When MTV Multiplayer poses the question of how one narrows history's great rock songs to the just 45 included in Rock Band, try to resist the temptation to answer "Include more songs!" to your monitor. This is just the cynic in you talking, and, honestly, it's Saturday, you need to give him a break. Instead, read on as the audio director for the game, Eric Brosius, discusses the song selection process.
Brosius says that even though they whittled down a list of 3,000 to find their perfect songs, not all band members will have scintillating parts to play in every tune. "Sometimes we find songs that one or two instruments are just great even if the other two aren't the most interesting - that's what part of what being in a band is," he said. "Sometimes you get to step forward and do your thing, and other times you're just holding it together while other people in the band do their thing."
Those who can find a copy can start doing their thing Nov. 20.
Reader Comments (42)
Posted: Nov 3rd 2007 2:46PM Burritoclock said
Unless its 45 gold bars compared to 71 dog turds.
I like most of the GHIII song list, but percentage wise the Rock Band list is better (if you take out the 00's songs it AMAZING)so more is NOT always better.
Reply
I like most of the GHIII song list, but percentage wise the Rock Band list is better (if you take out the 00's songs it AMAZING)so more is NOT always better.
Posted: Nov 3rd 2007 2:51PM (Unverified) said
In games consisting of pressing buttons over and over to music, the most important part for me is the diversity of the music.
Also, if 100% of the songs in Rock Band are good, you only need 65% of the songs in Guitar Hero 3 to be good for it have more good songs.
Reply
Also, if 100% of the songs in Rock Band are good, you only need 65% of the songs in Guitar Hero 3 to be good for it have more good songs.
Posted: Nov 3rd 2007 3:08PM (Unverified) said
OOPS dog. I thought that was the total. I'm always happy to eat words and crow when I err.
Quick glance at Wikipedia changes my 45 to 58. So change my 65% to 82%.
Reply
Quick glance at Wikipedia changes my 45 to 58. So change my 65% to 82%.
Posted: Nov 3rd 2007 3:24PM Burritoclock said
And since nearly every "Bonus" song on GH3 is a steaming turd, I think its better to just compare the 45 of Rock band to the main list on GH3, and it's actually pretty damn close to even, of course this is all a matter of personal taste.
But then you add in ability to sing, and play drums, and Download songs, and to me it's not even close.
(Yes, I know GH3 claims it will have downloads to, but I will believe it when I see it.)
Reply
But then you add in ability to sing, and play drums, and Download songs, and to me it's not even close.
(Yes, I know GH3 claims it will have downloads to, but I will believe it when I see it.)
Posted: Nov 3rd 2007 2:35PM Rocket Raccoon said
There is a big difference between "holding it together while other people in the band do their thing" and really boring parts musically. It's entirely possible to allow other people in the band to do their thing while still having INTERESTING parts to play.
As I'm only interested in playing bass in any of these games, and they opted to not include a bass career mode in Rock Band, I've opted to not be overly interested.
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As I'm only interested in playing bass in any of these games, and they opted to not include a bass career mode in Rock Band, I've opted to not be overly interested.
Posted: Nov 3rd 2007 2:42PM (Unverified) said
Life is hard for musicians.
It's even harder for bassists.
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It's even harder for bassists.
Posted: Nov 3rd 2007 2:46PM (Unverified) said
Bassists of the world unite!
:::still waiting for Bass-Off: The Game:::
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:::still waiting for Bass-Off: The Game:::
Posted: Nov 3rd 2007 2:49PM (Unverified) said
I play guitar... and some bass... for both you need practice. A lot of practice.
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Posted: Nov 3rd 2007 3:11PM (Unverified) said
Bass takes absolutely no practice, and I will defend this point up and down.
