Okay, so here I am again, with another surely polarizing and hate inducing post about Rock Band. My last blog detailed 15 keyboard heavy songs that would be a good fit in the game, but in this one I'm just putting 25 songs that would highlight all of the new features put in the game, as well as a couple songs that just would be fun to play. Read on, and leave all hate in the comments.

(Seriously though, thanks for being generally good sports about this you guys. I know music can be a VERY opinionated subject, and I'm glad to see everyone that's commented on my blogs so far have been a very understanding bunch. Stay classy folks.)



1) Heart- Magic Man


It's an absolute crime that we have not seen any Heart in Rock Band yet. And while they have wound up in Guitar Hero twice, it's always puzzled me- why has such a wonderful band not made it to the superior product yet? Especially with this song, a song that's pretty much a staple of most classic rock playlists. It's got it all- memorable riffs, a singalong chorus that nobody can ignore, and a guitar solo that perfectly balances that edge between fun and difficult. And did I mention it features one of the best harmonizing vocal lines in rock and roll history?

2) Lynyrd Skynyrd- I Know A Little


I'm not gonna lie...I really don't like Lynyrd Skynyrd. I understand their importance, but they're just not my thing. Simple Man was overrated, Sweet Home Alabama was overplayed, and Freebird was overrated AND overplayed. But this song however? This song is the exception. A southern-rock powerhouse track, this is sure to kick the ass of even the most hardened guitarists, not to mention that keyboard. Dear lord, that keyboard. This track would easily be the 'boss song' of the game for the new peripheral, not to mention just all out fun to play on any instrument.

3) Fleetwood Mac- The Chain


Another classic song, this song has always struck an emotional chord with me. The haunting harmonies, the heavy lyrics, and that memorable "If you don't love me now, then you'll never love me again" chorus. But the best part of the song? The chill-enducing breakdown. Once that bass kicks in through the silence, the guitar starts to shred, and that inimitable "The Chain will keep us together" chant echoes through the speakers, you're practically overcome by the emotions the song illicits. Put this song in the game, PLEASE.

4) New Order- True Faith


I know, my other RB3 list was very new wave heavy. However, I neglected to mention one of the greatest new wave groups of all time, and that's a wrong I had to right. And I know, they have another, far more popular song that would probably prove better for the game, but the fact of the matter is this song just doesn't get enough love and, thanks to a rather well-done cover by Anberlin, this song has gained relevance lately, making now the best time to put it in the game.

5) Rush- Caravan


Hey! Did you guys know Rush has a new song out? Did you know it's from an album that comes out in 2011? Does any of this sound eerily familiar to the whole Chinese Democracy situation from Rock Band 2? Now, I'll admit. This song doesn't have any fancy keyboard, or harmonies, but it does have one thing the rest of the songs on this list doesn't: it's fucking Rush. And, even in this day and age, the golden boys of Canada still have the magic. Though they may have acquired a bit of a heavier edge over the years, they still know how to craft some amazing music. Wouldn't it be awesome if all that amazing music from the album made it to Rock Band 3?

6) David Bowie- Changes


CH-CH-CHAAAANGEES!! As anyone that knows me well enough would tell you, I am a massive David Bowie fan, to the point where I would say he's the greatest musician ever. And while this isn't exactly my favorite song by him, this would be a perfect fit for the game, thanks mainly to that dominating piano line. Not to mention, it'd be funny to watch vocalists trip up at the off-kilter vocal delivery present during the chorus.

7) Beastie Boys- Intergalactic


I know what you're thinking...it has no guitar. The bass is barely there. It has one very boring organesque piano sample and a drum beat. This wouldn't work at all. Well you know what I have to say to that? Fuck. And. That. Thanks to the advent of harmonies, this could be the PERFECT get-drunk-and-get-down track for three vocalists. Imagine three guys, callin' back, dropping rhymes, trying to imitate the poses from the video. For that alone, I think this song deserves to be in the game.

8) Beck- Where It's At


Ah, Beck. I would be lying if I didn't think of this song due only because of the backing piano sample, but that's just one of the many good things about this song. A fun to play drum beat (With a solo, no less), Beck's always-obscure-but-never-boring lyrics, and even some basic harmonies. Not to mention it's just a fun song to listen to. And hey, there's a guarantee that this will be more fun on guitar then the other Beck track we got.

