Credit: Far Out / Rockstar Games

Lucy Harbron

Tue 5 December 2023 17:48, UK

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The soundtracks for video games are rarely given the credit they deserve, but some iconic games have gained a strong musical legacy. Similar to the incredible soundtracks of the FIFA games, Grand Theft Auto has also carved out a clear musical identity.

Launched in 1997, the original Grand Theft Auto soundtracks were simply composed and recorded by members of the development team. In the original game, players could pick a radio station to listen to, immediately launching the series’ interest in music as a part of gameplay.

By 2004, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas levelled up the game’s commitment to its soundtracks. Continuing to extend and develop the radio stations, the 2004 edition featured actual songs by iconic artists. Unlike the earlier games, where each station played a single looped sound, and the same song was composed by the game developers, San Andreas added actual songs into the game, with a playlist played in different orders at different parts of the play. The 2004 game featured tracks by Snoop Dogg, NWA, Public Enemy, Ice Cube and more. 

Released at a time long before Spotify or easy music streaming services, the team behind GTA quickly gained a reputation for great music curation. As the games went on, more and more musical icons were brought into the world of the game, including New Order, Depeche Mode, Aphex Twin, Nas, Iron Maiden and even names like Kate Bush, who you’d never associate with a crime-fuelled racing game. 

Modern artists have also been added to the soundtracks, becoming a kind of bucket list dream for new acts to make the game soundtrack. The 2013 edition, Grand Theft Auto V, featured tracks from current names like A$AP Rocky, Health, Tyler The Creator and Dan Croll.

The sixth game in the GTA series has been years in the making. Set for release in 2025, news of the game was leaked in September 2022. The first trailer for the game provides some clues about only one artist that might feature in the new edition. 

Keen-eyed fans spotted a “Petty Forever” sticker on a door, seemingly confirming Tom Petty’s spot on the GTA radio as ‘Love Is a Long Road’ soundtracks the trailer. The trailer was released early due to information leaks, and so far, there is no more information about other artists that might feature on the new game. 

The complete Grand Theft Auto soundtrack:

