Country coming to Rock Band 'sooner or later'

by Justin McElroy { Oct 21st 2008 at 10:30AM }

After we suffered for years through a brimstone-scented bounty of devil music in Rock Band, Harmonix staffer "HMXHenry" assures us that God's favorite genre (seriously, look it up) will be coming to the game eventually. He said on the game's official forum, "We'll have Country in RB sooner or later. Ideally we'll have all the various sub genres that people are clamoring for (hardcore punk, goth, ska, etc) eventually. We haven't shut the door on anything."

No, Henry! Wrong! You do need to shut the door to everything but country music to keep Satan at bay, Randy Stonehill style! Also, we demand "Jolene," "Who's Gonna Mow Your Grass," and "The Gambler," just for the record.

Tags: dlc, ea, harmonix, rock-band, rock-band-2

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Hafk @ Oct 21st 2008 10:35AM

I guess opening up to more genres isn't a bad thing.... but this isn't "Country Band"

Please no on-disc Country for RB3. I am fine with DLC, though.

tmacairjordan87 @ Oct 21st 2008 11:02AM

I'll second the no on disc country for RB3. The last thing I need is to be forced to play some of the worst music ever recorded in the history of man and have my ears burst from hearing the whiny voice of a country singer.

TwEE @ Oct 21st 2008 3:40PM

Fallout boy is ok but Steve Earle and Johnny Cash are "some of the worst music ever recorded in the history of man"? I guess I have to be a teen girl to understand..

Hafk @ Oct 21st 2008 4:46PM

Where did you make those observations?

Just because I dislike most country makes me a teenage girl?

I like Johnny Cash, and I also hate Fall Out Boy.
I guess I should clarify.... I hate Modern Country.

Besides, I don't think many teenage girls are prog-rock/metal fans. (Hell, I have even purchased some of the Dream Theater bootleg CDs.)

But my point still stands, it is country music. Not rock. Once you open the door for one country musician, you open it for all. Sure, Cash would be great, but not if I have to sufer along side Keith Urban, Rascal Flats, or any other garbage country band.

With Fall Out Boy, it had to happen. Fall Out Boy is in the rock genre. Just because they aren't that good in my opinion, doesn't mean they aren't rock.

TwEE @ Oct 21st 2008 5:37PM

Hyperbole is fun Hafk.. but that was more directed at Tmac then you.

I really dont know where some genres end and others begin sometimes..

To me, modern country seems as much rock as Fallout boy dose, that is they both seem like pop music to me..

What I mean is theres a lot of country thats a hell of a lot more "Rock" then some of the stuff on Rockband now..

I can appreciate the fact that people don't want Rock band to be swamped with music they dont like, I hate that pop country stuff myself, and I wouldnt want to play it..

But when is something rock enough?

Is something like Tom petty too country?

The meat puppets have songs that sound country, but Nirvana covers their songs so dose that mean the meat puppets are rock enough?.. I donno

Invisible Robot Meat @ Oct 21st 2008 10:35AM

Its called Rock Band not Inbreeder Band.

Ramifications @ Oct 22nd 2008 1:02AM

That's really clever comparing country with inbreeding. Just because you don't like country, doesn't mean everyone has to not like it.

I have the original Rock Band and love most of the music on it. But I also like country music and would welcome some new music to add to my collection. If you don't like it, it's your choice to not play it. Everyone has their own songs that they always avoid in RB.

indecks @ Oct 21st 2008 10:38AM

Um... why? Even good Country music (from the 50s) doesn't belong in ROCKband.

T @ Oct 21st 2008 11:55AM

The "It's called Rock Band" argument is just a tired extension of the "I don't like this so it shouldn't be in here."

Rock Band isn't your iPod. There's millions of other gamers that *SHOCKHORROR* have different tastes in music than you.

indecks @ Oct 21st 2008 11:59AM

Then they can play CountryBand when it comes out. Again, the game is called ROCK band. And that *SHOCKHORROR* sorta gives us the name of the genre of music it encompasses. Also, comparing ROCK (as in rock and roll, not country)band to an iPod isn't helping your argument as iPods aren't limited by a genre.

idiot.

T @ Oct 21st 2008 1:39PM

Much like iTunes, Rock Band allows owners to custom build their own library using a variety of songs from multiple artists spanning multiple decades and genres.

Unlike iTunes however, Rock Band is unfortunately plauged by elitist gamers who feel their personal taste in music is more important than somebody else's.

