Exploring The Best Classic Rock Songs From GTA San Andreas

Grand Theft Auto holds a place in the hearts of millions of gamers. Depending on the generation you grew up in, you’ll probably have your own GTA installment you prefer. For me? It’s San Andreas, for some of my friends, it’s Vice City. For others, usually those trying to come across as different or a bit edgy - it’s GTA 3. That’s not to say that GTA 3 isn’t an absolute all-time classic, but it’d be a challenge to find anyone who thinks it’s the greatest GTA game ever made.

With such an array of genres and radio stations, picking the best songs from GTA can be a nightmare. It’s much easier to focus on one genre or game, so today, we have opted for the classic rock tracks that adorn some of these landmark games.

San Andreas Vibes

A few games, mainly sports games, have certain songs attached to them and help to boost sales. But if we’re in the business of talking iconic gaming soundtracks, GTA is streets ahead of most. It didn’t matter if you were a fan of metal, rap, pop, or funk music; there was something for everyone.

For me, venturing up and down the Las Venturas strip and popping into the casinos is a memory I still remember clearly and vividly. The casino gaming in GTA was one of the many elements that made it such a revolutionary game. This was long before the days when you could open up a smartphone app and have a game of blackjack. Although it didn’t involve real money as modern-day online blackjack does, one thing it did show was just how advanced San Andreas was in comparison to its predecessors.

Although a lot of the music played in the casinos and at the blackjack table was the smoother funk icons from Bounce FM, plenty of missions and journeys littered throughout the Las Venturas desert were perfected by the inclusion of classic rock. So, in no particular order, we will pick the cream of the classic rock songs that emerged from Rockstar's iconic 2004 game.

TOTO - Hold The Line

Having announced themselves on the GTA stage with their timeless iconic hit Africa, a mega-hit, one of the greatest songs of all time, and a song that is continually playing out in the African jungle. No, seriously. While Hold The Line might not be as well known, the jagged, high piano chords from the opening intro to the song give it a high-octane feel, perfect for cruising across the Las Venturas desert or over the airstrip. If you know, you know.

Tom Petty - Runnin’ Down A Dream

Tom Petty is another artist who has been featured in multiple GTA games and, most recently, the sound of the record-breaking GTA 6 trailer. The new installment is rumored to boost all sorts of advancements, ranging from AI to cryptocurrency to live radio station ideas. Runnin’ Down A Dream is a classic rock classic that evokes all of the same emotions we touched on with TOTO.

Billy Idol - White Wedding

It's more of a San Fierro tune than a Las Venturas, would you agree? I’ll always remember this Billy Idol classic as I put my foot to the floor as part of the driving school lap where you had to get around a big chunk of San Fierro in about 90 seconds. It's not quite the conventional driving test in real life, but a whole lot of fun nonetheless.

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free Bird

Probably the most iconic San Andreas track of them all, this classic rock song is undeniably one of the greatest in the genre, featuring one of the most legendary solos. Some audiences might not remember Free Bird from all those years ago, but they may have been introduced to it more recently via the Lynyrd Skynyrd documentary film that came out in 2023.

However, for many of us, Free Bird on San Andreas was our first introduction to the song and the band, and it takes us right back to a simpler time.

Final Thoughts

Bowie, Grand Funk Railroad, The Who, and America all deserve a special mention as iconic classic rock artists who introduced their music to an entirely new audience via a fresh new medium. While they may have narrowly missed out on today’s list - there’s no disputing their place in the GTA soundtrack Hall of Fame.

K-DST was the radio station of choice for classic rock enthusiasts, and there was a fantastic selection of other genres, whether it was Dre and Snoop on Radio Los Santos, James Brown on Bounce FM, or Personal Jesus by Depeche Mode on Radio X.

There was something for everyone to enjoy, but I always found myself gravitating toward K-DST. When I play GTA again, I make sure to flick to that radio station before setting off on my way.