9) Sonic Youth- Bull In The Heather


Okay, I admit. This song doesn't have an amazing guitar riff. No funky, plucky bass line. No harmonies. No piano. It's got a decent drum beat, but a very repetitive one nonetheless. And the vocals are good, but they're not something amazing in this song. So why this song? Because, when you combine it all together, it just makes for one hell of a song that greatly exceeds the sum of it's parts. Add a digital Kathleen Hanna dancing on the stage during the song Harmonix, and you've got magic on your hands.

10) Alkaline Trio- Time To Waste


I'm pretty sure everybody is going to hate this song, I'm not going to lie. I hardly know any people that know who this band even is, let alone people that actually like them. But me personally, as well as my girlfriend, we both love this band...so naturally, we've been chomping at the bit for a chance to play one of their songs in the game. The advent of the keyboard controller and harmonizing vocals suddenly makes this more possible then ever before, thanks to this song. Sure, it's from the time when they stopped being an amazing pop-punk band and started being a really good alternative band with some darker punk leanings, but it's still a great song nonetheless, and a song I'd love to see in the game.

11) Dethklok- Hatredcopter


Guitar Hero got a Dethklok song, so why can't we? And while Bloodlines is an amazing choice, I don't want to see the same song in both games, hence why I choose this one. It's hard as hell and will certainly fill the spot of "That WTF-hard metal song that everyone wants to play but nobody can play well", and is one of the few songs you'll find from the 'band' that features harmonies- in this occasion, entire lines sang by drummer/former Snakes N' Barrels vocalist Pickles. A perfect choice for the band if ever I saw one.

12) Pendulum- Propane Nightmares


Pendulum is, admittedly, an odd choice for a game that isn't DJ Hero. However, as one of the most prominent electronic acts around, as well as one of the few to still stick to instruments, they're just dying to be presented in a video game. And this song is a perfect display of what makes them great- amped up drum beats, slamming guitar and bass rhythms, and an awesome display of vocal/keyboard double duties that all combine to make a simply great song, electronic or otherwise.

13) Avenged Sevenfold- Little Piece Of Heaven


I know, I know, I know- "Avenged Sevenfold? What the fuck man, you suck." Well, whatever. This song is about as un-Avenged Sevenfold as it gets, taking on a boldly theatrical tone, complete with a choir of singers, piano, trumpets, violins, the whole nine yards. It's a darkly humorous song lyrically, telling a tale that I honestly never even noticed until the music video. Gameplay wise though, it would fit in perfectly- the background harmonies, the piano, the shifts to the drummer singing, everything. This has the potential to be one of the most 7-man band songs in the game.

14) Blood Brothers- Peacock Skeleton With Crooked Feathers


Alright, another love 'em/hate 'em band that I'm sure nobody other then me enjoys. An incredibly frantic group, this shows the Blood Brothers arguably at their best, and is a perfect entry course into just what their music entails- a fast, catchy Casio beat, dueling vocals, rapid, frantic changes in the rhythm, and an all around frenzy of madness that few other bands can pull off. It'd probably fall in to the "Visions" category of "This shit isn't music" to most people, but I personally think it'd be an excellent addition to the game for the people willing to give it a shot.

15) Against Me!- Miami


First off- ignore the video, just listen to the song. It's a fan video. Moving right along, this is another band like Alkaline Trio, where I don't know many people that know who these guys are, but they're one of my favorite bands ever, so much so that I even have a tattoo based on their first album on my back. Now, avid Rock Band players will notice that two of their songs are in the game already, but those two songs were after they took a drastic change in their sound, moving from ultra-frenzied folk-punk anthems to more of a alt-punk sound with intense lyrical messages. This song comes from the more of a middle ground between the two, when they were starting to slow down a bit but still had a bit of their signature sound left over.

16) Paper Tongues- Trinity


I just recently started listening to these guys, and I gotta say I'm a real big fan so far. Discovered out of North Carolina by the world famous Randy "Yo Dawg" Jackson, these boys attempt to fuse their different musical backgrounds of hip-hop, soul, funk, and alternative into it's own magnificent beast, with beautiful results. And while they have another song (Ride To California) that would arguably be more fun to play, I picked this song mainly because of the heartfelt vocal delivery and the standout keyboard line during the chorus.