And yes, I realize I'm saying that your opinion is less valid than mine. And no, that's not a contradiction of the above observation. Because while you stand here saying people who want country can go somewhere else, I'm saying "Why not add country." See the difference?

Because it's inclusion in the DLC library would have 0 impact on me, on you, or anybody. Well, unless they were interested in playing country music.

As far as "Rock Band" as a title. It's not called Metal Band either. Or Pop Band, Progressive Band, Alternative Band...etc. And yet there they are all. All over the playlist.

Heck, the "Rock and roll" you reference shares its origins with country. And is actually just another "sub genre" under the VERY broad banner of "rock".

kbomb1upc @ Oct 21st 2008 1:40PM

@indecks
Yeah... Just like the name Guitar Hero implies you only play with a... oh wait....

T @ Oct 21st 2008 1:45PM

And there's also Storm and Jean Grey in the X-Men (although there could be some weird "post-op" reference that has until now been hidden)

indecks @ Oct 21st 2008 1:45PM

Metal/Alternative/(some) Pop/Progressive/Punk are all sub-genre's of ROCK, so yes, they DO fit in RockBand.

Country is NOT a subgenre of Rock. You seem to fail at grasping that fact.

T @ Oct 21st 2008 1:50PM

And how about Freezepop? The Beastie Boys? Devo? Duran Duran? Blondie? Rage Against The Machine?

Face it, the only reason you're trying to defend your stance is because you personally don't like country music. It has nothing to do with "It's ROCK band". (And quite honestly, it does just say "Rock", not "Rock + Sub-Genres Band").

Also, just a heads up...but hamburgers are rarely made from ham these days. And Grape Nuts, neither grapes nor nuts.

Jack @ Oct 21st 2008 2:53PM

T you win. I agree with your very solid argument.

C'mon guys country music isn't bad. Just most country artists.

ParaRescue1974 @ Oct 26th 2008 10:17PM

Well if Rock is the only music that belongs in Rockband why in the hell am I having to play these Rap songs that to me is the far from music and closer to dogs howling. But I play the songs because I like the game. If we are going to seperate on style of music than all styles should be excluded Metal Punk Rap R@B Only Rock and Roll should be on RockBand. Now How Boring Would That Be!!!

um..wow @ Oct 21st 2008 10:44AM

well...maybe some johnny cash. but even that's pushing it :)

Trippy Haps @ Oct 21st 2008 10:53AM

I'm not fan of Country music...

...but if there is a market for it, then by all means tap that, Harmonix.

lotrfish @ Oct 21st 2008 10:57AM

Yes, finally some good music in one of the rythm games! Now I just might have to get it.

destrin @ Oct 21st 2008 11:01AM

*fingers crossed for some Hayseed Dixie*

Jack Tretton @ Oct 21st 2008 11:01AM

"East Bound and Down" would be classified as country, right?

It'll be my pleasure to add a Little Enos avatar to my band. He can play moonshine jug solos.

Fernando Rocker @ Oct 21st 2008 11:01AM

Country musicians are very good guitar players.

The guitar solos from a lot of country players are way better than a lot of Rock Band bands, like Nirvana, Oasis and all that kind of "rock".

I prefer country songs instead of Nirvana, Radiohead, The Ramones, Oasis and all that crap.

Or more rock and roll... I'm still waiting for some Dio and Don Dokken.

Jakka @ Oct 21st 2008 11:11AM

"The guitar solos from a lot of country players are way better than a lot of Rock Band bands, like Nirvana, Oasis and all that kind of "rock"."

I'd agree, if only for the fact that all that kind of "rock"(Alternative) doesn't commonly use solos in first place.Especially not Nirvana or Oasis.

Xoviet chiK - Gyiyg Strikes Back @ Oct 21st 2008 11:20AM

Consolidating Radiohead into a statement ending with "and all that crap" results in immediate and permanent extradition from the city. You will be forced to live the remainder of your days wandering the Cursed Earth.

JohnnyNapalm @ Oct 21st 2008 11:21AM

So to conclude: music with solo's has significantly more solo's than music without solo's.

Fernando Rocker @ Oct 21st 2008 11:23AM

Well... not just the solos, but even the riffs are way better elaborated than the riffs of those bands.

Only problem is the voice... country musicians voice is not my style.

I prefer high pitch voices.

Xoviet chiK - Gyiyg Strikes Back @ Oct 21st 2008 11:30AM

"I prefer high pitch voices."

