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Let's appreciate GTA's radio stations, DJs, ads

Vice City was the first time I really focused on the lyrics of Night Ranger's Sister Christian and realized they were insane. There wasn't a bad station in the game. I probably didn't listen to Radio Espantoso as much as the others, but it wasn't like I switched away as fast as I could like with IV. I don't know if it was just because the 80s had a lot of good music or what, but getting into a new car was fun, because I didn't know if I was gonna hear Toto, Rick James, Hall & Oates, or The Cult. For commercials, I enjoyed hearing about my own participation in Love Fist and AmmuNation's use of Red Dawn.

San Andreas also had a pretty good selection. K-DST was probably my favorite for both the Axl Rose DJing but also more Toto, my favorite song from the Who, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Radio X was also a lot of fun. There still weren't any bad stations, though. Favorite commercial was Glory Hole Theme Park, by far.

IV was a big of a break from what had been a glut of great selections in Vice City and San Andreas. I stayed away from a number of stations. K109 was pretty good, as were 97.8 and Radio Broker. I found a few things I liked on Vladivostok, but the ambient stations were pretty much switched away from instantly.

I haven't played V, but looking at the lists, I see stuff I'd like and some stuff I'd have no idea what to do with. Probably wouldn't spend a lot of time with Soulwax or Mirror Park.

I don't know how they did it, but in Vice City every station was viable. Still wishing R* does some kind of Vice City throwback. I'd die to drive down miami beach with Billie Jean playing in current gen. Nostalgia overload.
 
The one and only:

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Vice City had the absolute best radio stations.

I just can't get enough of Emotion, VRock, Flash FM and VCPR (This one is just HILARIOUS).

On GTA V I mainly listen to Los Santos Rock Radio and Mirror Park Radio.

The best hosts are, without a doubt, Lazlow, Fernando Martinez and Maurice Chavez.
 
Vice City was easily the best. Great selection of musics, and the only game in the series without a weak radio station. I also think the talk stations are the series's best as well. Maurice usually gets all the love (and he's great) but I also really like K-Chat. The interviews there get so crazy, I especially love the Thor interview. Just some weird great shit there.

GTA3 and San Andreas are also really good, and there isn't much, if anything, to complain about there. San Andreas did surprise me with the country station being my favorite.

GTA5 is alright. At first I thought the selection of music was amazing, but it didn't quite hold up for me after playing for awhile, as the GTA3 games did. Still not bad, and a definite step up from...

GTA4 is far and away the weakest for me. Not really a lot that I like here. And even the stations I would generally like seem to be bugged or some shit and play the same 5 or so songs 90% of the time. The other songs might individually get played once or twice a playthrough while Stevie Nicks is belting out about that stupid fucking dove every time I turn to rock station. The Lost and Damned did add the Doors to the mix thought and that was awesome. GTA4 also started the shitty trend of having real people be the DJs, which made them kind of dull, and I was sad to see this continue in GTA5 where it wasn't much better.

Also, Liberty City Stories is decent. I didn't particularly love it, but I didn't hate it either. Haven't really spent enough time with Vice City Stories to get a good opinion.
 
GTA radio stations are amazing. They're really a big part of why I love the series so much. And not just the music (which has been great in every game) but the DJ's and commercials. They do a lot to enrich the game world and make driving around more entertaining.

I'll never forget the first time I saw a billboard in Liberty City for something after hearing a commercial about it on the radio. Sounds super trivial now, but I remember it blew my mind back then.

The talk radio is also always great. Chatterbox and VCPR are maybe my two favourites, although the conservative station in GTA IV was pretty damn funny as well. I enjoyed V's talk radio, though I sort of wish Lazlow had a better show. The co-host they gave him was annoying.

GTA4 also started the shitty trend of having real people be the DJs, which made them kind of dull, and I was sad to see this continue in GTA5 where it wasn't much better.
That started in San Andreas really. Axl Rose, Chuck D, George Clinton, Julio G, Sly & Robbie etc. Unless you mean just people not playing characters anymore.

I kinda like it. Some of them are dull, but I loved Iggy Pop and Juliette Lewis in IV and Kenny Loggins and Twin Shadow in V.
 
That started in San Andreas really. Axl Rose, Chuck D, George Clinton, Julio G, Sly & Robbie etc. Unless you mean just people not playing characters anymore.

Yeah, I meant playing themselves. Although now that I think about it, the SA DJs were a step down from GTA3 and Vice City for me. Except for Mary Beth Maybell.

I kinda like it. Some of them are dull, but I loved Iggy Pop and Juliette Lewis in IV and Kenny Loggins and Twin Shadow in V.

Iggy and Kenny were decent. Jesco White was a huge disappointment though.
 
I always liked Double Clef FM. Especially later on when you were doing missions for the mob.

I didn't really like anything in 4 and 5. Most of the time I just turn the radio off.
 
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For life. Greatest radio station ever, god bless Rockstar.


I also truly love Radio Mirror Park, Non Stop Pop and Radio Los Santos. GTAV has the best assortment of radio stations by far, so many different sounds. The only disappointing one is the classic rock station which has an extremely disappointing tracklist.
 
