I got my first real skateboard on my birthday in May of 1987, and my life would be forever changed in a very positive and unique way. Skateboarding was basically my gateway drug into the world of punk rock, which was another life altering discovery, and the very first Thrasher I bought had an interview with Mike Muir of Suicidal Tendencies that set it all up nicely. From blasting cassette tapes through a boom box on the deck of a makeshift ramp to the thousands of awesome songs that littered so many skate videos over the years, skating and music have always been intertwined.
Today (June 21st) is National Go Skateboarding Day. In honor of that I figured I would bring you some of my favorite skateboarding-related songs of all time. Peruse the list if you like, but don’t loiter for too long. Grab your board, grind a curb, and then go start your own band!
Big Boys “Fun Fun Fun” – Texas sized skate punk/funk from Austin. I mainly got into punk and skating because it was fun, and I still enjoy both immensely to this day. “Fun, fun, fun no matter what they say.”
The Faction “Skate and Destroy” – A call to arms that has been emblazoned on grip tape, shirts, stickers, and even flesh for years. “Skate and Destroy” was also featured in the opening montage of the very first skate video, The Bones Brigade Video Show. Add Steve Caballero on bass and this one is a no brainer.
fIREHOSE “Brave Captain” – Every time I hear this song, I automatically think of Natas shredding Santa Monica in the Santa Cruz video, Streets On Fire. 20 something years later and I’m still wondering how he did that spin on top of the fire hydrant. We may never know the secret to that trick, but it’s confirmed that fIREHOSE and Natas are both timeless.
JFA “Beach Blanket Bongout” – These Phoenix punks ripped every tumbleweed ridden ditch, full pipe, pool, and ramp they could find in the desert. The cover to the awesome Blatant Localism EP is photographic proof. “Surf punks we’re not. Skateboard we do. We have the fun. We’re the new crew.”
McRad “Weakness” – Ray Barbee and the Rubber Boys blew our collective minds when Powell Peralta’s Public Domain dropped in 1988. No comply’s, step-off shuvits, and Ray’s own trick, the Barbee Shuffle, were suddenly stunts every street skater strived to learn. McRad provided the perfect soundtrack to this new style of skating, and I often had “Weakness” playing in my head as I bombed through the streets of Boulder City.
Milk “The Knife Song” – This one is a true cult classic (just ask anyone that skated in 1991). Before acting, Jason Lee was an awesome pro skater, and his part in the first Blind video,Video Days, remains one of my favorites. Milk’s “The Knife Song” complimented him perfectly, and while I have never been able to acquire a hard copy of this cut, I still have my old VHS copy of Video Days.
Sub Society “A Whole Lot Less” – Another somewhat obscure band with an important song that was featured in H-Street’s second video, Hokus Pokus. Matt Hensley truly redefined skateboard style, which was more than evident as most of us sported chain wallets and King Size Hensley decks in the early 90s. At the same time, I had a crush on a girl that didn’t know I existed, and I regularly thought of the lyrics, “I spend my time thinking about you when I know that I should think less,” while I relentlessly bashed the double-sided curb at our high school.
Suicidal Tendencies “Possessed To Skate” – Not only was Mike Muir interviewed in the first Thrasher I ever bought, but I also received ST’s Join The Army on cassette with my first subscription to the mag. I also remember seeing the MTV video for this song while up late one night in the summer of ’87. The flaming pentagram at the beginning of the video really bummed my little brother out, but I thought the whole damn thing was great.
Token Entry “Jaybird” – Any song that opens with four urethane wheels shredding on concrete is going to grab my attention, and Token Entry proved that skateboarding wasn’t limited to the left coast. Just looking at the cover of Jaybird makes me want to hit the skatepark. “Drop in layback air or catch a grind. Backside air, axle stall, whatever comes to mind. Got enough speed to reach the sun. Annoying all the neighbors but it’s all just for fun.”
Underdog “Frontside Grind” – Against coping or a curb, few tricks feel as righteous as a nice frontside grind. More east coast rippers doing it right. “Mom says you’d better be home early. I say fuck that, let’s get surly.”
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