10 Best Songs In The Tony Hawk's Games

10. 96 Quite Bitter Beings - CKY

Unlike most of the bands on this list, American rockers CKY – f.k.a. Camp Kill Yourself – were associated with skateboarding before their inclusion in 2001’s Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3.

After all, founding drummer Jess Margera is the brother of rowdy Jackass mainstay (and future Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 co-star) Bam Margera, who used CKY’s music for his late ‘90s skateboarding videos. He also did photography for CKY’s 1999 debut LP, Volume 1, which opens with “96 Quite Bitter Beings”.

The only single from Volume 1, it’s also the first in a trilogy concerning Hellview, which singer/guitarist Deron Miller describes as “a [fictional] town that doesn't take kindly to outsiders”.

Sure, “96 Quite Bitter Beings” is far from a songwriting masterpiece, but its gravelly vocals and narration (“Excessive vacancy, well maybe / In the shadow of an eye / All the strangers passin’ through it / Where the rules just don't apply”) embody the colorful rebelliousness and triumphant outsider POV of the sport.

Plus, its main guitar riff is catchy as hell, blending heavy metal aggression with punk rock simplicity. It all adds up to an infectiously defiant bit of fun that instantly heightens the joy of tearing up each level.