I mentioned this yesterday in our gift guide, but now it's official -- Harmonix and MTV have announced that Rock Band now has more than 1,000 songs available to play. That's more than 390 bands, according to the developer and publisher. 

Back in 2007 when I went to Harmonix's Boston studio to check out Rock Band, I was told they'd be releasing music as downloadable content every week. I smiled and nodded, but in the back of my head was thinking "You're full of sh*t." Two years later, I stand corrected. 

I'm a bit of a junkie myself, and just checked -- I have 711 songs (666 right before I exported the tracks from LEGO Rock Band). That's stupid, and it makes me a bit dizzy. But I'm sure some of you out there have them all. 

So tell us, how many playable Rock Band tracks do you have in your library?

Next week, Nirvana's Nevermind album sort of gets complete for the Rock Band catalog. The three "missing tracks" -- "Come As You Are," "Lithium," and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" -- are being made available as part of "Nirvana Pack 2." The catch? Two are live tracks.

Nirvana Pack 2 ($5.49/440 MS Points, $1.99/160 MS Points/200 Wii Points Per Track)

• "Come As You Are (Live from MTV Unplugged)" +
• "Lithium (Live at Reading)"
• "Smells Like Teen Spirit" 

Night Ranger Pack 1 ($5.49/440 MS Points, $1.99/160 MS Points/200 Wii Points Per Track)

• "(You Can Still) Rock in America" +
• "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" +
• "You're Gonna Hear It From Me"+

_{(The "+" indicates the song is also available for LEGO Rock Band)}

You might notice something is up with the Night Ranger pack... where the hell is "Sister Christian"? I suppose you have to save something for Rock Band 3, which should feature an entire section of your career dedicated to playing Night Ranger's most popular track (and one of the greatest songs of all time). Right? Right.

Every time that launch commercial for The Beatles: Rock Band makes an appearance, I'm always blown away by how fantastic it really is. I'm still not certain how the advertisement was crafted, although that's a good thing. It adds to the mystery.

As we inch closer to the holiday season, we'll be seeing less and less of that TV spot, and more of a new one devised to target, well, everyone. I was going to say "Christmas shoppers," but this is The Beatles we're talking about here.

Yes, this commercial is decidedly less rad. Even so, I think it will get the job done. Probably more relevant to your interests is the announcement of a new show centered around the game's development. "The Making of The Beatles: Rock Band" debuts Friday, November 27 on VH1 Classic at 7:30 EST.

I think I somehow have that channel. Sweet!

I think what most pleases me about the release of the "family friendly" LEGO Rock Band, it's that it opens up the platform to all kinds of pop nonsense we might not have ordinarily seen. By "nonsense," I mean stuff I have been secretly flooding Harmonix with requests for. 

Take Kelly Clarkson for instance -- girl can sing. Next week, "Miss Independent" comes to Rock Band, along with songs from "Sure, I'll put an exclamation point in my name" P!nk and Go-Go's.

Single tracks ($1.99/160 MS Points/200 Wii Points per track)

• Go-Go's "Our Lips Are Sealed" +
• Kelly Clarkson - "Miss Independent" +
• P!nk - "Who Knew" +

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live Anthology Pack 01 ($9.99/800 MS Points for the pack; $1.99/160 MS Points/200 Wii Points per track)

• "A Think About You (live)" +
• "American Girl (live)" 
• "Even the Losers (live)"
• "Here Comes My Girl (live") +
• "Mary Jane's Last Dance (live)"
• "Refugee (live)" +

_{(The "+" indicates the tracks is available available on both the Rock Band and the LEGO Rock Band music stores)}

Kelly Clarkson plus six live Tom Petty tracks? Time to stock up on MS Points. (Yes, you can make fun of me in the comments.)

In case you own The Beatles: Rock Band and for some reason don't know what Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band sounds like, Harmonix, MTV Games, and Apple Corp. would like to remind you.

That's what this little trailer is for, as the remaining tracks from the historic album will be available for Xbox 360 and Wii tomorrow, for 1080 MS Points, or 160 MS Points/200 Wii Points per song. PlayStation 3 owners can grab the tracks when PlayStation Network updates on Thursday, for $13.49, or $1.99 per song. 

