Top Bands, Music, and Songs to Skateboard To

CKY is famous for their music and videos and the close link between CKY and Bam Margera (his brother is in the band) and Jackass which then spawned Wild Boys and Viva La Bam! CKY has been around since 1996—the CKY videos and music have been a favorite of skaters for a long time.

MXPX has been on the scene for what feels like forever. I love these guys and their music is great for skating and doing anything else that might get you hurt. A few favorite songs for me for skateboarding are "Middle Name," "Punk Rawk Show," and "Running Away." A bit of trivia: MXPX stands for "Magnified Plaid."

The Offspring has a huge pile of great music to get your blood pumpin'. Some favorites for skateboarding are "All I Want," "One Fine Day," "Come Out Swinging," and "Falling." But there's plenty more. The Offspring is the kind of music that will get your adrenaline going if you're into it.

Dogwood is one of those bands that not everyone's heard of, but for those who have, you see Dogwood patches on their jackets. Dogwood is moderately heavy but fast. It should keep your energy going. Some of my favorite Dogwood songs for skateboarding are "Building a Better Me," "The Good Times," and "Never Die." Dogwood works for me to keep me going once I'm already stoked up a bit.

I have a love-hate relationship with these guys. Sometimes NoFx will get me stoked and I'll want to jump and kick and the works, but other times, I feel kinda gross when listening to them. Either way, they are a favorite band to skate to for many riders; if you haven't heard them, check them out. For something similar, but different, try Rancid.

These are two completely separate bands, but both of these bands are Irish punk bands, and they rock to a ridiculous degree. If you are looking for something different to get pumped up to, try these songs. For Dropkick Murphys, try "Captain Kelly's Kitchen." For Flogging Molly, try "Seven Deadly Sins." By the way, if you get a chance to see Flogging Molly in concert, drop everything and get there—they put on a great show.

Bands like Fall Out Boy (Emo bands or bands that play stuff that's a sort of mix of rock and punk) can have good rhythms to get you into the flow of skating. If you want something with a little more punk feel, try Green Day, Goldfinger, Bowling for Soup, Simple Plan, and Blink 182. These all have wildly different sounds but can end up under the "punk" or more likely the "pop-punk" heading.

Slick Shoes has fast music, but slower or softer words. The mix makes a great sound for sustained listening and skateboarding. Try the song "Pretend To Be The Same" to get an idea of what they sound like. For heavier music like Slick Shoes, but with harsher vocals, try Sum 41. "My Direction," "The Hell Song," or "No Reason" are all great songs with a good fast beat for skateboarding. There are a pile of bands that would fit into this category.

POD is perfect for heavier, thicker, more soulful riding. Not the best for thrashing—better for late night cruising, chillin, dealing with the weight of the world. Sometimes, when I'm dealing with life, I like to just get out and ride, and POD is a perfect band for skateboarding like this. Try the songs "Anything Right," "Sleeping Awake," "Alive," or "Boom".

Compiling a list like this is tough - there are so many good bands out there for skateboarding. Here are a few more that either I like or come strongly recommended. Check them out and see what you think: Pennywise, The Adicts, Linkin Park, Dr. Octogon, Thousand Foot Krutch, Deltron 3030, Ace Troubleshooter, 7 Seconds, Sepultra, and Prodigy.