Rock Band (1)

It's about time I covered the setlist from the game that took the next step in the rhythm game evolution started by Harmonix with Guitar Hero (and also continued by Harmonix with their new franchise). Much like previous setlist blog posts, I'll be going through each song and awarding a Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down based on whether I thought the song had a fun guitar chart, whether the song belonged in the game (due to sound and popularity) and finally, whether I actually like the song myself. NOTE: I'll only be discussing songs from the main setlist in this post, not the EU/Wii exclusive tracks or bonus on-disc songs.
Sooner or later I'm going to run out of these big-name rhythm games and will have to talk about setlists from third party titles or cruddy little Indie games with music in them...until then, let's look at this 2007 setlist!

"Are You Gonna Be My Girl" - Jet
First song in and we're off to a decent start! Sure, this track may be completely inspired by "Lust For Life" - Iggy Pop but the guitar has a fun rhythm and the charting of the chords is pretty fun too. The "solo" at the end is kinda weak but at the end of the day, you've got a popular, catchy song with fun guitar, great vocals, presumably some decent drumming and a great bass intro. It's a perfect all-rounder, which is a slam-dunk for this band based game. THUMBS UP.

"Ballroom Blitz" - Sweet
Our first WaveGroup Sound (?) cover in this game and it's not bad. It's nowhere near as good as the original but the chart is more fun as a result (and I say this having played what sounds like a fairly accurate chart on Clone Hero so I know exactly what I'm talking about). It's Sweet's most popular song and it doesn't sound too focused on one particular instrument, another great choice for the game. Whilst there are plenty of Sweet songs I would love to play on guitar for their awesome potential, I'm glad Harmonix did this classic justice. THUMBS UP.

"Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden
I hate this song. Dreary, dull, boring, all the appropriate synonyms to describe Chris Cornell moaning along to terrible guitar riffs and slow percussion. Whilst it might be one of Soundgarden's signature songs, it's a shitty choice for Rock Band if you want a fun party song or a fun challenging track. Solo aside, the guitar is simple and even if the solo has some fun shreddy bits, it sounds like complete crap. Just an all-round terrible song that should've been "Spoonman", "Rusty Cage" or one of Soundgarden's other songs that isn't terrible. THUMBS DOWN.

"Blitzkrieg Bop" - Ramones
A pretty straightforward track and an iconic Punk hit. Even if it's mostly chords and strumming on guitar, the vocals are probably quite fun in party scenarios and the need for "easy" songs is necessary in any rhythm game to establish a difficulty curve. THUMBS UP for being a short little track for beginners that actually belongs in a game called Rock Band, unlike some of the easier songs we'll be looking at later on.

"Celebrity Skin" - Hole
Eww, Courtney Love. I understand the need for songs with female vocalists to appeal to a wider variety of gamers but come on, Hole? Couldn't find any better bands to license like Heart, Paramore, Blondie, Halestorm, Jefferson Airplane, L7, Fleetwood Mac or Pretenders? The fact that the guitar chart is pretty repetitive doesn't help either so this song earns a THUMBS DOWN.

"Cherub Rock" - Smashing Pumpkins
One of the many songs in-game that's shared with Guitar Hero 3: Legends Of Rock, released in the same year as Rock Band. As far as charts go, this song's pretty damn fun on guitar! Great riffs, a solid little solo and a good amount of variety. I would even argue that this song is more fun in Rock Band because the Big Rock Ending kicks in before the annoying rapid strumming section so you don't have to worry about that when going for the FC. As for whether it's the right Smashing Pumpkins song to choose, of course it fucking is! It's the best Smashing Pumpkins song ever picked for a GH/RB game and it deserves a THUMBS UP.

"Creep" - Radiohead
On the one hand, this is one of Radiohead's biggest songs and it's probably got some appeal to vocalists. On the other, so is "Paranoid Android" and at least that has a great guitar solo and some beefy riffs to play. This song, though, has a weak guitar chart that's either dull strumming or ridiculous rapid strumming with no middle ground. Not a very fun one to play unless you love rapid strumming but I can't say it feels out of place in the game. This one comes down to a tiebreaker, which is do I generally like the song? The answer? THUMBS DOWN.