17) Klaxons- Gravity's Rainbow


Man...am I the only one that liked these guys? Another not-so-popular band, these New Ravers from the other side of the water bring their own brand of frantic chaos to the scene themselves, combining many elements to form their own unique sound before suddenly disappearing for three years. One of their more popular tracks (And their first single), it also has all the staples of a good showcase for the new features. And, ya know, I'd actually like to see some other people figure out who these guys are.

18) The XX- Crystalised


This band here? I think I just discovered them like...four, five days ago. And while it's a very slow, typically mopey indie track, it's also a great beginner's entrance into the harmonies, and just a hauntingly enchanting song to listen to. Easy doesn't always equate to boring, so long as the song in question is good enough. Not to mention this could easily be the voxtar song of choice for the game.

19) Nine Inch Nails- Every Day Is Exactly The Same


Yes, another easy, kind of boring song. But this is another track that could be used to warm people into the new keyboard peripheral rather well, not to mention the appeal of Nine Inch Nails is kind of hard to top. And while it's not the best choice from them for another game, this has always been one of my favorites by them for the bleak, hopeless sound the song portrays, and I'm all for that sort of thing in a video game.


20) Outkast- Bombs Over Baghdad


I will make this clear- if you don't like the idea of this song being in a video game, then I'm afraid we can't be friends anymore. This song is absolutely perfect for a game like Rock Band. It's got the frenetic drums, it's got the guitar (Not to mention the guitar SOLO), and hell, it even has a bit of keyboard in it. But what really makes this so perfect, is being able to get two guys up there and doing their own Big Boi and Andre 3000. Harmonix said that they were open to the idea of hip-hop making it to Rock Band...well, put this song in and prove it.


21) MGMT- Flash Delirium


Taken from my favorite new album to come out this year, this song is another excellent display of harmonies, brought about by a band that many have hoped would appear in a rhythm game for quite some time. Luckily, their new album features a more stripped down, 60's-70's esque psychedelic sound, making it all the more likely that it could actually happen. Not to mention, this songs eventual devolution into madness would be a pretty fun thing to play.

22) Justice- D.A.N.C.E


What's that? More dance music? Hell yeah more dance music. The standout track by the two frenchman that aren't Daft Punk, this song has all the right qualities to be made into a playable Rock Band track. How could you not have a smile on your face by singing such charming lyrics? Not to mention the fact that, in the chase for branching out and getting diverse artists and genres in-game, the realm of dance music is practically untouched...so what would it take to be able to do the D.A.N.C.E in Rock Band?


23) Brick- Dazz


Speaking of genres, if there's one thing Rock Band needs more of, it's the funk. We're not content to one single 3-pack...we need more. And what better song then Dazz? It brings the funk in spades, and brings it with keyboards and harmonies to boot. Play this song at a party and everyone's almost guaranteed to dance.


24) The Gap Band- You Dropped A Bomb On Me


Another awesome funk track, and probably my personal favorite of all time. I never was able to explain why I love this song so much, but whatever it is I just can't stop listening to it again and again and again. Not much to say about this, it's simply a great song.

25) The Roots- The Seed (2.0)


And ending this list is another hip-hop songs by one of the best acts in the genre. I know that not many people have a fond respect for hip-hop (A certain comment section from a Def Jam Rapstar post comes to mind), but this is one of those bands that I can't really imagine anybody hating. It's got a simple guitar line yes, but this could easily be one of the most fun and versatile vocal tracks in the game, especially if they did it as harmonies. Plus, who doesn't wanna see a man with a giant afro playing drums?



Aaaaand there you have it, 25 more picks from my personal collection of bad music tastes, for you guys to pick apart. I'm probably going to hold off from doing another one of these, seeing as how I've pretty much suggested enough songs to fill up the rest of the track list at this point...so, sound off in the comments, tell me how wrong I am, and I hope to see you all for Stereotoid!

AND DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE DEBUT OF STEREOCAST!!!!(Shameless Plug)