been great to us; hanging with him and Bam, inviting us out to play arenas on the Boom Boom Huck Jam Tour, and including us in his video games. This is our second time on a Tony Hawk soundtrack, and tons of our fans discovered us for the first time through the games. I had to stop skating after breaking my arm on a fall in my early 20s, so thanks to Tony for giving us old guys a way to keep doing it.”
Jess Margera (drummer) tells VGC: “The Tony Hawk soundtracks are iconic to multiple generations and served as a vehicle to introduce people to both new and classic artists/bands. It’s an honor for CKY to be a part of it again; we’re forever grateful. How could I not love a game that lets me play as my brother and has my song on the soundtrack?”
End It
Song featured: New Wage Slavery
Chris Gonzales (drummer) tells VGC: “End It being a part of the remake of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 & 4 has been a dream come true. I’ve played every THPS game, and I can almost remember exactly where I was in my life when I first played each game. I’ve discovered a lot of hardcore, punk, and hip hop thanks to the THPS games, and honestly feel it has shaped my taste in music.
“I discovered so many artists through these games and skate videos in general, so just thinking that one of our songs could do that for the younger generation just warms my heart, and it’s a complete full circle moment. I’m so excited for this remake. These two games were my favorite of the series and it truly is a dream come true to have our band featured on the soundtrack and I am forever grateful for these opportunities and I thank Tony and his team for having us and for shaping how I look at music and for influencing so much to my life.”
Jeff Rosenstock
Song featured: HEAD
Jeff Rosenstock (multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter) tells VGC: “I’ve logged a Malcolm Gladwell amount of hours with Tony Hawk Pro Skater. When I was in high school, my friends and I used to cram into my bedroom and play the original on Mac [551 articles]” href=”https://www.videogameschronicle.com/platforms/pc/mac/”>Machines and Dead Kennedys songs.
“When my first band, The Arrogant Sons of Bitches, started touring we bungee corded a TV to a small plastic side table/dresser from Bed Bath & Beyond, stuck it between the driver and passenger seat of the van that we slept in, and played Tony Hawk 3 (and Def Jam Vendetta) as we waited in hot desert parking lots for venues to open up so we could use the bathroom. For most of my twenties, sitting on the couch with a controller in my hand playing Tony Hawk was a natural state of being and scratched the itch that has now been replaced with doomscrolling.
“I always loved that Tony Hawk games were soundtracked like skate videos, especially ’cause I could play video games far better (still pretty bad) than I could skate (pretty much not at all.) Having ‘HEAD’ in the remake of Tony Hawk 3 + 4 is quite surreal considering how deeply ‘Hush’ and ‘If You Must’ (from the original THPS 3) are seared into my brain, and also cool (?) that someone will be listening to me screaming about voter disenfranchisement, the police state, the sad truth that our alleged Constitutional freedoms are not real and the burnout that comes from trying to process all this as they try to Rowley Darkslide their way through all the hardest gaps on the list.”
T.C.M.F.
Song featured: Result
Calvin Goodman (writer and drummer) tells VGC: “To have our song ‘Result’ included in the new THPS 3 + 4 is a great privilege. Being Tony’s stepson, I am obviously grateful because he directly supports us enough to include one of our songs in the game. However, we still never made the song solely for it to be included. We just made the song for ourselves and to play at shows.
“Niko and I grew up on post-punk and industrial music, most of which had been in the prior video games. When listening to the soundtrack now, you can hear all of those original influential tracks, and the newer generation, like us, who are naturally cultivating their own musical paths from that inspiration. We are still grateful and lucky above all because we grew up with those tracks, and my stepdad wants to see that inspiration live on.”
Nico Butler (writer, guitar and vocals) tells VGC: “THPS has been a gateway for my generation to discover incredible alternative music. Its influence on skaters’ music taste can’t be overstated. Even if skating fades from their lives, the music sticks. That’s why it feels surreal to be part of the newest game. When I got the news, I jumped around my apartment, blasting soundtrack favorites and queuing ‘Result’ alongside them. It felt like winning the lottery. I just hope our song resonates with young gamers the way that music [in the games] once did for us—shaping who we are long after the console’s turned off.”
Starcrawler
Song featured: Roadkill
Seth Carolina (drummer) tells VGC: “I first discovered punk, ska, hip-hop, and pretty much anything that wasn’t classic rock or country through the original Tony Hawks Pro Skater. My mom saw how big of an impact the music from the first two THPS games was having on me back then, so when THPS 3 came out, she bought me the soundtrack on CD before I even had a chance to play the game.
“I would play those games sometimes just to listen to the music, though they were really fun video games. It feels totally insane to be featured in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4. To me, it feels like some kind of music award that I never could have dreamed of receiving. It’s also so wild to me that we are on the remake of the one and only video game soundtrack that I ever actually owned on CD.”