• Grand Theft Auto – Da Shootaz
• Billie Jean – Michael Jackson
• Hold Up (feat. Nipsey Hustle) – Marion Band$, Nipsey Hustle
• r – Cali – A$AP Rocky
• Sleepwalking – The Chain Gang Of 1974
• The Set Up – Favored Nations
• In The Air Tonight – Phil Collins
• Low Rider – War
• Garbage – Tyler, The Creator
• Blue Monday – New Order
• I Ran (So Far Away) – A Flock Of Seagulls
• Customer Is King – Solomun
• Touch Too Much – AC/DC
• Miura – Metro Area
• Runnin’ Down A Dream – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
• O Mio Babbino Caro (Hudson Mohawke Remix) – Grand Theft Auto III
• Personal Jesus – Depeche Mode
• Stand up Jamrock – Bob Marley & The Wailers, Damian Marley
• It’s Funky Enough – The D.O.C.
• Flash – Green Velvet
• Stonecutters – Flying Lotus
• Es-Toy – Mexican Institute Of Sound
• War Is Necessary – Nas
• Incarcerated Scarfaces – Raekwon
• Dance of the Vampires – Scientist
• Old Love / New Love – Twin Shadow
• Nowhere To Go – Nite Jewel
• Cars – Gary Numan
• Pruitt Igoe – Philip Glass
• Windowlicker – Aphex Twin
• Rising To The Top – 8-Off Agallah Featuring Sean Price & Bazaar Royale
• Get Innocuous! – LCD Soundsystem
• Round and Round – Ratt
• Real McKoy (feat. Busy Signal) – Mavado, Busy Signal
• No Sex for Ben – The Rapture
• Stories – The Chakachas
• remote viewing – Tangerine Dream
• You Took All The Ramblin’ Out Of Me – Jerry Reed
• Nine Is God – Wavves
• It Should Have Been You – Gwen Guthrie
• Family Man – Daryl Hall & John Oates
• Chinatown Wars – Ghostface Killah & Doom
• Play It Cool (feat. Samuel T Herring (Of Future Islands) & Earl Sweatshirt) – Gangrene, Samuel T. Herring, Earl Sweatshirt
• Running Away – Roy Ayers
• Waiting for a Girl like You – Foreigner
• Wow – Kate Bush
• Tempted – Squeeze
• Keep On Loving You – REO Speedwagon
• (I Just) Died In Your Arms – Cutting Crew
• More Than This – Roxy Music
• Mother – Danzig
• Africa – TOTO
• Broken Wings – Mr. Mister
• Missing You – John Waite
• Crockett’s Theme – Jan Hammer
• Sister Christian – Night Ranger
• Never Too Much – Luther Vandross
• New Jack Swing – Wreckx-N-Effect
• And The Beat Goes On – The Whispers
• Act Like You Know – Fat Larry’s Band
• Get Down Saturday Night – Oliver Cheatham
• Automatic – The Pointer Sisters
• I’ll Be Good – Rene & Angela, Bruce Swedien
• All Night Long – Mary Jane Girls
• Ghetto Life – Rick James
• Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ – Michael Jackson
• Shame – Evelyn “Champagne” King
• Behind The Groove – Teena Marie
• Juicy Fruit – Mtume
• Summer Madness – Kool & The Gang
• Out of Touch – Daryl Hall & John Oates
• Dance Hall Days – Wang Chung
• Self Control – Laura Branigan
• Call Me – Go West
• Last Night (a Dj Saved My Life) – Intodeep
• Kiss The Dirt (Falling Down The Mountain) – INXS
• Run To You – Bryan Adams
• Four Little Diamonds – Electric Light Orchestra
• Owner of a Lonely Heart – Yes
• Video Killed The Radio Star – The Buggles
• Japanese Boy – Aneka
• Life’s What You Make It – Talk Talk
• Your Love – The Outfield
• Steppin’ Out – Joe Jackson
• One Thing Leads To Another – The Fixx
• Running With The Night – Lionel Richie
• I Wanna Rock – Twisted Sister
• Too Young To Fall In Love – Motley Crue
• Cum on Feel the Noize – Quiet Riot
• She Sells Sanctuary – The Cult
• Bark at the Moon – Ozzy Osbourne
• 2 Minutes to Midnight – Iron Maiden
• Working for the Weekend – Loverboy