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Posted: Nov 3rd 2007 3:20PM (Unverified) said
yeah you'd think they would've included some primus or something with awesome bass
they did include rush, which is similar, but I hate all rush except YYZ
Reply
they did include rush, which is similar, but I hate all rush except YYZ
Posted: Nov 3rd 2007 3:34PM Rocket Raccoon said
I agree with the Bass Off game, how about the name Bass Off: All Your BASS Are Belong To Us?
Oh, and Bass guitar requires just as much practice and skill as guitar. Unless you are content with doing nothing other than the root notes.
Reply
Oh, and Bass guitar requires just as much practice and skill as guitar. Unless you are content with doing nothing other than the root notes.
Posted: Nov 3rd 2007 2:49PM (Unverified) said
Just give me "Hot for Teacher" from Van Halen and I'll be happy!
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Posted: Nov 3rd 2007 3:18PM (Unverified) said
why didn't they pick paranoid android? creep sucks
and no zeppelin? beatles? pink floyd? i thought this was supposed to be a ROCK BAND game, wtf
the rock band setlist is extremely lacking
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and no zeppelin? beatles? pink floyd? i thought this was supposed to be a ROCK BAND game, wtf
the rock band setlist is extremely lacking
Posted: Nov 3rd 2007 3:24PM (Unverified) said
Creep sucks ass. Radiohead even agrees. It's not fun to play for us or them.
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Posted: Nov 3rd 2007 3:51PM (Unverified) said
Maybe that's because Zeppelin and Pink Floyd are overrated bands for overgrown children.
I'll agree with you though that Creep is hardly Radiohead's best. They definitely should have gone with something off of The Bends.
Reply
I'll agree with you though that Creep is hardly Radiohead's best. They definitely should have gone with something off of The Bends.
Posted: Nov 3rd 2007 9:52PM (Unverified) said
Oh fuck everyone who has voted me down Zeppelin fucking sucks and you know it. I have never met anyone who, once hearing better music (Sonic Youth, Husker Du, My Bloody Valentine, The Contortions, Sufjan, Stevens, Kraftwerk, Faust, Of Montreal and many many more) has not agreed that Zeppelin sucks.
And if you think that Pink Floyd is any good, maybe cut back on the pot just a little and listen to The Residents (who are like Pink Floyd but with musical fucking ability).
Reply
And if you think that Pink Floyd is any good, maybe cut back on the pot just a little and listen to The Residents (who are like Pink Floyd but with musical fucking ability).
Posted: Nov 4th 2007 2:23AM (Unverified) said
Astro
More then half of those bands you named as being good, are shit bags..
And Alabama fucking blows, LSU beat you bitches...So fuck you and the dick sabian you rode in on.
Reply
More then half of those bands you named as being good, are shit bags..
And Alabama fucking blows, LSU beat you bitches...So fuck you and the dick sabian you rode in on.
Posted: Nov 4th 2007 8:02AM (Unverified) said
@Loki
He's sharing his opinion, he obviously doesn't like certain bands you like, and vice versa. I'm not saying he isn't in the wrong, because you both are. But the fact is his opinion differs from the majority so you shoot him down.
He's allowed to dislike Zeppelin, and to say that Alabama sucks isn't going to make him stop liking them.
If people just respected other peoples fucking opinions...
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He's sharing his opinion, he obviously doesn't like certain bands you like, and vice versa. I'm not saying he isn't in the wrong, because you both are. But the fact is his opinion differs from the majority so you shoot him down.
He's allowed to dislike Zeppelin, and to say that Alabama sucks isn't going to make him stop liking them.
If people just respected other peoples fucking opinions...
Posted: Nov 4th 2007 10:34AM (Unverified) said
@ Laggy
When you make statements like: Metal is for children who cannot wrap their feeble minds around the concepts of melody.
You are going to get some shit thrown back at you, get over it and welcome to the world of blogging...
And Alabama does blow.
Go Tigers...
Reply
When you make statements like: Metal is for children who cannot wrap their feeble minds around the concepts of melody.
