GTA: The Trilogy won't have Billie Jean, Express Yourself, and other iconic songs

The three iconic Grand Theft Auto games, featured in GTA: The Trilogy, are rightfully considered videogame classics for a myriad of reasons; be it the near-perfecting of the open-world world genre, pioneering of many modern video game standards, or legendary characters and stories.

But aside from the aforementioned accolades, the GTA games were always known for their phenomenal soundtracks, featuring absolute bangers and more importantly, contemporary hits from when the games are set.

The carefully curated list of radio songs for GTA games is a big part of the charm, and the atmosphere in GTA games wouldn't be the same without them.

With that in mind, it's understandable that the biggest fear amongst fans, when it comes to the remastered trilogy, was the question of whether Rockstar would be willing to pay the licence fees for all songs featured in the originals to again appear in the remasters, and unfortunately, the answer to that is: no.

Rockstar confirms the removal of some songs from GTA: The Trilogy

Rockstar, the renowned developer behind the GTA franchise, didn't directly confirm that some songs from the original will be omitted in the remasters, rather they said that "Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition's iconic listings match the most recent release of the original versions (from 2014) – with no new changes," adding that the game will launch with "more than 200 songs across 29 pioneering radio stations."

Reading between the lines, this means that radio stations in GTA: The Trilogy will be left without over 40 songs that were originally featured in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002) and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004), because those songs were already missing in the latest versions of the originals (those published in 2014), when Rockstar patched out over 40 songs due to licensing issues.

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All the songs featured in Grand Theft Auto III (2001) will still be there, but gone are days of headbanging while listening to Rage Against the Machine's Killing in the Name in San Andreas, or wiggling in your chair while Michael Jackson is singing Billie Jean.

Check out below the full list of songs that are missing in GTA: The Trilogy

All removed songs from GTA Trilogy

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City 

• 2 Live Crew - Get It Girl
• ABC - Poison Arrow
• Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force - Looking for the Perfect Beat
• Alcatrazz - God Blessed Video
• Aneka - Japanese Boy
• Animotion - Obsession
• The Buggles - Video Killed the Radio Star
• The Cult - She Sells Sanctuary
• The Fixx - One Thing Leads to Another
• Gary Numan - Cars
• Herbie Hancock - Rockit
• Irakere - Añunga Ñunga
• Joe Jackson - Steppin' Out
• John Waite - Missing You
• Kate Bush - Wow
• Lionel Richie - Running with the Night
• Love Fist - Fist Fury
• Loverboy - Working for the Weekend
• Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
• Michael Jackson - Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
• Ozzy Osbourne - Bark at the Moon
• Quiet Riot - Cum On Feel the Noize
• Sigue Sigue Sputnik - Love Missile F1-11
• Trouble Funk - Pump Me Up
• Tyrone Brunson - The Smurf

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

• 2Pac (ft. Pogo) - I Don't Give a Fuck
• Augustus Pablo - King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown
• The Blackbyrds - Rock Creek Park
• Black Harmony - Don't Let It Go to Your Head
• Blood Sisters - Ring My Bell
• Bobby Byrd - Hot Pants - I'm Coming, I'm Coming, I'm Coming
• Bobby Byrd - I Know You Got Soul
• Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band - Express Yourself
• Fatback Band - Yum Yum (Gimme Some)
• Gap Band - You Dropped a Bomb on Me
• George Clinton - Loopzilla
• James Brown - Funky President (People It's Bad)
• James Brown - The Payback
• The JB's - The Grunt
• Joe Cocker - Woman to Woman
• Lyn Collins - Rock Me Again and Again and Again and Again and Again and Again
• Maceo & The Macks - Soul Power 74
• N.W.A. - Express Yourself
• Ozzy Osbourne - Hellraiser
• Rage Against the Machine - Killing in the Name
• Roy Ayers - Running Away
• Tom Petty - Runnin' Down a Dream

Not everything is bad news, though, as enjoyers of high-quality music will be delighted to hear that the songs featured in the trilogy are remastered as well.

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Be on the lookout because we will bring you the latest news and tips on GTA V and GTA Online in our dedicated section.

Featured image courtesy of Rockstar.