The soundtracks on the original Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games were an ‘afterthought’ – according to the man himself – but they were undoubtedly legendary and arguably as much a part of the experience as the skating! While the soundtrack in the remaster is different, having spent hours and hours playing the game over the past few weeks I feel a strong attachment to the songs and highly rate the soundtrack! My only criticism is that there could be more songs – though the fact I feel like I’ve heard the whole soundtrack about 100 times perhaps says more about how much of my free time I spend playing the game….anyway, here are my five favourite songs from the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 remaster:

5. Afraid of Heights – Billy Talent

Afraid of Heights is the title track of Billy Talent’s 2016 album and has already become one of my favourite songs from the Canadian rock band! The riff is a classic killer Billy Talent riff and the tempo/beat is perfect for a skateboarding game. For some strange reason the dramatic vocals and steady beat fits really well in the build-up to a huge jump/trick too!

4. Superman – Goldfinger

I couldn’t not include the ‘home screen’ song, could I? Superman is already an iconic song for any fan of the franchise and if there’s one song that reminds me of this game…it’s this one! Admittedly I didn’t play the original versions of the games that much and I don’t remember this song that well…but after a few weeks playing the remaster I already feel such an association to this song. Goldfinger’s ska-style is very reminiscent of the 90s, when skateboarding was hugely popular and the music was a huge part of the skateboarding culture, so is one of the more important songs on the soundtrack.

3. West Coast – FIDLAR

Whereas Superman is a 90s classic, West Coast by FIDLAR is one of the more recent tracks on the playlist (and in this top 5). It feels a bit like it could have been part of the mid-00s British indie wave, but also has elements of bands such as PUP. It’s got a real rebellious vibe to it, which again feels very fitting for a skateboarding game. Great track!

2. When Worlds Collide – Powerman 5000

When Worlds Collide is definitely a bit of a wild card for me – I’d never heard of Powerman 5000 before playing this game (apologies to any Powerman 5000 fans) and I can’t imagine I’ll be delving into their back catalogue any time soon, but this song is fantastic! I love the way it changes so dramatically from a soft verse with almost-spoken vocals, to this huge, thundering chorus. It’s one of the most unique tracks on the soundtrack and one of my favourites too.

1. All My Friends Are Nobodies – Zebrahead

I’ve always liked every Zebrahead song I’ve come across, but for some reason I never find myself proactively listening to them…I don’t know why because tracks like All My Friends Are Nobodies are amazing! The chorus alone gives this song the edge over the others for me, but the fast tempo makes playing Pro Skater so enjoyable and I like to think on numerous occasions has given me the confidence to try bizarre tricks in the final ten seconds of a competition heat. Fun song for a fun game!

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The five songs listed above are all great tracks, but they are by no means the only great tracks on the soundtrack. Go check out the full list of songs on Spotify or other streaming platforms, or better yet go and grab a copy of the game! If you’ve played the game already or have listened to the soundtrack, leave a comment with your favourite – and least favourite- song.