You are going to get some shit thrown back at you, get over it and welcome to the world of blogging...
And Alabama does blow.
Go Tigers...
Posted: Nov 4th 2007 11:09AM (Unverified) said
Damn I meant When someone/not you makes statements like: blah blah blah....
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Posted: Nov 4th 2007 3:24PM (Unverified) said
All I know is he mentioned the Residents, so everything he says is right. The Residents are the greatest thing that ever happened.
And concerning Pink Floyd, what about Syd Barrett? You're not down with Piper at the Gates of Dawn and/or his solo work?
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And concerning Pink Floyd, what about Syd Barrett? You're not down with Piper at the Gates of Dawn and/or his solo work?
Posted: Nov 3rd 2007 3:57PM (Unverified) said
Honestly, few songs in either game excite me, although Guitar Hero III has more of them. But it's a shame that the Rock Band developers pussied out and included a whole of two songs I would call metal.
Reply
Posted: Nov 3rd 2007 4:49PM (Unverified) said
Metal is for children who cannot wrap their feeble minds around the concepts of melody and counter-point.
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Posted: Nov 3rd 2007 9:44PM (Unverified) said
@rivaldi22
IU used to be into metal when I was in high school, you know Cradle of Filth, Meshugga, System of a Down, Dimmu Borgir etc. and I started reading books without drag9ons and shit on the c9overs got a 4.0 in high school, got a scholarship to a good college and am pursuing a PhD in fine arts so I think I speak with some authority when I say that metal music contains zero actual thought beyond "Please, Please, Please God let me get laid tonight. Look I'm playing my guitar all squiggly like."
Sonic Youth. That's fucking guitar rock. The only thing that could improve the Rock Band playlist would be even less metal and "Candle" or "Eric's Trip". Or maybe some My Bloody Valentine, like "Do You Realise" or "Soon".
Metal fucking suck and I personally defy any metal fans to defend their music with intelligent musical and artistic points.
Reply
IU used to be into metal when I was in high school, you know Cradle of Filth, Meshugga, System of a Down, Dimmu Borgir etc. and I started reading books without drag9ons and shit on the c9overs got a 4.0 in high school, got a scholarship to a good college and am pursuing a PhD in fine arts so I think I speak with some authority when I say that metal music contains zero actual thought beyond "Please, Please, Please God let me get laid tonight. Look I'm playing my guitar all squiggly like."
Sonic Youth. That's fucking guitar rock. The only thing that could improve the Rock Band playlist would be even less metal and "Candle" or "Eric's Trip". Or maybe some My Bloody Valentine, like "Do You Realise" or "Soon".
Metal fucking suck and I personally defy any metal fans to defend their music with intelligent musical and artistic points.
Posted: Nov 3rd 2007 9:45PM (Unverified) said
Sorry, I went to Alabama for my BS and they just lost to LSU so I'm fucking drunk and I meant "Meshuggah" and "sucks" respectively.
Please forgive any other spelling and grammatical errors as I have drunk as much as Bama has fucking sucked this game.
Reply
Please forgive any other spelling and grammatical errors as I have drunk as much as Bama has fucking sucked this game.
Posted: Nov 3rd 2007 10:40PM (Unverified) said
@Astronaut:
HAHAHA system and cradle of filth metal?? yeah right...iron maiden, black sabbath, judas priest have you ever heard them??? and led zeppelin sucks???! i totally hope that you are kidding...Jimmy Page can kick any other guitarist ass..
Reply
HAHAHA system and cradle of filth metal?? yeah right...iron maiden, black sabbath, judas priest have you ever heard them??? and led zeppelin sucks???! i totally hope that you are kidding...Jimmy Page can kick any other guitarist ass..
Posted: Nov 4th 2007 2:05AM Colossalhat said
Hmm, just listened to a Sonic Youth song, and I've gotta say, it sounds like ass. But that Stairway to Heaven, man that's nice.