"Dani California" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Yes, perfect choice for Rock Band. Initially, this wasn't a song that I imagined would be very fun on guitar but after playing it, my mind was instantly changed. Awesome riffs, fun outro solo and arguably one of the greatest Rock songs of the current century, definitely one of the band's stronger entries. Plus, I bet it's perfect for the band too, what with Antony, Chad and Flea rocking away too. THUMBS UP.

"Dead On Arrival" - Fall Out Boy
Since I'm not a teenage girl who thinks life is soooooooooooooooo unfair, I'm not a fan of Fall Out Boy. That being said, this is actually a pretty decent song for Rock Band! I've played a few Fall Out Boy charts on GH/RB and this is by far the best. Fun riffs, a surprisingly decent solo and a fair amount of variety. I can appreciate the need to put more than just my favourite genres into a game designed to appeal to as many people as possible but I'm really glad Harmonix didn't just choose an obvious and dull Fall Out Boy song for the game. THUMBS UP.

"Detroit Rock City" - KISS
Simple guitar chart? Yes. Great song? Hell yes. There are a lot of KISS tracks out there that could've been picked (and were picked for GH/GH DLC) but I'm glad they went for one that was a bit heavier and had some relatively simple but fun guitar. However, it's clear that the main appeal here are the other instruments. Bass, drums and vocals shine in this track, making for a fun party song and a worthy addition to Rock Band. THUMBS UP.

"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - Blue Oyster Cult
A Classic Rock staple with an iconic riff makes this perfect for Rock Band, although the guitar isn't exactly the most fun you could have with Blue Oyster Cult. With the addition of extended sustains, this song probably would've been more fun on Guitar Hero but the track itself feels like more of a Rock Band choice. Sure, there are other great Blue Oyster Cult songs to pick (such as the one from GH3) and maybe "Burnin' For You" would've been just as good in this game but I'm still giving it a THUMBS UP for being a great song with a decent, if not slightly underwhelming, chart.

"Electric Version" - The New Pornographers
Indie Rock chordfest with a cute melody and some repetitive guitar. I remember having a lot more fun with this song when I first played it compared to when I revisited it on Rock Band 4. Once again, this song choice was likely due to the other instruments over guitar, although it's hardly a well known track or band that screams "I should be playable in Rock Band!". There are other Indie bands/songs out there that would've been more fun, therefore THUMBS DOWN.

"Enter Sandman" - Metallica
One of the few Metallica songs in Rock Band due to Activision's exclusivity deal (hence why it's not exportable to other Rock Band games). Since it's arguably Metallica's most well known song to casual audiences whilst still containing plenty of fun guitar sections, it makes sense to include this track in the first Rock Band game instead of something more demanding like "Battery" or "Master Of Puppets". That being said, they did chart a harder solo than the Guitar Hero: Metallica version so if you're after more of a challenge, you've always got this chart. THUMBS UP.

"Epic" - Faith No More
Can't stand this song, not gonna lie. It was enough to turn me off Faith No More for years when I first played it and even though it's one of their biggest songs with a fairly fun guitar chart, I couldn't stand played it at all. The horrible faux-Beastie Boys vocals, the piano outro you have to sit through, it just wasn't enjoyable for me. However, I accept that that's down to personal taste and an objective eye can tell that there's nothing inherently wrong with this song choice or chart. Perhaps it would've been better saved for Rock Band 3 but whatever, as much as I want to shit on it, I can't really. THUMBS UP.