The music sounds the way I remember it, and it looks pretty, too. Seems like a no-brainer purchase for fans of The Beatles and Rock Band, I'd say. 

If you thought that The Beatles: Rock Band downloadable content that was announced earlier today was the only time I'd be writing about Rock Band DLC today, you're wrong. Thank god, because seriously, I could write about this stuff all day. 

I joke, of course, because how many ways can you possibly say "These songs are coming to Rock Band next week?" Not many, but I've been doing it for like two years or something. So here's what I'll say about next week's DLC -- I kind of had a crush on Susanna Hoffs from The Bangles when I was a kid. I mean, she's totally awesome, right? Even with the big hair in the 80s, totally awesome. 

The Bangles - "Walk Like an Egyptian"+ ($1.99/160 MS Points/200 Wii Points)

AFI Pack 01 ($8.49/680 MS Points for the pack, $1.99/160 MS Points/200 Wii Points per track)
"Beautiful Thieves"
"End Transmission"
"Love Like Winter"
"Medicate"
"The Leaving Song Pt. II"

_{+ Indicates the song will be playable/downloadable in LEGO Rock Band.}

Fact: I have never had a crush on Davey Havok from AFI.

[Update: Here's another one for next week for the Xbox 360. Them Crooked Vultures -- a "supergroup" consisting of Davel Grohl, Josh Homme, and John Paul Jones -- will debut its song "New Fang" in Rock Band next week. It'll cost you 160 MS Points. 

The track is off their upcoming self-titled album, which is streaming live on the band's Web site, and basically rocks out a lot.

Wii owners get the song on November 24 (200 Wii Points), PS3 on December 3 ($1.99).] 

Next week, the second full album by The Beatles will be available for download for The Beatles: Rock Band, Harmonix/MTV Games/Apple Corp. announced today. 

The Beatles' 1967 record, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band will be available for download on November 17 (for Wii and Xbox 360; it hits PlayStation Network on November 19). The album will cost $13.49 (1080 MS Points), or $1.99 (160 MS Points/200 Wii Points).

Along with the tracks already on The Beatles: Rock Band disc (the album's title track, "With A Little Help From My Friends," "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds," "Getting Better," and "Good Morning Good Morning"), the following tracks will complete the record:

“Fixing A Hole,” “She’s Leaving Home,” “Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite!,” “Within You Without You,” “When I’m Sixty-Four,” “Lovely Rita,” “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)” and “A Day In The Life.”

It was also reiterated that Rubber Soul, the last of the announced DLC for The Beatles: Rock Band, will be released in December. Whether we'll see more is probably largely based on the success of what's already been  released.

The first bit of DLC for the title -- the single track, "All You Need Is Love" -- was downloaded more than 100,000 times from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace. Not a bad indicator that more DLC isn't entirely out of the question. What would you like to see next?  

Last Friday, we passed along information about this week's Rock Band Music Store update, which included The White Stripes, Kasabian, and The Damned. Well, surprise -- there's more. 

Today, three additional tracks appeared on the Rock Band Music Store -- Spongebob Squarepant's "A Day Like This," "Employee of the Month," and "Ridin' The Hook." Also known as "exactly what you've been waiting for since Rock Band was released in November of 2007."

This brings the total number of Spongebob songs in Rock Band up to (I believe) six, whereas the total number of playable Radiohead tracks is... two? And no Frank Zappa, Naked City, or Kelly Clarkson! What the hell, Harmonix?

[via Rock Band Aide]

Boston-based The Main Drag -- whose song "Jagged Gorgeous Winter" appeared in Rock Band 2 -- has announced its intentions to make nearly every song they've ever recorded playable in Rock Band. 

This, of course, by way of the Rock Band Network initiative. By "nearly every song" I mean the entirety of its album Yours As Fast As Mine and its upcoming third album, You Are Underwater. This shouldn't be much of a surprise -- the entire band works for Rock Band-developer Harmonix. 