Here's the defense for metal fans. Most, not all obviously, metal contains empathic rhythms, vocals that aren't just a bunch of screaming, and let's not forget complex solos from nearly every instrumentalist in the band. Combine all that with progressive build ups from the beginning to the end of a song and you've got a metal song.
Now I'm not entirely sure what metal songs mr. dinosaur PhD has listened to, but let's get one thing straight, metal has some of the greatest musical merit there is in popular culture.
I've also noted that EVERY band you named was alternative rock, which isn't a bad thing, but just goes to show what kind of music YOU prefer.
I guess that's all there is to my essay here, music is about personal preference and creativity. I personally do not like alternative rock because it all sounds derivative to me, and when I compare it to Zeppelin, Queen, Muse, Guns N' Roses, and even Tenacious D I find that their music is has more feeling in the first five seconds of a single song than in the entirety of every alt. rock song I've ever heard.
Reply
Here's the defense for metal fans. Most, not all obviously, metal contains empathic rhythms, vocals that aren't just a bunch of screaming, and let's not forget complex solos from nearly every instrumentalist in the band. Combine all that with progressive build ups from the beginning to the end of a song and you've got a metal song.
Now I'm not entirely sure what metal songs mr. dinosaur PhD has listened to, but let's get one thing straight, metal has some of the greatest musical merit there is in popular culture.
I've also noted that EVERY band you named was alternative rock, which isn't a bad thing, but just goes to show what kind of music YOU prefer.
I guess that's all there is to my essay here, music is about personal preference and creativity. I personally do not like alternative rock because it all sounds derivative to me, and when I compare it to Zeppelin, Queen, Muse, Guns N' Roses, and even Tenacious D I find that their music is has more feeling in the first five seconds of a single song than in the entirety of every alt. rock song I've ever heard.
Posted: Nov 4th 2007 3:42AM (Unverified) said
Haha. And you expect me to take musical elitist twattery from someone who likes the pointless, "artsy" noodling of Sonic Youth? Get real. I like lots of different types of music, but frankly, metal (more like hardcore, actually) is where I get my kicks. Guitar Hero II had a whole bunch of songs that made me think "holy shit, that one's going to be fun to play". Rock Band doesn't. Big deal.
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Posted: Nov 4th 2007 2:27PM spin cycle said
I like Sonic Youth. Always have. I sure don't like playing Kool Thing though. It's not too noodly to enjoy listenting to, but it's too noodly to enjoy playing.
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Posted: Nov 3rd 2007 11:52PM (Unverified) said
You forget that he went to Alabama for my BS and they just lost to LSU so he's fucking drunk and he meant "Meshuggah" and "sucks" respectively.
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Posted: Nov 4th 2007 10:21AM cesaria said
Neither Rock Band or Guitar Hero III will ever live up to anyone's potential. Everyone has such a differing taste in music that it's just impossible. I don't see them putting Modest Mouse, White Stripes, Voxtrot, or Wilco in there, but you don't see me bitching. It would be bitchin' if they did though. Sonic Youth was a good start to getting some indie cred in these games.
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Posted: Nov 4th 2007 12:08PM (Unverified) said
I believe someone said it best by saying, "Guitar Hero/Rock Band: Fat Guys on Fake Instruments Arguing About Music."
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Posted: Nov 4th 2007 2:14PM spin cycle said
I thought the Duke of Candied Apples (Kasson Crooker) was the audio director for Rock Band (and Harmonix in general)?
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Posted: Dec 22nd 2007 9:19PM (Unverified) said
Yea I agree
The fact that people are proud that they can play Rock Band/Guitar Hero is just gay...Those people should pick up a real instrument and see if they can do the same thing on that...Very unlikely.....
Reply
The fact that people are proud that they can play Rock Band/Guitar Hero is just gay...Those people should pick up a real instrument and see if they can do the same thing on that...Very unlikely.....
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