• God Blessed Video – Alcatrazz
• Cumin’ Atcha Live – Tesla
• Turn Up The Radio – Autograph
• Peace Sells – Megadeth
• Madhouse – Anthrax
• Raining Blood – Slayer
• You’ve Got Another Thing Coming – Judas Priest
• Yankee Rose – David Lee Roth
• Two Tribes – Frankie Goes To Hollywood
• Love Missile F1-11 – Sigue Sigue Sputnik
• (Keep Feeling) Fascination – The Human League
• Atomic – Blondie
• 99 Luftballons – Nena
• Kids In America – Kim Wilde
• Pale Shelter – Tears For Fears
• Sunglasses At Night – Corey Hart
• Poison Arrow – ABC
• Love My Way – The Psychedelic Furs
• Obsession – Animotion
• Gold – Spandau Ballet
• Hyperactive! – Thomas Dolby
• Never Say Never – Romeo Void
• A Gozar Con Mi Combo – Cachao
• Super Strut – Deodato
• Mama Papa Tu – Mongo Santamaria
• Me And You Baby (Picao Y Tostao) – Mongo Santamaria
• Mambo Mucho Mambo – Machito & His Afro Cubans
• Expansions – Lonnie Liston Smith and the Cosmic Echoes
• Aguanile bonko – Irakere
• Latin Flute – Deodato
• Jamay – Xavier Cugat & His Orchestra
• Mambo Gozon – Tito Puente
• Pump Me Up – Trouble Funk
• Clear – Cybotron
• Rockit – Herbie Hancock
• Get It Girl – 2 LIVE CREW
• Rock Box – Run D.M.C
• Bassline – Mantronix
• Magic’s Wand – Whodini
• More Bounce To The Ounce – Zapp
• The Message – Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
• The Breaks – Kurtis Blow
• Hip Hop Be Bop – Man Parrish
• Warm It Up, Kane – Big Daddy Kane
• Me and My Gang – Masta Ace
• Children’s Story – Slick Rick
• I Know You Got Soul – Eric B. & Rakim
• It Takes Two – Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock
• B.Y.S. – Gang Starr
• Brand Nubian – Brand Nubian
• Critical Beatdown – Ultramagnetic MC’s
• Hood Took Me Under – Compton’s Most Wanted
• Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang – Snoop Dogg
• The Ghetto – Too $hort
• Alwayz Into Somethin’ – N.W.A.
• Check Yo Self – Ice Cube, Das EFX
• La Raza – Kid Frost
• How I Could Just Kill a Man – Cypress Hill
• Fuck Wit Dre Day (And Everybody’s Celebratin’) – Dr. Dre
• It’s Funky Enough – Pollie Pop, The Doc
• Express Yourself – N.W.A.
• It Was A Good Day – Ice Cube
• Eazy-er Said Than Dunn – Eazy-E
• Murder Rap – Above The Law
• I Can Make You Dance – Zapp
• Hollywood Swingin’ – Kool & The Gang, Jamiroquai
• Love Rollercoaster – Ohio Players
• Cold Blooded – Rick James
• Twilight (feat. Frankie Beverly) – Maze, Frankie Beverly
• Yum Yum (Gimme Some) – Fatback Band
• Between the Sheets – The Isley Brothers
• West Coast Poplock – Ronnie Hudson
• Loopzilla – George Clinton
• Let It Whip – Dazz Band
• Candy – Cameo
• Love Is the Message (feat. The Three Degrees) – MFSB, The Three Degrees
• Funky Worm – Ohio Players
• Odyssey – Johnny Harris
• You Dropped A Bomb On Me – The Gap Band
• Amos Moses – Jerry Reed
• Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man – Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn
• Hey Good Lookin’ – Hank Williams
• Queen Of Hearts – Juice Newton
• The Letter (That Johnny Walker Read) – Asleep At The Wheel
• One Step Forward – The Country Dance Kings
• Crazy – Willie Nelson
• Three Cigarettes In An Ashtray – Patsy Cline
• Bed Of Roses – The Statler Brothers
• Make The World Go Away – Mickey Gilley
• Mama’s Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys – Ed Bruce
• Always Wanting You – Merle Haggard
• All My Ex’s Live In Texas – Whitey Shafer
• Slow Ride – Foghat