"Flirtin' With Disaster" - Molly Hatchet
It's a crying shame we never got more Molly Hatchet in GH/RB. This chart is hugely entertaining from start to finish with fun riffs, a great solo and plenty of variety. It feels like Harmonix went out of their way to chart this in a way that was deliberately more fun on guitar too (due to the overuse of HOPOs) and even if this wasn't Molly Hatchet's biggest song, it would still earn a THUMBS UP for being a hoot & a half. By the way, if anyone from Harmonix or any Clone Hero charters are reading this, I recommend the Molly Hatchet songs "Bounty Hunter", "Boogie No More", "The Rambler" and the studio original of "Fall Of The Peacemakers" if you want more fun guitar.

"Foreplay/Long Time" - Boston
Anything off the Boston debut album is a solid choice but "Foreplay/Long Time"? Oh man, you went right for the best choice. Most people would probably argue that "More Than A Feeling" and "Peace Of Mind" are the better known tracks to go for but come on, people know those songs. Give them a Boston track that's fun AND underrated! This seven-minute Classic Rock piece of perfection starts off a little dull with chords and strumming but the blend of great riffs and fun solos throughout make this not just an ace song to play single player but also a fantastic party jam. The only downside to this being in Rock Band instead of Guitar Hero is that the outro solo we get to hear for the first time is wasted on a Big Rock Ending whereas the full solo would've been charted on GH. Still though, I cannot fault this song's inclusion. THUMBS UP.

"Gimme Shelter" - The Rolling Stones
Ladies and gentlemen, the ONLY Rolling Stones song in a Rock Band game and it's not the worst choice in the world. It's a classic tune from the band's best decade (60s) and the guitar isn't all bad, even if it is a little dull for the most part. Whilst there are plenty of well known songs by The Rolling Stones that could've been more fun such as "It's All Over Now", "Jumpin' Jack Flash", "The Last Time"...OK, maybe that last one would be a bit repetitive too, but my point is that "Gimme Shelter" belongs in RB along with the majority of 60s Rolling Stones songs. In fact, I would even argue that The Rolling Stones belong in Rock Band more than Guitar Hero, although that was never going to happen with Bobby Kotick running the show at Activision. THUMBS UP.

"Go With The Flow" - Queens Of The Stone Age
Oh hey, a QOTSA song with a load of chord strumming and sustains. Another track that clearly wasn't meant for guitarists although it doesn't mean that the guitar has to be this fucking boring.  At this point in time, there were barely any QOTSA songs in GH/RB. "No One Knows" and "3s & 7s" were the only ones, leaving "Sick, Sick, Sick", "Little Sister", "In My Head" and "Burn The Witch", along with a bunch of deep cuts/filler tracks that could probably be justified due to the popularity of the band at the time. THUMBS DOWN.

"Green Grass And High Tides" - The Outlaws
Another cover and my God, this one is fantastic. Apparently, Steve Ouimette did the guitar in this song and if that's the case, he absolutely nailed it. I've talked about this cover before, stating that it's impressive that the band perfectly recreated the lengthy solos practically note-for-note, but now it's time to focus on the quality of the chart too. From start to finish, this nine-minute Southern Rock epic keeps you entertained with great HOPO riffs, varied solos and some neat little strumming patterns. Once again, you can tell that it's been charted to be more fun on guitar but that doesn't mean it's not a perfect final boss for the game. Even though it's not a hugely iconic Southern Rock track like "Free Bird", it certainly belongs in the game and I can't imagine Rock Band without it. THUMBS UP.

"Here It Goes Again" - OK Go
One of the first songs in the game and hey, I don't mind it. It picked up steam online due to the fun treadmill music video and even though the chart's nothing special, it makes for a fun party song to play which is the best you can hope for when dealing with songs in the earlier phase of the difficulty curve. Plus, the song arguably works on multiple levels when you imagine it as a comment from Harmonix about them starting a brand new music game franchise after creating Guitar Hero. THUMBS UP.

