Skateboarding is an aggressive and creative sport born in Southern California. Hardcore-Punk is a ferocious style of rock n roll created in the same area.
Both complement each other since the late 70s and early 80s. Hip Hop music has also crossed in skateboarding's path because of its aggressive origins. Here's a brief look into some of skate's music most representative anthems:
1-Bones Brigade: Thrashin' USA
The first track of their debut "I hate myself when I'm not skateboarding". A song about thrashin' with your skate the entire USA. Bones Brigade epitomizes modern-day skate punk and takes their name from the legendary skateboard crew.
2-JFA: Beach Blanket Bongout
The definitive skate-punk anthem by the inventors of the genre. The clasic line "Surf Punks We're Not, Skateboard We Do" is a standard singalong in their shows since 1981. As a matter of fact, they still skate and surf 30 years later.
3-Gang Green: Terrorize
A song about terrorizing people with your skateboard while cruising through a shopping mall. Gang Green is a classic hardcore punk band from the suburbs of Boston, MA. While other early 80s Boston outfits were talking about boring stuff, GG were talking about skate at 150 mph.
4-Agression: Intense Energy
The best skate punk song ever by a skate punk band. The line "Have you ever seen a skateboarder surfing in a pool, Flying over the coping with a skateboard as his tool" is the essence of skate-punk. They were part of the Nardcore scene in the early 80s.
5-Riot.303: Skate Punx
Hailing from Calgary, Canada, this short-lived band released this pretty self-explanatory song in the first Thrasher Skate Rock compilation in the early 80s. Compilations done by the bible of skateboarding Thrasher Magazine.
6-Black Flag: Wasted
The 2nd song of the b-side of 1978's "Nervous Breakdown" Ep of the most influential Hardcore-Punk band ever. Singing is the first vocalist Mr. Keith Morris, who later fronted the Circle Jerks. Who by the way, do a much faster version of this song but not as great as Flag's 78' gem. "I was surfer, I had a skateboard". Classic!
7-The Faction: Skate and Destroy
The Faction were a punk band formed in 1982 by legendary skateboarder Steve Caballero. This is probably one of the most recognizable tunes in the genre. They come from the northern part of the state of California, San Jose.
8-Teenage Bottlerocket: Skate or Die
Pop-punk group from Wyoming formed in the early 21st century. A track that talks about making skateboarding a threat again. Their guitar player was part of seminal 90s pop-punk band Lillingtons.
9-Diente Perro: Muerte en Patineta
One of the first songs of this Puerto Rican punk outfit. Re-recorded for their latest album
"Muertos en la Noche". The translation means "Death in a skateboard". The quintessential skatepunkers from this tiny Caribbean island.
10-The Panty Sniffers: Sexo,Skate y Rock n Roll
Opening track of their first and only full length "Sexo, Skate y Rock n Roll" released in 2005 by Rokirol Records. The song is about sex, skateboarding, punk and surfing in one night. They played between 2001-2011 and also released a Complete Discography CD/Fanzine and a music video. All the members from their several line-ups hailed from Puerto Rico.
11-Teenage Hell: Corriendo Olas de Concreto
Short-lived skatepunk band from Puerto Rico. Short, fast and loud and about riding concrete waves. They were all teen skaters who were into Zero Boys, Agression and Germs.
12-Common Enemy: Skate that Shit
From their 2000 self titled Ep. Late 90s Skatepunk band from Pennsylvania. They are skaters and D.I.Y punkers. They even visited Puerto Rico sometime in 2010.
13-Charles Bronson: Skate for God
90s Power violence pioneers from Chicago, IL. They were skaters, straight edge and sarcastic as hell. This track is from the "Possessed to Skate" compilation LP. They released a 100 + songs discography of their 30 sec or less fastcore tunes. Their drummer Ebro played in Los Crudos, a seminal latin hardcore punk band from Chicago.
14-Suicidal Tendencies: Possesed to Skate
Mid 80s skateboard anthem by Venice Beach skate thrashers. Led by Mike Muir, whose brother was part of the original Dogtown Z Boys.