• Green River – Creedence Clearwater Revival
• Barracuda – Heart
• Strutter – KISS
• Hold the Line – TOTO
• Young Turks – Rod Stewart
• Woman To Woman – Joe Cocker
• Get Down To It – Humble Pie
• Some Kind Of Wonderful – Grand Funk Railroad
• Sometimes – Miami Horror
• Free Bird – Lynyrd Skynyrd
• A Horse with No Name – America
• Eminence Front – The Who
• Smokin’ – Boston
• Somebody Up There Likes Me – David Bowie
• Two Tickets to Paradise – Eddie Money
• White Wedding – Billy Idol
• Make My Body Rock – Jomanda
• Pacific 202 – 808 State
• Weekend – Todd Terry Project
• Let The Music Use You – The Nightwriters
• Move Your Body – Marshall Jefferson
• This is Acid – Maurice
• Can You Feel It – Mr. Fingers
• Voodoo Ray – A Guy Called Gerald
• Ma Foom Bey (Love Chant Version) – Cultural Vibe
• I’ll Be Your Friend (Cozzy D & Eric Volta Remix) – Robert Owens
• Your Love – Frankie Knuckles
• Promised Land – Joe Smooth
• Break 4 Love – Raze
• Don’t Let It Get To your Head – Black Harmony
• Wicked In Bed – Shabba Ranks
• Batty Rider – Buju Banton
• King Tubby Meets The Rockers Uptown – Augustus Pablo
• Revolution – Dennis Brown
• Ring My Bell – Blood Sisters
• Funky Kingston – Toots & The Maytals
• Cocaine In My Brain – Dillinger
• Pressure Drop – Toots & The Maytals
• Bam Bam – Pliers
• Here I Come – Barrington Levy
• Drum Pan Sound – Reggie Stepper
• Great Train Robbery – Black Uhuru
• Chase The Devil – Max Romeo, The Upsetters
• I’m So Into You – SWV
• Keep On Movin’ – Soul II Soul, Caron Wheeler
• My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It) – En Vogue
• Rub You The Right Way – Johnny Gill
• Sensitivity – Ralph Tresvant
• Groove Me – Guy
• Don’t Be Afraid – Aaron Hall
• Motownphilly – Boyz II Men
• Poison Bell – Biv DeVoe
• I Got The Feeling – Today
• Don’t Be Cruel – Bobby Brown
• Unsung – Helmet
• Midlife Crisis – Faith No More
• Cult of Personality – Living Colour
• Movin’ on Up – Primal Scream
• Welcome To The Jungle – Guns N’ Roses
• Pretend We’re Dead – L7
• Hellraiser – Ozzy Osbourne
• Rusty Cage – Soundgarden
• Killing In The Name – Rage Against The Machine
• Fools Gold – The Stone Roses
• Them Bones – Alice In Chains
• Plush – Stone Temple Pilots
• Cross The Tracks (We Better Go Back) – Maceo And The Macks
• Smokin’ Cheeba-Cheeba – Harlem Underground Band
• Jungle Fever – The Chakachas
• Nautilus – Bob James
• Green Onions – Booker T. & the M.G.’s
• Rock Creek Park – The Blackbyrds
• Hot Pants… I’m Coming I’m Coming – Bobby Byrd
• Funky President (People It’s Bad) – James Brown
• Rock Me Again & Again & Again & Again & Again & Again – Lyn Collins
• Soul Power 74 – Part II – Maceo And The Macks
• I Know You Got Soul – Bobby Byrd
• The Payback – James Brown
• Think (About It) – Lyn Collins
• The Grunt (Part 1) – The J.B.’s
• Tainted Love – Martha Reeves
• (I Got) So Much Trouble In My Mind – Free Soul, Sir Joe Quarterman
• I Love a Rainy Night – Eddie Rabbitt
• Been Caught Stealing – Jane’s Addiction
• Vapors – Biz Markie
• Change Of Coast – Neon Indian
• Shooting Holes – Twin Shadow
• Polish Girl – Neon Indian
• Synergy – Haywyre
• House of the Rising Sun – The Animals
• Spirit in the Sky – Norman Greenbaum
• Elevator Boy – Laid Back
• You Make My Dreams (Come True) – Daryl Hall & John Oates
• Maneater – Daryl Hall & John Oates
• Black Velvet – Alannah Myles
• Burning Heart – Survivor
• Carry on Wayward Son – Kansas
