3 Songs From Tony Hawk Video Games That Introduced Millennials to 80s Punk

Thanks to legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk, millennials everywhere begged for a new skateboard in 1999. On June 27, 2026, Tony Hawk landed the historic 900 at the 1999 X Games, becoming the first skateboarder ever to do so and inspiring millions to take up skateboarding.

Months later, on September 29, 1999, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater was released. The new video game soared in popularity, with a second released in 2000, a third in 2001, and a fourth in 2002. Following this, the Tony Hawk’s Underground series launched two games, followed by Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland in 2005.

Curated by Hawk himself, the soundtrack for these games introduced many millennials to 1980s punk music. We look back at Tony Hawk’s iconic video games as the 58-year-old prepares for his only public skating appearance in 2026, happening this Friday.

“police truck” by dead kennedys

The Dead Kennedys are a massively influential punk group out of San Francisco, California. “Police Truck” was included on the first Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. It’s the B-side to their defining punk track “Holiday in Cambodia”, released in 1980. It’s the opening track on the band’s 1987 compilation album Give Me Convenience of Give Me Death. Another Dead Kennedys track was featured on American Wasteland in 2005. “California Über Alles” can be heard during the game’s opening sequence.

“wash away” by alkaline trio

T.S.O.L. (True Sounds of Liberty) formed in Huntington Beach, California, in 1978. In 1981, the band adopted elements of goth rock into their punk rock style. Alkaline Trio covered their track “Wash Away” for American Wasteland (2005). Most of the game’s soundtrack featured then-modern punk or emo bands covering 80s punk songs. Other covers include My Chemical Romance’s cover of the Misfits’ “Astro Zombies” and Fall Out Boy’s cover of Gorilla Biscuits’ “Start Today”, among many others. Ultimately, this introduced millennials to 80s punk through the bands of their own era.

“you” by bad religion

In 2000, the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 soundtrack featured a collection of hip-hop, alternative metal, and punk rock. Bad Religion’s “You” is a standout punk rock track that many associate with the video game. Initially released on Bad Religion’s fourth studio album, No Control, the song introduced young skateboarders to one of the best-selling punk rock acts of all time. In 1989, the album marked a shift in the band’s sound, leaning into fast hardcore punk mixed with melodic hardcore. They are among the most influential punk rock acts of the 1980s.

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