Skateboarding’s always been cool, and it’s always gone hand in hand with music. Trace its history back to the ’80s, and you’ll see that punk rock and hip-hop on the fringe were right in step with skateboarding’s underground emergence. So, it wasn’t uncommon to see some shredding in the indie music scene. We’ve cobbled together a list of a few you may or may not have seen. Maybe it’ll turn you on to some good music, too.
1. Suicidal Tendencies – “Institutionalized”
A skate anthem in the ’80s from Suicidal’s self-titled 1983 album, it’s no surprise there’s some jump ramping in here. Plus ST’s singer Mike Muir is the brother of Dogtown legend Jim “Red Dog” Muir. It’s all in the family.
Bonus points for the Repo Man poster.
2. Sonic Youth – “100 Percent”
After the success of Blind’s Video Days, director Spike Jonze (heavy cameos himself in the vid) was contacted by Sonic Youth to direct their video for 100 Percent off the band’s 1992 album Dirty. Who did Spike bring along to skate/act in the video? None other than Video Days’ Jason Lee and Guy Mariano. Classic early ’90s LA, looking like the skating was filmed up and down Wilshire in one afternoon, this video serves as an EP follow up to the Video Days era. Spike even gets some street licks in there too.
Check out a young Guy Mariano grinding the Wilshire 10!
3. Tom Petty – “Free Fallin'”
Who knew the king of Gainesville, Florida, was a fan of the half-pipe? At 2:20 in this classic video, the frontside airs start flying—skaters being Vision teamriders Joe Johnson (white shirt), Eric Nash (blue/gray striped shirt) and Kele Rosecrans. The heroine pads up and takes a few below-coping pumps to fakie. Rumor has it she learned to skate on set that day. Not too shabby. This one dropped in 1989.
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4. Urban Dance Squad – “Deeper Shade of Soul”
Hot single from this late-80s/early 90s one-hit wonder group from The Netherlands who straight up filmed their video in the bottom of a pool mid-session. Still holds up! We never found out who the skaters in here are. The track is off the 1989 album Mental Floss For The Globe.
5. Alkaline Trio – “Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs”
Continuing with the pool party vibe, Steve Cab can skate pools in his sleep—even with a drum cymbal in his skull, too! Chris Cole pops a switch frontside flip into the classic Pink Motel pool in here as well. The newest on our list, this track just came out in 2024.
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6. R.E.M. – “It’s the End of the World as We Know It”
If the end of the world is coming, you better have some good streetplants. The last minute of this video has some honest, ’80s-style attempts. Dropped in 1987 off the epic album Document.
Related: The 6 Most Affordable Skate Shoes for Every Skater
7. Coconut Records – “West Coast”
Featured on the 2007 album Nighttiming, the video for West Coast actually dug much deeper: Mark Gonzales’ inimitable skate/performance art in 1998 at Germany’s Städtisches Museum in Abteiberg, Germany.
The session was immortalized by photographer Skin Phillips back in ’98. Gonz did a recreation at NYC’s Milk Studios in 2018.
8. Suicidal Tendencies – “Possessed To Skate”
The title says it all. By 1987, Suicidal Tendencies were part of skateboarding’s soundtrack. This song was pumping on every boombox at every backyard pool or ramp session. What kid didn’t dream of spray-painting and skating their whole house?
9. Coconut Records – “Any Fun”
2009’s Coconut Records jangler, directed by Bill Strobeck and Mark Gonzales, features Chloë Sevigny, CR frontman Jason Schwartzman, and pro skater Alex Olson. Everyone involved here has deep ties to skateboarding, so the crew just cruised around an average day in Lower Manhattan and captured it all on Super 8. Pretty fun.
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