• Danger Zone – Kenny Loggins
• Fortunate Son – Creedence Clearwater Revival
• La Grange – ZZ Top
• We Built This City – Starship
• Feel Good Inc. – Gorillaz
• Midnight City – M83
• Tell It to My Heart – Taylor Dayne
• Hold On – Holy Ghost!
• Pharaohs – SBTRKT, Roses Gabor
• This D.J. – Warren G, O.G.L.B.
• Mr. Blue Sky – Electric Light Orchestra
• Baba O’Riley – The Who
• The Rhythm of the Night – Corona
• Only Girl (In The World) – Rihanna
• Music Sounds Better with You – MoodBlast
• Don’t Wanna Fall in Love – Jane Child
• Meet Me Halfway – Black Eyed Peas
• Adult Education – Daryl Hall & John Oates, Bob Clearmountain, Nile Rodgers
• Days Go By – Dirty Vegas
• Moves Like Jagger – Maroon 5, Christina Aguilera
• Lady – Hear Me Tonight – Modjo
• Send Me An Angel ’89 – Real Life
• Boogie in Zero Gravity – Black Strobe
• Feel the Same – Battle Tapes
• Crystalfilm – Little Dragon
• Cooler Than Me – Mike Posner
• Radio Ga Ga – Queen
• Gimme All Your Lovin’ – ZZ Top
• I’m Free (Heaven Helps the Man) – Kenny Loggins
• Peace of Mind – Boston
• On Our Own – Bobby Brown
• Still D.R.E. – Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg
• Gin And Juice (feat. Dat Nigga Daz) – Snoop Dogg, Daz Dillinger
• You Know How We Do It – Ice Cube
• 4 AM – Kaskade
• The Time is Now – Moloko
• Regulate – Warren G, Nate Dogg
• Appetite For Destruction – N.W.A.
• The Next Episode – Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg
• Mind Playin Tricks – Geto Boys
• So You Want to Be a Gangster – Too $hort
• Rock’n Me – Steve Miller Band
• What a Fool Believes – The Doobie Brothers
• Give It To Me Baby – Rick James
• Straight Up Menace – Menace ll Society, MC Eiht
• Baker Street – Gerry Rafferty
• Higher Love – Steve Winwood
• If You Leave Me Now – Chicago
• California Soul – Marlena Shaw
• The General Lee – Johnny Cash
• Cruisin’ – Smokey Robinson
• Nobody Move Nobody Get Hurt – Yellowman
• 23 – Shadow Child, Tymer
• Shine A Light – The C90s
• Ambitionz Az A Ridah – 2Pac
• Brand new revolution – Guts
• I Get Lifted – George McCrae
• Naive Response – Daniel Avery
• Psychic City – YACHT
• Party All the Time – Eddie Murphy
• Flash Light – Parliament
• Mothership Connection (Star Child) – Parliament
• Highwayman – The Highwaymen
• Circle in the Sand – Belinda Carlisle
• Roundabout – Yes
• Smalltown Boy – Bronski Beat
• Promises, Promises – Naked Eyes
• Living In America – DoM
• When You’re Out – Kauf
• Mesmerised – Scenic
• In Real Life – The Ruby Suns
• Used Blood – Coliseum
• Who Needs You – The Orwells
• High Pressure Dave – HEALTH
• World in a Room – Anushka
• Shadows Of The Night – Pat Benatar
• Living In A Box – Living In A Box
• Always – Panama
• For Now – Twin Shadow
• Bad Girls 0 M.I.A.
• Do You Believe? – Poolside
• Forget – Twin Shadow
• So Many Details – Toro y Moi
• Tennis Court – Lorde
• West End Girls – Pet Shop Boys
• Dollaz + Sense – DJ Quik
• Pray It Goes Ok? – Boyz 2 Girlz
• Bump to the Music – Fatamarse
• Feels Like I Just Can’t Take No More – April’s In Paris
• Rubber Tip – Funky Bjs
• Forever – Lucy
• Wash Him Off – Marydancin
• Change – Conor, Jay
• Fade Away – Craig Gray
• Life Is But A Mere Supply – Dezma
• Stripe Summer – Dil Don’t
• See Through You – Frankie Fame
• Electronic Go Go – Scatwerk
• Good Thing – Whatever
• Love Is A Long Road – Tom Petty

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