The original Grand Theft Auto has seven in-car music stations with short looping track selections. Browse each station’s music and style; emergency vehicles play a separate police band.
Type
Radio stations
The original in-car broadcasts range from hip-hop, funk, and rock to house, trance, drum and bass, techno, and country. Radio '76 FM is also called Funk FM on air, while later appearances of the Head Radio name use different programming.
N-CT FM
- Genre
- Hip-Hop / Gangsta Rap
Listed tracks (3)
- Da Shootaz - Grand Theft Auto
- Slumpussy - This Life
- CCC featuring Robert DeNegro - Blow Your Console
Radio '76 FM
- Genre
- Funk
Listed tracks (3)
- Ghetto Fingers - On The Move
- Ashtar - Aori
- Stylus Exodus - Pootang Shebang
Head Radio
- Host / DJ
- Eddie Symons
- Genre
- Pop / Rock
Listed tracks (3)
- Reality Bubble - Days Like These
- Meme Traders - Automatic Transmission
- Ohjaamo - Complications
The Fix FM
- Genre
- Techno
Listed tracks (3)
- Animal Testing Centre - DSP
- Rotorman - Ride
- Technophiliak - Lagerstar
It's Unleashed FM
- Genre
- Alternative / Hard rock
Listed tracks (3)
- Stikki Fingers - 4 Letter Love
- The Hounds - Let It Out
- Bleeding Stump - Just Do It
The Fergus Buckner Show FM
- Host / DJ
- Fergus Buckner
- Genre
- Country
Listed tracks (1)
- Sideways Hank O’Malley and The Alabama Bottle Boys - The Ballad of Chapped Lip Calquhoun
Brooklyn Underground FM
- Genre
- Trance
Listed tracks (3)
- Retrograde - Benzoate
- Government Listening Post - E104
- Trancefer - Figiwhiz
Music built for the original GTA
Unlike the licensed-heavy soundtracks associated with later games, the music in the 1997 release was created for Grand Theft Auto. The songs are presented as fictional broadcasts, with station identities, performers, DJs, and occasional on-air chatter giving the compact soundtrack the feel of a much larger radio dial.
The styles are deliberately varied. N-CT FM handles hip-hop and gangsta rap, while Radio '76 FM moves into funk. Head Radio mixes techno with contemporary rock, and The Fix FM focuses on house and dance. It's Unleashed FM combines hard rock, alternative rock, and trance; Brooklyn Underground FM favors drum and bass and techno; and The Fergus Buckner Show FM delivers country through its host's lone song.
Why some station names sound unfamiliar
Most station and song names are not announced clearly during normal play. Their formal names come from the soundtrack presentation, so hearing a genre in a car does not always tell you what the broadcast is called. Head Radio and The Fergus Buckner Show identify themselves more directly, while the DJ on Radio '76 calls the station Funk FM. Both names therefore refer to the same funk broadcast.
Head Radio later became a recurring name in the series, but this is its original version with Eddie Symons as host. It should not be confused with the differently programmed Head Radio heard in later Liberty City games.
Vehicle radio behavior
Radio audio begins when you enter a compatible car and stops when you leave it. On the computer release, the radio controls let you move between available music while driving. The PlayStation version handles the soundtrack through its Music Mode setting: Radio changes the music as you switch cars, while Constant plays the CD audio in sequence. Vehicle choice therefore matters more than it does in later games with a universal station wheel.
Police-band audio is separate from the music broadcasts. It supports wanted-level feedback and emergency activity rather than offering songs, a DJ, or a genre format.
Playing the original disc as audio
The original disc stores its music as standard CD audio. In a compatible CD player, the soundtrack can be heard outside the game by skipping the first track, which contains game data rather than music. This behavior belongs to the disc releases and should not be assumed for later digital installations or the Game Boy Color conversion.
FAQ
When does the radio play in the original Grand Theft Auto?
Music starts when the player enters a compatible vehicle and stops after leaving it. Police audio is handled separately from the entertainment broadcasts.
Can you change radio stations in GTA 1?
The computer release allows station changes with its radio controls. On PlayStation, Radio mode changes music with the vehicle, while Constant mode plays the disc audio straight through instead.
Does the original GTA use licensed songs?
No. Its soundtrack was composed and performed for the game, with fictional artist and station branding used to make the broadcasts sound like commercial radio.
Is Radio '76 FM the same as Funk FM?
Yes. Radio '76 FM is the formal name attached to the funk broadcast, but its DJ calls it Funk FM on air.
Can the Grand Theft Auto disc play in a normal CD player?
The original CD releases store the soundtrack as audio tracks. Skip the first track because it contains game data; the remaining audio can play on compatible CD hardware.
Are the Game Boy Color and GTA: London stations included?
No. The Game Boy Color conversion has different audio limitations, and the GTA: London expansions use their own broadcasts. The station names here apply to the original computer and PlayStation soundtrack.