Arrow de Wilde (lead singer) tells VGC: “I was such a dorky kid; I didn’t play a lot of video games. But Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater was always the game that all the cool kids at school would talk about. I remember being at a friend’s house in elementary school, and her older brother would always be playing it, and the music definitely stood out to me.
“We’re all stoked to be included in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4. I just really hope it turns younger kids on to our music as well as the other artists on the soundtrack, the same way it did years ago when it first came out. I was lucky enough to have parents that showed me cool shit growing up, but a lot of kids don’t have that, so video games like these are really important.”
Fireworks
Song featured: God Approved Insurance Plan
Chris Mojan (guitarist) tells VGC: “When THPS dropped in 1999, I was 12 and in my honeymoon phase with punk rock and skateboarding. It was exciting and lonely at the same time: hitting record on my cassette player when 89x played Rancid, riding my bike to the skate shop, etc. Bands were hard to find, skate stuff was expensive, and I had no friends to do it with.
“That’s why sitting in my room listening to Dead Kennedys in Free Skate mode was one of the joys of my youth. 25 years later, a song I wrote in the new THPS means 12-year-old me would be very proud of 38-year-old me, which means everything. I hope we pay it forward and this cycle of subculture continues.”
Twenty One Children
Song featured: Looney Bin
Thulasizwe Nkosi (guitarist) tells VGC: “I honestly found punk through skateboarding as a kid from the skate videos in the mid-2000s and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. Bands like Bad Brains, Black Flag, and Dead Kennedys were in the game. This led me on a punk rock research, which led me to some more amazing music from the 80s. I’d then go out on my skateboard and try as many tricks as I possibly can.
“We are definitely super hyped to be included in the new soundtrack. This is a big deal for us. Our music is written to create a soundtrack for skating fast in the hood and city streets, so this is definitely a dream come true. ZA punk to the world. Fun fact: Tony Hawk opened this awesome concrete skatepark at an all-girls school in the city of Johannesburg. That very park started a ripple effect, and there are so many girl skaters in Jozi now!”
Abdula Skink (vocalist) tells VGC: “I’ve always loved the Tony Hawk games. To me, they were more than just games. They were moments. Growing up, the soundtracks were my gateway to discovering music I probably never would’ve found on my own. It was more than just background music. It was a whole world opening up. Being featured in the game now feels like such a full-circle moment.
“I grew up with this game, and to be part of it is honestly an honour. Getting to represent South African punk on that kind of global platform is huge — not just for us as a band, but for the entire scene back home. It shows that there’s space for all of us. That there’s hope.”
Memo PST
Song featured: I Used to be a Pretty Boy
Chris Shaw (vocalist) tells VGC: “As someone who grew up in the video game-obsessed 90s, playing Tony Hawk Pro Skater was a massive part of my adolescence. Mastering the game (and learning the cheat codes) was very much a rite of passage. The Tony Hawk Pro Skater soundtrack introduced me to classics from both the hip hop and punk genres, so it’s an honor to have one of Memo PST’s songs make the cut for the games’ re-release.”
Toy Dolls
Song featured: She Goes to Finos
Michael “Olga” Algar (guitarist and vocalist) tells VGC: “The Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games have brought us a whole new younger generation of Toy Dolls fans [when Dig that Groove Baby was featured in THPS 4], most of whom were not even born when we began in 1979! That said, none of the band has even played the games! I know that’s crazy, but we definitely intend on doing so when this next one is released! We can’t wait!”
Dwynell Roland and P.O.S.
Song featured: Duck Fat
Dwynell Roland (rapper) tells VGC: “I remember being a kid playing Tony Hawk Underground and remember hearing songs on there that I still remember and know because of the game! So it’s pretty surreal to have a song of my own in the game. I think the world of the Tony Hawk franchise as a whole is super iconic in my eyes! So the kid in me is like, ‘damn man you are really on that shit’. It’s been dope to see fans and friends react to the news of being on it and just cherishing it. I’m excited to actually play the game and hear this in the background!”
Casey Gerald (verses) tells VGC: “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 came out when I was nine years old. Being an avid skater myself, I was obsessed with the game. I discovered all my music from Tony Hawk (as well as skate vids) so being featured in the game means the world to me. All the artists that collaborated on this track have deep roots in skateboarding, and that influence comes through on this song. For me, diversity, style, fashion, and artistic expression are the driving forces shaping skate culture today. And If only one player of this game can connect with the soundtrack like I did when i was a grom, I’d be stoked.”
Yata (producer) tells VGC: “Tony Hawks Pro Skater has been a staple in my life since the first game was released. I religiously played the second (all of them really), but the first underground hits different. I became obsessed with skating and music. I’ll never forget riding around Jersey hearing ‘The World Is Yours’ by Nas for the first time. Skating completely shaped me into who I am and introduced me to so many people who introduced me to the art and music I make and enjoy now.