You can sample a track from the upcoming album, "Dove Nets," on the song's official Web site. It features the adorable video for the track, as well as a playable game, Dove Invaders. See? This story is so relevant to your interests that it's ridiculous.

Speaking to the Chicago Tribune, Dhani Harrison has gone on the record to say that Rock Band 3 not only exists in some form, but that it's going to rock our worlds with hefty educational value.

"I'm working on Rock Band 3 and making the controllers more real so people can actually learn how to play music while playing the game. Give me a couple years, it’s going to happen."

Could Harmonix be taking us closer to this direction for the next rhythm game? Could be, if Harrison is to be believed. Considering his fairly recent and extensive involvement with The Beatles: Rock Band, I think he could be on to something here.

Or, by the time Rock Band 3 does see the light of day, what he's referring to now may have been scrapped altogether. We'll just have to wait and see, now won't we?

[Via G4TV -- Image: Rhapsody Blog]

With the release of LEGO Rock Band, this week marks the first Rock Band DLC announcement where Harmonix/MTV has to go out of its way to specify what and what is not going to be available for the "family-friendly" title.

This week, everything is appropriate for the little ones, except for The White Stripes "Icky Thump," a song that deals with the somewhat-sensitive topic of immigration... and opens up with a line about getting drunk. Okay, I see where they're going with this. 

Single song, $1.99/160 MS Points/200 Wii Points per track
The Damned - "Smash It Up (Part II)" +
Kasabian - "Club Foot" +

The White Stripes Pack 01 ($5.49/440 MS Points for the pack, $1.99/160 MS Points/200 Wii Points per track)
"Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" +
"Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine" +
"Icky Thump" 

_{("+" indicates the song is LEGO Rock Band friendly)}

If I wasn't a millionaire, I'd personally probably pass on most of next week's tracks. But since I installed that Ion Drum Rocker kit on the Rock Band deck of my yacht, my hand is forced to purchase them all. Which of these things will you be buying, if any at all?

Brian May's signature hair had to be nothing short of perfect for his appearance in LEGO Rock Band.

Speaking to Yahoo! News UK, the Queen guitarist said "I think my LEGO character is wonderful. I want one. We had discussions about the hair, there were a few emails. They had to negotiate to use my likeness, but it's a nice thing."

For once, a musician was actually happy about their portrayal in a videogame. As phenomenal as Queen looks in LEGO Rock Band, I can see why. Better yet, Def Leppard's Joe Elliott called May to say "he was pissed off because they didn't make one of him."

A story like that's gotta be true.

[Via Eurogamer]

Need a frost-free jacket for your toddler? Want to get LEGO Rock Band free? Well, set your alarms and find your nearest Old Navy, because have I got a deal for you!

In the Black Friday ad uncovered by blackfriday.info, it appears that Old Navy will give you a copy of LEGO Rock Band for free if you spend $20 in their store on the biggest shopping day of the year. Yes, absolutely free. Buy four fleece tops? Free LEGO Rock Band. A pair of jeans and a graphic t-shirt? Free LEGO Rock Band! While supplies last, of course, and with Old Navy opening up at a ridiculous 3 o'clock in the morning, you should psych yourself up accordingly.

But the Old Navy/Rock Band promotional goodness doesn't stop there. It looks like you'll be able to just head into the store on Thanksgiving (yes, they'll be open at noon on Thursday) and play the game if you want; no purchase necessary. And if you like it, you can buy a copy of Rock Band 2 right there in the store and get a guitar for free. I hear you asking "WTF?" and I respond "Go where the deals are, my friend."

Also, pick me up one of those $15 sweaters -- they look comfy. 

From now until January 1, you can get down with your economically conscious self thanks to a deal from Harmonix. Valid at most retailers where you would normally buy videogames from, the Rock Band 2 Special Edition bundle for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 has temporarily dropped down to a slim $99.

Whether you want to get a Christmas present for a distant relative as the family's one true responsible gamer (Petz? Puh-leeze), or you just plain need to upgrade your music game peripheral collection to the Rock Band 2 standard, it's a mighty fine deal to be had.

The header picture? Oh, it's relevant. I'm not going to explain how it's relevant, but believe me when I say that it surely is.