10 Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Songs from ‘Cobra Kai’ That’ll Boost Your Confidence

After finishing Ralph Macchio’s book this past November, I started watching Cobra Kai, which is the sequel to the beloved 80s film franchise, The Karate Kid. However, I stopped halfway through season three, so that I could focus on the last month of my Disney College Program. Thankfully, this past Sunday, I had enough time to watch all of the episodes I missed, so that I would be prepared for Cobra Kai’s sixth and final season, which has yet to be released.

I immediately fell in love with Cobra Kai because of how relatable the characters were, the life lessons taught on the show, and the music. The freaking good old 80s hard rock music! It’s like going back in time to the decade that brought us Ratt, Poison, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Cinderella, and so many others. Rock music, in general, has this vibe where you feel like you can do anything. That vibe was perfect for Cobra Kai because the show encourages viewers to find the confidence to follow their dreams, face their fears, and believe in themselves.

Just for fun, I’ve selected 10 hard rock/heavy metal tracks from the show that I believe will boost your confidence. This is not a top 10 list. Though I’ll be working my way up to number one, these songs are in no particular order. With all that said, let’s get on with the music!

10. “Back in Black” (1980) by AC/DC – Season 2, Episode 2 “Back in Black”

If you’ve never heard the opening riff to “Back in Black,” then you’ve been living under a rock! This song was used in almost every single car commercial you can possibly imagine. Malcolm and Angus Young wanted “Back in Black” to be a tribute to the late great Bon Scott, without all of the sappy nonsense. With Brian Johnson’s imaginative lyrics, the Young brothers delivered a hard rock classic that is still popular today as it was in 1980. In Cobra Kai’s second season, Miguel (Xolo Maridueña) and Johnny (William Zabka) are walking in slow motion to Johnny’s car with sunglasses on and the scene transitions to them bobbing their heads to the song in the car. 

9. “I Want it All” (1989) by Queen – Season 1, Episode 10 “Mercy”

I’m not a massive fan of Queen’s The Miracle (1989) album, but I love “I Want It All.” It’s got an energetic chorus that makes you want to fist pump in the air. According to UDiscoverMusic, Brian May’s second wife, actress Anita Dobson, would often say “I want it all, and I want it now!” And that’s how the song came to be. In Cobra Kai’s first season, the song plays during a montage of everyone getting ready for the All Valley Karate Tournament.

8. “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’” (1982) by Judas Priest – Season 4, Episode 1 “Let’s Begin”

The song “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’” deals with themes of determination and believing in yourself, according to Ultimate Classic Rock. It’s a fun driving song too! The article later quoted Halford saying “You could just imagine putting this [‘You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’’] on, getting in the car with the sun shining and then blasting down a freeway.” In Cobra Kai’s fourth season, the song plays during a training montage featuring the students of Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang.

7. “Two Heads Are Better Than One” (1989) by Power Tool/Nelson – Season 4, Episode 3 “Then Learn Fly”

When I took the time to finish the Cobra Kai series, “Two Heads Are Better Than One” immediately caught my attention. It had a good beat, I loved the scream at the beginning, and the chorus was insanely catchy! “Two Heads Are Better Than One,” written by the band Nelson, was featured in the 1989 film, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. With their debut studio album still in the works, however, the record company prevented them from getting the credit that they deserved, according to Ultimate Classic Rock. In Cobra Kai’s fourth season, the song plays during a training montage and as a bonus, there are clips of Daniel (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny actually getting along.

6. “Nothin’ But a Good Time” (1988) by Poison – Season 1, Episode 1 “Ace Degenerate”

My WordPress friends told me that Cobra Kai uses a lot of 80s hard rock songs in the show and they weren’t kidding. Season one opens episode one with “Nothin’ But a Good Time” and what a way to kick off the series! It’s just a fun party song that makes you forget your troubles. So what if you don’t have enough money to pay rent, just enjoy life and do whatever it takes to get by!

5. “Kickstart My Heart” (1989) by Mötley Crüe – Season 3, Episode 2 “Nature vs. Nurture”

At Universal Studios Florida, there’s this roller coaster called “Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit,” where riders can select the song that plays while they’re on the coaster. Whenever I rode that coaster, I almost always chose “Kickstart My Heart” by Mötley Crüe. I think it fits “Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit” really well, especially when the coaster goes straight into the air at the beginning and builds anticipation for what’s to come next. Loudwire recalled that “Kickstart My Heart” was about Nikki Sixx being brought back to life by paramedics, after he was pronounced dead following a heroin overdose in the 80s.

4. “I Wanna Be Somebody” (1984) by W.A.S.P. – Season 3, Episode 7 “Obstáculos”

At the beginning of Cobra Kai’s season three, following his accident, Miguel felt that he’d never be able to walk again. But with Johnny’s help, he got back on his feet and regained his strength. Eventually, Miguel threw away both his wheelchair and crutches while walking in slow motion to “I Wanna Be Somebody.” The song title is a simple statement, yet, it’s so powerful and relatable. 

3. “Eye of the Tiger” (1982) by Survivor – Season 5, Episode 9 “Survivors”

According to American Songwriter, the origins of the song “Eye of the Tiger” started when Queen refused to let Sylvester Stallone use “Another One Bites the Dust” in Rocky III (1982). Stallone then turned to the band Survivor for a song, and the result was “Eye of the Tiger,” the article continued. Known for the big power chords mixed with the cymbal crashes at the beginning of the song, “Eye of the Tiger” has been used everywhere in pop culture, especially at boxing matches. One of my favorite scenes in Cobra Kai is when Johnny, Daniel, and Chozen (Yuji Okumoto) are drunkenly singing the song in the back of a limo during the show’s second to last episode of season five. 

2. “Switch 625” (1981) by Def Leppard – Season 4, Episode 10 “The Rise”

I went bananas when I heard “Switch 625” play at the end of Cobra Kai’s fourth season finale. First of all, Def Leppard is my favorite band ever. Second of all, I loved that Cobra Kai chose a song that’s not an obvious favorite among the band’s casual fans. I mean, they could’ve picked “Rock of Ages” or “Photograph,” but instead, they went with an instrumental written by the late great Steve Clark. “Switch 625” has a sick bass line and an infectious guitar riff, and it’s one of those songs where Def Leppard was still young and hungry.

1. “Runnin’ Wild” (2007) by Airbourne – Season 5, Episode 10 “Head of the Snake”

I was torn between two Airbourne songs for this post: “Back in the Game” and “Runnin’ Wild.” I went with the latter song because I loved the carefree and fast-paced energy of it. During Cobra Kai’s fifth season finale, “Runnin’ Wild” plays as Johnny regains his strength to take down Terry Silver’s (Thomas Ian Griffith) men. Play this song at the gym and you’ll feel brave enough to lift those weights you’ve been struggling with all week. It’s that kind of song!

There you have it, people! Those are 10 hard rock/heavy metal songs from Cobra Kai that’ll boost your confidence and make you feel like you’re on top of the world. You’ll be surprised at what a rocking song can do for a person!

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Take care and see ya real soon!

Lana