25 Years Ago, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater Introduced Punk & Hip-Hop to a New Generation

Posted on September 27, 2024

by Eric S

There are many video games that are strong contenders to represent the Millennial generation. Goldeneye, Final Fantasy VII, Pokémon Red and Blue, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and countless others probably spring to mind. One such game, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater (as in, the very first one), was released 25 years ago this week for the Sony PlayStation (again, the very first one). There are a few things that make THPS a significant cultural text, beyond its tendency to make skateboarding look incredibly easy. It brought skateboarding to a mainstream audience (and some of the anti-establishment implications behind it), featured gameplay that offered a rarely seen degree of freedom and personalization, and stood as one of the major unifying cultural moments for those of a certain age.

Of course, just as importantly, the game also had a massive influence on the musical tastes of countless gamers with its unique and eclectic soundtrack. THPS mined the depths of skate punk, ska, hardcore, underground hip hop, and metal to find exceptional tracks that would be as intrinsic to the gaming experience as the actual gameplay, and in the process, allowed niche genres and independent artists to infiltrate the suburbs like few media ever have. I mean, how many 30-somethings know about ska because they heard Goldfinger’s “Superman” from the first Tony Hawk? Kind of bizarre and amazing. The series would continue its streak of mostly exceptional games and soundtracks, most notably with the second entry, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2, which was released in 2000 and is considered by many to be even better than its predecessor.

In celebration of this formative Millennial artifact reaching the quarter century mark, we’ve selected some of the best songs to appear in the first two THPS games. So bust out your library card and kickflip your way back to a time when you didn’t wake up with so much back pain.

For more great music, make sure to check out the offerings of your local branch and Freegal.