I hope there is a way to randomize the radio station for any car each time you load a game in GTAV or Online. I have a Bravado Gauntlet and every time I get inside the vehicle, I always get Channel X with that Amoeba song. I am so sick of it.
 
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Nothing like driving around the desert at like 4 am with the San Fierro skyline in the distance listening to Voodoo Ray or Move Your Body.
 
No sabía que tanta alegría pudiera salir de las tetas de una vaca- pepe
Radio Espantoso was my favorite in Vice City, mostly because back then it was the only one I understood xD
 
MSX FM (both of them) makes me wish the later GTA games would have another underground Drum'n'bass station. GTA3 had a legitimately amazing soundtrack for the budget it had
 
Lazlow on Chatterbox FM.

Playing GTA 3 and getting forced onto the chat radio was the bane of my existance and I would just switch it over to something else, and then I listened to it; and it was awesome. The callers and wit of Lazlow have made me an avid listener of every station involving him in GTA and although I have found his appearances to have gone slightly downhill since VC, I will never forget the love that Lazlow gave me for chat radio.


Nothing has come close to Lazlow on chatterbox from GTA III imo, the other stuff he's done is good, but in GTA III it was something special. And K-Jah was my favorite music station from any GTA.

EDIT: Clarification
 
My favorite line from Lazlow on GTA 3 had to be when that crazy lady called and said
"Life doesn't have an end button."
"No, BUT This show does"
LOL
Lazlow was truly the best during that time.
 
I contend Vice City is one of, if not the greatest licensed soundtrack for a game ever. Emotion with Fernando Martinez is my favorite, though.

"I...just die in your arm tonight....must have been something you say..."
 
I thought GTA 5's radio was great.....It's surprising me to see so many people say it was disappointing.

I'd like to be able to comment on it beyond just looking at the track list on Wikipedia, but they've been draggin' ass on getting it out for me for so long I'm surprised they have any ass left to drag.
 
Three pages and no Bula Matara with Taxi Drivers Must Die? Come on GAF!

Well everybody's sayin' that they're not so bad
Everybody's sayin' that we need 'em bad
Well everybody's got their fuckin' heads up their ass

Everybody tells me they perform a service
But the same fuckin' people say they drive 'em nervous
Well make your fuckin' mind up, you stupid twat

If you want to see them cry
Poke 'em in the eye
Put their fingers in the socket and watch them fry

Taxi drivers must die
 
VRock all the way! I'm shocked no one mentioned VCS VRock. Arguably better music choice, and great comic relief: "yeah we're sitting here naked!", "Open your eyes Lazlow!"
 
I found radio stations for GTA IV and V much better than they're usually given credit for considering that they were "modern" song picks, overall. Vice City and San Andreas could get away with choosing greatest hits from their respective eras. IV and V didn't have the advantage of hindsight. While they're well done, I really tire of the commercials. They're as annoying as real life ones

Props to R* for getting Femi Kuti, Roy Ayers, Pam Grier, Bootsy Collins and Flying Lotus as DJs for their games. And some of their music, of course.
 
Taken together Rockstar have compiled an amazing selection of modern music. I'm maybe halfway done acquiring it all but it is an expensive quest, lol.
 
I agree about the Watch Dogs music. It was a poor selection of music.

I liked the music selection in Saints Row IV. There was a lot of it, so I did the custom soundtrack thing.

I still pin Vice City as my favourite soundtrack in open world games.

I think Lazlow's segments have dipped in quality since GTAIV.

totally agree mate
 
"My friend Joey sowed his hands together!"

GTA 3 had the best commercials, but Vice City had VCPR and Espantoso. Too close to call. I am always surprised either station doesnt get more love.
 
Stretch Armstrong is now in ya world

Also, DJ Premier's station in GTA IV was amazing.

Edit: Almost forgot K-Jah in GTA III. It's 5 songs from a single Scientist album, but they're pretty sick.

Love K-Jah -- introduced me to a whole new type of music and I went out and bought Scientist albums.
 
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The best.

I also love listening to the right wing commentators, it's like they actually got Rush Limbaugh to do some of the commentary.
 
I absolutely adored the selection of music in Watch Dogs. I've actually picked up a few songs, and became a fan of new bands like Flatfoot 56 because of it.

GTA's soundtracks are always phenomenal. I also love the talk radio hosts like Jason Sudekis playing the heavily conservative radio host, and the judge Joe Brown knock off show.
 
The music in GTA III was unreal.

I can still remember driving through the Mob's neighborhood with Double Cleff FM in the background - right before someone in a mafia car shot out my gas tank - killing me instantly, with "La Donna E Mobile" echoing in the background as "You've Been Iced!" (or whatever it said) fills the screen.

I had never experienced a game in which the music was somehow perfectly synched with what I was doing in the game.

And - like many other have said, the fit between the music and gameplay in GTA:VC and GTA: SA just made the games incredibly immersive. The music in IV always felt rather bleak to me, which probably helps explain why I never really got into the game like in III, VC and SA. The music in V was solid though - a step up from IV (although not as immersive, IMO, as in III, VC and SA).
 
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