"Highway Star" - Deep Purple
Whilst I absolutely adore this song and enjoy playing it in Rock Band, part of me wishes that this song was in Guitar Hero instead of Rock Band. You know they would've charted the organ solo on guitar with tap notes whilst Harmonix just let you strum along to the rhythm. Yeah, the guitar's not the greatest in this song. Repetitive chords and strumming until the solo which is largely just sustains until the rapid strumming bit. Hey, at least every other instrument (especially bass) is insanely fun, which makes it a valid inclusion in Rock Band. Factor in that this is one of Deep Purple's more famous songs that ISN'T "Smoke On The Water" and it earns a comfortable THUMBS UP.

"I Think I'm Paranoid" - Garbage
Returning back to the earlier stages of the difficulty curve and you end up with this Garbage track...as in a track by the band Garbage. The song's pretty good, actually. Mostly sustains and chords but as mentioned, it's not meant to be a challenging one on guitar. It still has some fun aspects to it and it's probably the best Garbage song I've played in GH/RB so THUMBS UP, especially when compared to the Hole song from earlier.

"In Bloom" - Nirvana
Boring. Boring boring boring boring, even though it's early on in the game that doesn't excuse it from being booooooooooooring. "Heart Shaped Box", "Come As You Are", "Lithium", "Breed", all far superior Nirvana tracks to play for the whole band INCLUDING the guitarist. THUMBS DOWN.

"Learn To Fly" - Foo Fighters
I've talked about how Scrubs ruined this song for me but before I watched that episode, I played the song on Rock Band and loved it. It's a basic chart with some variety throughout but I would argue this song is the perfect choice for Rock Band. Not too taxing on your fingers, a gentle song to listen to with a punchy chorus for vocalists to belt out, definitely a party song with a slightly inflated difficulty tier to accommodate the need of single players. A calculated choice that paid off handsomely. THUMBS UP.

"Main Offender" - The Hives
Regardless of your opinion about The Hives, this is a Rock song. Great riff, some guitar solos (even if they are just rapid strumming) and a raw sound to the entire track. However, is this the best song to pick for the game? Meh, not sure. It's alright but "Hate To Say I Told You So" is arguably a better known track and probably equally challenging on each instrument. The Hives are the kind of band that only need a handful of songs in rhythm music games but I wouldn't say this is a song that needed to be in Rock Band compared to some of their others. THUMBS DOWN.

"Maps" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Regardless of your opinion about Yeah Yeah Yeahs, this is not a Rock song. It's breathy Indie Wood for hipsters and bellends that's boring to listen to, let alone play. Definitely not a party song, definitely not fun on guitar and the fact that it's one of the first songs you have to play to unlock all the better tracks (as pointed out by comedian Dara O'Briain in a hilarious gag) only adds to the song's shite factor. If you like this song, more power to you but come on, this should've been DLC at the absolute best, not one of the first on-disc tracks you experience. THUMBS DOWN.

"Mississippi Queen" - Mountain
It might be somewhat of a Classic Rock staple but let's be honest, it isn't a fun one to play on guitar. "DUH-NAH-NAH-NAH-NAH". "DUH-NAH-NAH-NAH-NAH". "DUH-NAH-NAH-NAH-NAH". Over and over again before the fairly horrible sounding guitar solo. I mean, they did the best they could with this WaveGroup cover but it still earns a THUMBS DOWN for being a bland chart and song, even for one played in the earlier stages of the game's difficulty curve.

"Next To You" - The Police
Whilst I can admire Harmonix wanting to pick a lesser known song by The Police with a more challenging (though not really) guitar chart, there's not a whole lot to this song. I probably would've preferred swapping something like "Mississippi Queen" for a Classic Rock song with harder guitar and this track to an easier one by The Police like "Can't Stand Losing You" or "Roxanne" to make the overall game better. However, I still like the song and enjoy playing it...but I'm still giving it a THUMBS DOWN for being an odd choice with an inflated guitar chart to round out an otherwise flawless difficulty curve.

