Nostalgia is a big part of what makes Cobra Kai such a successful hit, and the writers know full well when to capitalize on it to tug at the heartstrings, or make fun of it for the sake of some good-natured humor. Of course, this meant injecting the series with plenty of classic hard rock and pop hits from the 1980s, which are a bit part of that feeling.
Cobra Kai has managed to secure the rights to quite a few excellent hard rock songs from days gone by, and they're the perfect way to introduce entire new generations of kids to some of the most incredible and powerful music ever written. Here's to hoping that season 5 continues the trend, and further draws upon hard rock's incredible back catalogue.
"Lay It Down" - Ratt (Season 1, Episode 3)
Ratt's signature brand of 80s hair metal was arguably distinct from the countless copycats of the time period, and that's one of the reasons why they're still held in such high regard today. Cobra Kai did feature the band's biggest hit "Round and Round," but "Lay It Down" felt much more fresh, especially in the context of the scene.
It starts off with an aerial shot Los Angeles, which was considered the hard rock sanctuary of the 1980s, and moves into Miguel's apartment, where he's busy practicing karate moves with the song playing in the background. This not only shows that Miguel is into karate, but he's also been taken in by the powerful sounds of 1980s heavy metal.
"Don't Look Back" - Boston (Season 1, Episode 6)
Audiences got an inside peek at Johnny Lawrence's childhood at the beginning of "Quiver," the sixth episode in season 1. He's shown stepping outside of his housed with a Sony Walkman, and bicycling his way through an affluent neighborhood, until he stumbles upon a karate dojo run by one the Cobra Kai's biggest villains.
Boston was considered one of the kings of 1970s rock, and one of the few bands capable of duplicating their ultra-amplified and multi-layered harmonies in live format. "Don't Look Back" is one of their most fantastic hits, and a great track to start their 1978 second album off with.
"I Want It All" - Queen (Season 1, Episode 10)
This was a great song to kick off the final episode of season 1 with, by giving audiences some idea of the weight of the All Valley Karate Tournament. The sequence shows the venue being set up, with students warming up and training in the background, until it cuts to the Cobra Kai title logo.
Queen has always been one of the definitive classic rock bands, mixing hard rock with an orchestral approach to songwriting. Songs like "I Want It All" go straight for the gut of the listener, as do most of the songs in their eclectic catalogue.
"Here I Go Again" - Whitesnake (Season 2, Episode 8)
One of Whitesnake's biggest and best hits was undoubtedly "Here I Go Again," which is featured in the season 2 episode "Glory of Love." In this case, it's meant to show just where Johnny Lawrence's head is at regarding his love interest, Miguel's beautiful mother Carmen.
While still asleep in bed, Lawrence dreams about confronting Carmen at her door, and making a bold move on her, which leads straight into a typical 1980s hard rock music video. It's hilarious, heartwarming, cringeworthy and nostalgic, all rolled into one.
"Kickstart My Heart" - Mötley Crüe (Season 3, Episode 2)
Daniel and Johnny had one of their funniest moments together when they teamed up to track down a Dodge Caravan stolen by Robby. They spot it at a gas station, at which point Johnny leaps into Daniel's expensive Audi, forcing him to ride shotgun.
The ensuing chase is one of Johnny Lawrence's funniest scenes in season 3, showing him weaving in an out of traffic, running red lights, and dinging Daniel's mirror, all to the tune of Mötley Crüe's hyper-powerful "Kickstart My Heart" playing in the background.
"The Kids Are Back" - Twisted Sister (Season 3, Episode 5)
In order to get Miguel motivated to walk again, he decides to drag him to a Twisted Sister concert where Dee Snyder and co. are busy cranking out a live rendition of "The Kids Are Back," one of their absolute-best hits. It isn't long before Miguel's paralyzed foot starts tapping to the beat, signifying that he's getting better.
The only caveat with the live performance of the song was the fact that it had to be played a step down from the original, perhaps so Snyder could hit the higher notes, due to his age. Nevertheless, it was a great scene for fans of 1980s heavy metal, and Twisted Sister in general.
"You've Got Another Thing Coming" - Judas Priest (Season 4, Episode 1)
Things got off to a hard rock start in season 4 when diehard Cobra Kai rivals Johnny and Daniel decided to team up, and teach both sets of students their respective karate styles. It didn't go according to plan, however, and the students soon found themselves struggling to deal with two sensei who were definitely not on the same page.
In the background was Judas Priest's heavy metal hit "You've Got Another Thing Coming," from the landmark album "Screaming for Vengeance." It's the perfect song to encapsulate the situation, as well. If audiences thought it would be smooth sailing between these two rivals, they definitely had another thing coming.
"Two Heads Are Better Than One" - Power Tool (Season 4, Episode 3)
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure gets a nod with this song that plays at the beginning of "Then Learn Fly," the third episode of season 4. The premise is simple - focus on Daniel and Johnny co-teaching their students in their respective karate styles. It's a funny and heartwarming montage designed to make longtime Karate Kid fans smile.
In between the fight choreography, Daniel and Johnny are seen bonding as best they can, trading food and techniques in equal measure. And of course, it's an excuse for Johnny to sip a beer during meditation, before poking fun at Daniel's crane kick from the first film. The scene ends with Daniel and Johnny fist-bumping each other after a hard day's work, which fans have wanted to see for years.
"Burning Heart" - Survivor (Season 4, Episode 5)
In preparation for his big fight with Daniel, Johnny decided to bust out his Sony Walkman, don the headphones, and get back to some good old fashioned training. His song of choice was "Burning Heart" by Survivor, best known as the song played overtop of Rocky Balboa's training montage in Rocky IV.
It's a fantastic song with a lot of heart and emotion, and it's hard not to root for Johnny as he moves from one sequence to the next, lifting weights, doing cardio, and punching through solid objects. However, things fall apart when he begins kicking other people's mailboxes, stealing beachballs from people, and trashing their scooters out of anger. Thankfully, that training led to one of the best fights in Cobra Kai to date.
"Switch 625" - Def Leppard (Season 4, Episode 10)
The surprising events leading up to the end of season 4 meant that the entire story has changed from hereon out. Not only has Terry Silver strong-armed Cobra Kai away from John Kreese in one of season 4's most shocking scenes, but he has the All Valley Karate Tournament win under his belt, further fueling his ambitions.
Daniel brought in Chozen to help him take on Silver, as shown in the final shot of the last episode. To play up the raised stakes, Def Leppard's "Switch 625" from their classic album "High and Dry" served as the background song, which played overtop of the end credits. It was a dynamite tune to end the season with.