15-Descendents: Doug rides a skateboard
Demo outtake from the Enjoy sessions of 1986. Not officially released but appears in bootlegs like "Still Hungry", "Milo Gets Bootlegged" or "Rareage". Its the almighty Descendents with a skate punk song. As good as it gets.
16-Flema: Fernando anda en skate
Seminal Argentine punk rock band. They were formed in the late 80s by lead singer Ricky Espinosa, who kill himself a couple of years ago. This song translates as "Fernando rides a skateboard" and is from their sophomore album 1994's "Nunca nos fuimos". Catchy as hell punk rock.
17-Desde el Campo: Tributo a la skate
Hip Hop group from the West Side of the island of Puerto Rico. They are skaters and this tribute to skate track appears in their 2010 mixtape "Sustancia Controlada" (Controlled Substance).
18-Gritando HC: Ande de skate e destrua
Brazilian hardcore punk act. Track from their 2000 album of the same name. Translation from portuguese means "Skate and Destroy". Their original singer died in 2001.
19-Guttermouth: Do the Hustle
Late 80s Huntington Beach, CA punk legends with several controversial and sarcastic punk albums out. This song is from their classic LP "Musical Monkey" and rants about lousy rollerbladers getting in the way of skateboarders.
20-Screeching Weasel: We Skate
13 sec. classic song from Chicago Mid 80s punkers. This song is from their 2nd album "BoogadaBoogadaBoogada". After their first two albums, they became one of the most important (and imitated) pop-punk bands in the world.
21-Suicide Machines: Vans Song
Tribute to Vans skateboarding shoes by this influential hardcore-punk/ska band from Detroit, MI. They formed in 1991 and this song appears in several of their early recordings, most notably in their 1996 studio debut "Destruction by Definition".
22-Adolescents: Skate Babylon
Song about skating from their 2nd album "Brats in Battalions" from 1987. This stuff is good but quite different from their classic Blue Album tunes.
23-Violent Children: Skate Straight
Early-to-Mid 80s Connecticut hardcore band who featured a young Ray Cappo playing drums. He later went to front seminal bands such as Youth of Today, Shelter or BTA1000. Cappo is remembered as one of the most militant straight edge and Krishna people in the United States.
24-Pharrell: When Skateboard Came
Track about skateboarding from N.E.R.D. and Neptunes MC/Producer/Drummer Pharrell Williams. This track is from his first mixtape "In my mind: The Prequel". He skates also, so go figure.
25-Beatnik Termites: Skateboard
90s Pop-punk ala Screeching Weasel with a heavy surf influence. This skateboard song appears in their best known album "Bubblecore".
26-Satanic Surfers: Don't Know what to do
Swedish 90s punk band. From their "Skate to Hell" Ep.
Punk Bands featuring Pro Skaters:
27-Free Beer: Premature Enlistment
Early 80s Northern California punk band featuring skate legend Tommy Guerrero. Alternative Tentacles released their discography "The Only Beer That Matters" as the first of their Skate Punk series.
28-Political Crap: Slow Death
First punk band fronted by the Master of Disaster, Duane Peters. He is better known for his later outfit, US Bombs. Song appears in the 1981 "Who Cares" compilation. Great stuff.
29-Skoundrelz: Jimmy Closet
Venice Beach punk band formed by the first truly influential skateboarder Tony Alva. He played bass in this group that also featured ex-members of Suicidal and Wasted Youth. Alva is the original Z Boy from Dogtown that revolutionized skateboarding forever. This song is from Thrasher Skate Rock Vol. 1 compilation.
30-McRad: Greed
Early 80s Philly hardcore punk band featuring pro skater Chuck Treece. This song is from their classic Ep "Dominant Force". Treece is a multi-instrumentalist that has even played in the Bad Brains.
31-Mike V and the Rats: Never Give Up
Mike Vallely is an unorthodox pro skater who wrestles professionally, acts and plays in punk bands. His most famous act was Mike V & The Rats, which sounded like Black Flag Rollins era and Minor Threat. This track is from the self title Ep.
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