Rockstar Games did what the WB has tried to do for years without success: put together a soundtrack with recognizable artists that doesn’t seem hackneyed or painfully hip. One of the coolest things about the latest batch of Grand Theft Auto games has been the selection of radio station programming, which adds plenty of atmosphere to a series already chock-full of it.

Vice City took us back to the 80s, and Rockstar managed to license a shocking number of songs by real artists for the game. Hence, instead of session musicians playing muzak versions of all your favourite new wave, electro and adult contemporary hits, you had the real “Africa” by Toto (twice!), the real “Working For The Weekend” by Loverboy, and this.

For a track that hit the top 40 before I was born, “Kids In America” sounds surprisingly fresh. My guess is putting off the temptation to use crrrrazy synth effects! and out-of-this-world! drum machine loops has paid off here. It’s fun! It’s hip! You can shoot up 80s cars and blow up parts of Miami to it! What’s not to love?