How Music Shaped The Culture Of Skateboarding

We've all been there before when watching a sick compilation of skaters tearing it up at a local park and minutes later searching for what song was used in the clips. In fact, some of my favorite songs to this day have been found because of skateboarding videos, but what is it about music that shaped the culture of skateboarding?

If you asked any bystander what music skaters listen to, they'll usually respond with Punk or Rock which isn't actually a wrong answer, it's no secret that the likes of 'Skate Punk' became a revolutionary movement in the 1980s and the sub-genre is still heavily linked to the skating culture… hence the name!

More recently, it seems to be a predominant pattern of old-school hip-hop being used by skaters, including the likes of Wu-Tang Clan, Biggie, Snoop, and so many more iconic musicians. 

There is such a large range of music at the disposal of skateboarders to use for everyday sessions and clips, and it's such an important part of the culture's development over the years. Major brands such as Red Bull offer a large-scale playlist on Spotify known as 'The Ultimate Skateboarding Playlist' with 6 hours' worth of tracks dabbling in genres like; Rap, Lo-Fi, R&B, & Punk.

With the culture being at an all-time high in terms of popularity, Spotify now also offer an exclusive editorial playlist carefully selected by their own curators 'The Skate Shop'. Music is just as important to skateboarding as any other subculture that is connected closely to the sport. 

Listen to Spotify's editorial playlist 'The Skate Shop' here!