5 MORE CLASSIC ROCK TUNES FOR RIDING | Stickman Vinyls

5 MORE CLASSIC ROCK TUNES FOR RIDING

REAL WILD CHILD (WILD ONE) BY IGGY POP 

This song has enjoyed immense popularity in pop culture and movies, hence the many cover versions.

It was originally recorded as Wild One by the Australian rocker Johnny O’Keefe with The Deejays in 1958. Rock ‘n’ roll wild man, Buddy Holly and his band The Crickets heard the song when they toured in Australia and exported it to the United States, recording it as “Real While Child.”

But probably the best version was Iggy Pop’s who approached it in a bad boy demeanor. It’s a song about youngsters wanting to be cool and wild, and he nailed it.

Listen to the beat and the lyrics, “I’m a real wild one, and I like a wild fun, in a world gone crazy, everything seems hazy, I’m a wild one,” and you’d probably pull a wheelie right there and then!

 

BORN TO BE WILD BY STEPPENWOLF 

Love it or detest it, Born to be Wild, is the quintessential motorcyclist’s theme.

Besides that, the line “heavy metal thunder,” was used the first time in a popular song and the phrase “heavy metal” became the term for hard rock. Ironically, it was meant to describe a drug.

But it was when the song was used in the 1969 counterculture classic movie, Easy Rider, that Born to be Wild became the song most associated with motorcycles. And bikers soon lived out their love of the freedom riding provides. (Well, riding IS a drug!)

 

HIGHWAY STAR BY DEEP PURPLE 

While the opening lines, “Nobody gonna take my car, I’m gonna race it to the ground, nobody gonna beat my car, it’s gonna break the speed of sound,” alludes explicitly to a fast car that’ll outrun anything, the song still talks about big speeds.

The tempo and beat certainly drive up adrenaline levels and your heart rate as you push your bike faster and faster.

Artistically, Highway Star is regarded as the first “speed metal” song, a sub-division of heavy metal later popularized by Motörhead and Metallica.

 

FUEL BY METALLICA 

Speaking about the heavy metal juggernaut, Metallica, their song Fuel talks about people who drive, ride or even live their lives too fast.

“Fuel is pumping engines, burning hard, loose and clean, oh and on I burn,” sounds a lot like when the throttle is pinned WFO (wide fully open).

It became the official theme song for NASCAR’s 2001 to 2003 seasons.

 

RUSTY CAGE BY SOUNDGARDEN

Rusty Cage may not refer to anything about motorcycles, except maybe the chorus line which goes, “I’m gonna break my rusty cage and run,” could suggest getting rid of the car for a motorcycle.

The biggest reason we call upon this song was because it was the theme for the outrageously fun 1991 video game, Road Rash. It was a motorcycle racing game, but it didn’t stop there. Players had to go criminal in eliminating their opponents by kicking and punching, smashing with chains and bats, etc. on their way to winning races, credits and street cred.

The game’s intro starts with bikes at a stop line before blasting off with smoky burnouts, being chased by the cops, pulling wheelies and all sorts of motorcycle buffoonery, too the song’s frantic riffs and the late Chris Cornell’s vocals.

We are absolutely against irresponsible riding on the roads, but hey, doing those things in a video game is great for laughs when it’s raining or snowing outside. And if there’s a game developer out there reading this article, PLEASE REMAKE THIS GAME!

READ PART MORE HERE.

Back to blog