“It’s very wild to see everything come full circle. From a kid playing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater to jumping down stair sets, listening to my favorite artist, to making music with them, and having that music be included in the game. I’m honored to give something to something that’s given so much to me. It’s beautiful to see the impact the game has had – and still has – so many years later. I really hope the remaster of Underground is next, and all walks of life will continue to find art, music, love, inspiration, and creativity from the game and skating community. Much love to Tony.”
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
Song featured: Gila Monster
Stu Mackenzie (vocalist) tells VGC: “Can we bring back presents inside cereal boxes? In about ‘01 (I reckon), I scored Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 inside a Nutrigrain box. What a game. I played it non-stop for like six weeks leading up to my 11th birthday when my parents bought me a skateboard and took me to the skatepark for the first time. I guess I thought skating was easy because I tried to drop in on the half pipe and broke my arm. I listened to RATM on the way to the hospital. Sick”
Common Perry
Song featured: Better Off
Dylan Dusablon (vocalist & guitarist) and Luke Pugliese (drummer) tell VGC: “To have Common Perry featured in the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series means more than simply being part of a video game. It’s a piece of our childhood, our identity, and part of the reason we first picked up instruments. To hear ‘Better Off’ alongside so many bands that we grew up listening to and helped shape our sound is deeply personal. We’re beyond proud and endlessly grateful to our friends, families, and everyone who’s believed in us and helped us get here. We’re living proof that those dreams we chased as kids on skateboards and cheap guitars weren’t so far out of reach after all.”
Strawberry Fuzz
Song featured: East of the 405
Kris Miller (guitarist) tells VGC: “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater had a huge part in shaping our music taste. Being a kid & playing the games turned us onto so much music that we probably wouldn’t have heard ‘til later in life. We still listen to artists from the original soundtracks everyday. It’s an absolute honor to be a part of the soundtrack amongst our peers and artists we continue to look up to. Skating was our life for most of us in the band for a number of years, so big ups to Tony Hawk and the impact he’s made on people around the world. Thanks for putting on small bands and continuing to grow the culture for the better!”
The Saint Cecila
Song featured: Roller
Stewart Heigold (vocalist and guitarist) tells VGC: “We are from a small and very beautiful country called Costa Rica, where there’s a strong skate and surf culture. So when we heard the news, it wasn’t just us and our families who were excited and grateful — the entire local skate scene was hyped to know they’d be skating to our song. For us to be part of the soundtrack on the new Tony Hawk’s video game is just plain surreal. We grew up playing that game for hours, and songs like ‘Ace of Spades’ are imprinted in our brains because of it.
“When you’re a kid who spends hours dreaming about having a band, being heard by millions, and being featured in a big game or movie — this is that dream becoming a reality. I mean, our song is going to play after a song like “Ace of Spades”… that’s ridiculous. We’ll be throwing a party on the day the video game is released so we can all play it and hear our music in it. And again — it still feels, and will always feel, surreal and crazy!”
Bodyjar
Song featured: Not the Same
Cam Baines (vocalist) tells VGC: “I love the games and bought THPS 1 and THPS 2 before we were included on THPS 3! I think the games got a lot of kids into skateboarding and showed people what was possible with kids learning about the names of tricks and the basics of skating. The game and the music were so important because they set the mood; it was energetic and good to skate to. Thanks to the game and [pro skaters] Tony Hawk and Stevie Caballero, people know who we are in other countries now, I guess.
“At the start, we didn’t realise how much impact [featuring in the original THPS 3] had on the band. I know Stevie Cabellero had used a couple of our songs for his parts in [skate brand] Powell videos, but then, when this [soundtrack feature] happened, it was next level. I guess he [Cabellero] was a hero of mine, so when he got us on the game we were all very grateful. Now we’re touring Europe with his band Urethane in July and August and it’s come full circle!
“It feels great [to be returning to the franchise]. Not every band on the first version got on, so we must be doing something right. Hopefully people check out our other albums and the other bands associated with us.”
AFI
Song featured: The Boy Who Destroyed The World
Hunter Burgan (bassist) tells VGC: “I grew up immersed in skateboarding, punk rock, and video games…three worlds that naturally intersect. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater was the perfect extension of this holy trinity. As a fan of the game, I was super stoked to be on the THPS3 soundtrack. At the time, I didn’t realize how it would help introduce AFI to a new generation of gamers, skaters and punks.
“Over the years, countless fans have told me that THPS3 was their first time hearing us. I met Tony recently and thanked him for including us on the game. He told me how important the music was to him. It’s an honor to be a part of something that shaped the culture for a generation and hopefully the new game will inspire the next generation!”