"Orange Crush" - R.E.M.
I get it, R.E.M. are indeed a Rock band and pioneers of Alternative Rock which hasn't been represented too well so far. It's not the most boring chart but equally, a song like "Losing My Religion" or "Stand" would've served a similar purpose whilst being as challenging as this track, only slightly more fun on guitar. However, I'm not gonna give it a Thumbs Down for being a little bit worse than other songs when it's still decent. In fact, I'm not giving it one at all. It belongs in the game and I like it. THUMBS UP.

"Paranoid" - Black Sabbath
Another WaveGroup cover that sounds a little bit worse than the one in GH3. It also contains a slightly worse chart too AND isn't exportable to future Rock Band games so it's easy to forget about this song's inclusion in the game. Not the worst Black Sabbath song to choose from the game; it's just unfortunate that the song was used far better in a competing game. Besides, if you're gonna choose a Black Sabbath song for the whole band to play, you're not really trying when your first choice is "Paranoid". THUMBS DOWN.

"Reptilia" - The Strokes
Another GH3 repeat, although this is the master recording and you know that vocalists are gonna have fun with this one. Chart wise, this has a bit more variety than the GH3 one but it's also less of a challenge to FC in my opinion. All in all, I think I prefer this chart and I can't argue with the song choice either. Modern Indie but with some passion behind it, more of that over "Maps"! THUMBS UP.

"Run To The Hills" - Iron Maiden
The last song that didn't export to future Rock Band games (although the master recording was later released as DLC). As far as covers go, it's not horrible although you were never gonna recreate Iron Maiden perfectly. A+ for ambition in getting an iconic Iron Maiden song, although execution is more like a B. Chart's got some annoying moments too but hey, it's one of the last songs in-game; it's allowed to be challenging. The Iron Maiden fan in me wants to give a Thumbs Down for not choosing a better song but since it's one of the band's most popular and the chart offers a decent amount of challenging variety, it's getting a THUMBS UP.

"Sabotage" - Beastie Boys
More GH3 repeats and this one makes a whole lot of sense. Vocalists who want a bit of mild rapping get to sink their teeth into this whilst guitarists and bassists get some sweet licks to play fairly early on in the game. Probably one of the best Beastie Boys songs to pick, definitely compared to all the other ones we got in GH/RB. THUMBS UP.

"Say It Ain't So" - Weezer
OK, you picked a song from the right Weezer album but really? This song? One that's slow and dull instead of one of their lively, fun songs? This song doesn't work for single player or party gameplay and if I'm honest, I'm struggling to remember anything about playing it apart from the chorus. Whilst Rock Band would go on to pick most of Weezer's best songs for DLC (apart from "Only In Dreams" and "Surf Wax America", those have yet to make the cut), this one should've been swapped out with one of those. THUMBS DOWN.

"Should I Stay Or Should I Go" - The Clash
The very first song in the game. It's a fair choice, one of the less aggressive tracks by iconic Punk band The Clash with an iconic intro riff and some fun (if not slightly flawed) lyrics to sing along to, not to mention the changing tempo for drummers and a bit of fun bass thrown in too. A great all-rounder to kick off the game and get the crowds gathering at parties. THUMBS UP.

"Suffragette City" - David Bowie
Fair play Harmonix, you found an upbeat David Bowie song with fun guitar! The solo might be a little weak and the riffs may get a little repetitive but damn, this song is enjoyable. I'll take "Suffragette City" over "Changes", "Rebel Rebel", "Fame", "Space Oddity", "Starman", "Sound And Vision" and countless others any day. Plus, if I remember correctly, this song featured heavily in marketing for Rock Band in the UK so clearly I'm not the only one to think this song's a great choice for the game. THUMBS UP.

"The Hand That Feeds" - Nine Inch Nails
I've never really cared for Nine Inch Nails and this song does absolutely nothing for me. It sounds like generic clubbing muzak and the guitar chart doesn't really have anything beyond strumming and strumming and strumming. If you were going to pick some Industrial music (and let's face it, you never have to pick Industrial music for anything), some Rob Zombie may have been more interesting to listen to. THUMBS DOWN for this boring song.

