Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit: Five Rockin’ Tracks to Try!

Following up on my previous article regarding the hidden songs available to experience on Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, I felt it would be appropriate to offer up my five favorite song recommendations for the ride for those who might not be sure what track might best fit their musical journey. I have compiled my top five songs for your consideration when next riding Rockit… Just a reminder, listening to any of the hidden tracks will prevent you from being able to watch and/or purchase your on-ride video of the ride, so keep that in mind.

Crocodile Rock by Elton John, Hidden Song #104: A child of the classics, this one intrigued me as soon as I saw it on the list, but since my first time listening to it on the ride, I’ve gone back to experience it several times over. Holding its own against some of the heavier rock tunes available for the ride, this song starts out at the natural beginning of the song and pairs up fairly well with the course of the ride. My favorite segment of the song (“la, lalalalala, lalalalala, lalalalala” and clapping) times up perfectly with the CityWalk/Blue Man Group portion of the ride… And seriously, if you’re riding with a group of people, it would be a blast to get them all to ride with the same song and clap along as a group. I couldn’t stop laughing the first time I clapped along with the song and I still get a kick out of it to this date. Call me crazy…

Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hidden Song #112: Few can resist the smooth and soothing tones of the first half of this iconic song, but the second half is undoubtedly far more wild. Naturally the folks at Universal Creative chose the more upbeat half of the song to pair with the chaotic motions of the ride’s first drop, non-inverting loop and the treble clef. The song matches up well with the coaster’s layout from the minute you exit the lift hill until you reenter the brake run, with the infamous triple guitar solo not letting up until the ride is over. For the rocker of any age, this song is a must try!

Float On by Modest Mouse, Hidden Song #301: A younger song for the list, but one of my more common go-to’s. The song plays unedited from the start of the lift hill and continues on uninterrupted until entering the brake run… And it is pure bliss. Not ironically, hearing Float On play as you float out of your seat (or in some moments are more likely ejected from your seat) just works perfectly. And this is another great song to sing (silently) along to while riding!

Movin’ Right Along by The Muppets, Hidden Song #901: You’re probably just as surprised as I was to see a song by The Muppets included on the hidden track list (or on my favorite song list for that matter), but something about this just works, and works really well! Ripped from The Muppet Movie, this song details Kermit the Frog and Fozzy Bear’s infamous cross-country trip to Hollywood and the sadly humorous antics and confusion that befalls them along the way. Despite the upbeat motions of the coaster, the song’s banjo backing keeps up well with the movements of the ride, offering a touch of comedy and heart to an otherwise thrilling attraction. This will forever be one of my favorite songs to choose, if not to merely change the pace in a list of songs that are almost all much more uptempo and serious.

Kickstart My Heart by Mötley Crüe: Okay… So this isn’t a hidden song, but I had to include it on my list. I am 100% convinced that this is THE song used by Universal Creative to originally sync up the onboard audio to the motion of Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit’s twisted layout. It is amazing just how perfectly this song matches up with the ride. The opening guitar riffs start as the ride exits the station into the lift hill, continuing through the non-inverted loop and ending just at the edge of the first brake run, where the first lyrics arrive. Coming back towards the station in the Jump Cut maneuvers (see the embedded video to know exactly which ones I’m talking about), you get the “Whoa! Yeah!” just as you turn from side to side, angling ninety five degrees to the right over the heads of queuing soon-to-be-riders below. The song doesn’t let up until the end of the ride, finishing off with a seemingly perfect final riff. This is by far my favorite song for the ride and easily the one I select the most often to experience.

For a full list of instructions on how to access these hidden songs, as well as to see a full list of the hidden tracks available, be sure to visit my previous article on Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit! Also see this promotional video from Universal to learn more about the ride.

So what’s your favorite song to Rockit to?