"Tom Sawyer" - Rush
When I first played this song, Harmonix had already released the original version as DLC and I had already listened to/played it in Rock Band. Imagine my surprise when I heard this bizarre sounding cover with a more challenging guitar chart but hey, at least they tried. This song is perfect for Rock Band from the great guitar riffs to the awesome basslines and drum solos, not to mention the awesome vocals. Rush would go on to become a Rock Band favourite and it all started with this little cover. THUMBS UP.

"Train Kept-A-Rollin'" - Aerosmith
I believe I've discussed this cover in the past and claimed that I actually thought it was superior to the original due to the great guitar and exceptional vocals. It also helps that when you play this song, the crowd and cheering anyway so any additional crowd cheer effects feel natural unlike when you listen to the Aerosmith original. Guitar chart contains a bunch of trills that provide a suitable challenge for the game's final stage and the increase in tempo provides a fun challenge for drummers too, not to mention the great vocals throughout. Perfect song choice and an outstanding cover to boot. THUMBS UP.

"Vasoline" - Stone Temple Pilots
Goddamn, nice work picking a fun STP song! All other STP songs chosen for GH/RB games and DLC would end up mostly being pretty dull in comparison to this and the one from Guitar Hero 2. A short track with a great riff and fun little solo, definitely a game highlight if you like charts that are fun without becoming too much of a pain to nail. I don't know enough about Stone Temple Pilots to comment on whether this was the best choice for the game but since, as I said earlier, we've yet to have a classic STP single that is more fun than this, I'm inclined to say this was a perfect choice. THUMBS UP.

"Wanted Dead Or Alive" - Bon Jovi
Fucking THUMBS UP straight away. Incredible guitar, signature Bon Jovi song without being an obvious pick, amazing vocals, perfect party and single player track to play. The best song in Rock Band 1 without a shadow of a doubt.

"Wave Of Mutilation" - Pixies
Song starts off alright but unfortunately, everything goes to shit when it gets to the terrible chorus. If you like chords and strumming paired with droning vocals then this song's perfect for you. But wait, there's more! There's a non-solo towards the end of the song and the knowledge that better Pixies tracks like "Where Is My Mind???" and...uhhh...still THUMBS DOWN.

"Welcome Home" - Coheed And Cambria
Another one of my favourite songs from the game, the guitar chart contains plenty of variety whether you like HOPO sections, powerful chord-based melodies or sustains during the chorus so you can sing along at home. Whilst this song contains awesome charts for single player modes, it also works as one that's great for parties. Did I mention the killer guitar solo near the end? Yeah, that's in there too. Definitely worthy of a THUMBS UP.

"When You Were Young" - The Killers
The Killers always earn a THUMBS DOWN. They fucking suck.

"Won't Get Fooled Again" - The Who
I'll admit, I probably wouldn't have picked this song for the on-disc choice due to the length and massive pauses with nothing happening on guitar, bass, drums or vocals throughout. This probably should've been the Rock Band 3 song but that doesn't mean this song isn't fun to play. Plenty of variety throughout and some fun guitar solos too. Plus, there's definitely fun sections for bassists, drummers and vocalists (YEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH) so it's getting a well earned THUMBS UP.


Harmonix had a difficult job of assembling a setlist of great yet popular songs that were fun on all instruments but the majority needed to contain decent guitar to appease fans of the Guitar Hero franchise if it wanted any hope of competing with GH3...and they fucking pulled it off! 30 Thumbs Up against 15 Thumbs Down, a 67% success rating (although I haven't factored the largely terrible bonus songs into the list so that might change). Most people generally consider Rock Band 2 to have the greatest setlist in the franchise but after going through each track, I think Rock Band 1 needs a lot more recognition.
Anyway, which music rhythm game should I cover next? Probably gonna be a Guitar Hero one as I like to alternate and it won't be until November so we've got plenty of time to decide!