Ahhh... You've never actually listened to Radiohead then, no need to apologize for your previous statement. They already forgive you.

David @ Oct 21st 2008 11:33AM

Maybe the musicians are skilled, but that doesn't make the music they produce suck and less.

Zoot Suit Jedi @ Oct 21st 2008 12:13PM

Xoiviet chiK - My sentiments exactly on the Radiohead comments.

Fernando - Nintendo fanboy now calls Radiohead and the goddam Ramones crap?!?!

I officially cannot stand you.

Tiptup300 @ Oct 21st 2008 1:15PM

You did not just group Oasis and Nirvana together.

FOR SHAME FERNANDO!

Xoviet chiK - Gyiyg Strikes Back @ Oct 21st 2008 11:01AM

"Thunder Rolls" by Garth Brooks and nothing else!

Ross Miller @ Oct 21st 2008 11:01AM

Still wanting The Roots. Where's my hip hop? Where's my ?estlove fix?

j.howlett @ Oct 21st 2008 11:56AM

that would get me to want to play. ?uestlove on drums Hub on bass Black Thought on mic. i think Kamal plays keyboard and they have a bunch of other rotating members

indecks @ Oct 21st 2008 12:03PM

It's rockband, not Rap/Crap/Hiphop band. Besides, all of the lyrics for every song would be nothing but silence because of the word censors. Not to mention that playing that single repeating beat for 5 minutes on 50 songs would get extremely boring.

Xoviet chiK - Gyiyg Strikes Back @ Oct 21st 2008 12:10PM

@indecks

Rock Band Definition - Popular music ensemble that depends on amplified strings, percussion, and electronically generated sounds.

Sounds like The Roots to me. Not all Hip-Hop is the same hedonist BS all the cool kids are into these days.

kbomb1upc @ Oct 21st 2008 1:45PM

@indecks
You don't get out much do you?

J @ Oct 21st 2008 11:05AM

Give me The White Stripes "Jolene" anyday.

bounchfx @ Oct 21st 2008 11:31AM

I'm going to throw up

wiredknight @ Oct 21st 2008 11:23AM

you got your country in my rock...

tmacairjordan87 @ Oct 21st 2008 11:28AM

I forsee rock band becoming a joke like the rock and roll hall of fame, meaning they're going to put rap and pop and country in as we see here. I like Run DMC as much as the next guy, but it's kind of an insult when you induct them in the rock and roll hall of fame, specially when they're going in with Metallica.

Comet @ Oct 21st 2008 12:59PM

Fernando Rocker,

Nirvana was one of the most important bands of the 90's and ou have the audacity to call them shit?

Comet @ Oct 21st 2008 1:00PM

Damn wrong place.

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Oct 21st 2008 10:12PM

Only important because music taste of the 90s went to shit. Nirvana's music is largely simple chord progressions and hardly intelligible lyrics. Contrast that with the direction 80's genres were moving in (see dream theater circa 92), and you find that grunge (with nirvana at the lead) was dumbed down music for the idiot who couldn't understand metal. The direction grunge took resulted in some of the cruddiest music ever made (check your radio stations in 1996-1999, what are you hearing? Chumbawumba?)

Thank god that after that train wreck of 90s music, studios realized how incredibly terrible it was and picked right back up where they left off with 80's metal. The music you hear now is what you would have been hearing in the 90s if Nirvana had never crawled out of that hell hole they call Seattle.

yeah, grunge was great...

John @ Oct 21st 2008 11:29AM

you people bitch about too much fall out boy, too much hair metal, too much old shit, country, etc...

Do you just play the same 2 songs you like over and over again?

And to second fernando, I'd rather play some country with good guitar riffs than the same 3 chords over and over for 5 minutes, I mean seriously.

Fernando Rocker @ Oct 21st 2008 11:31AM

Exactly...

tmacairjordan87 @ Oct 21st 2008 11:37AM

I'm a 100% hater of most modern rock, specially this emo shit...but I'll take ANYTHING over country. It's the only kind of music that I literally can't listen to because I either get a headache or I start to get really pissed off.

John @ Oct 21st 2008 11:40AM

Then you are really missing out. I used to hate country too, but a 6 month deployment with a bunch of rednecks will change your attitude or make you commit suicide.

Fernando Rocker @ Oct 21st 2008 11:45AM

jordan

I'm nota huge fan of country music. I usually don't the voice of the singers, or the lyrics.

But listen to the music: is very good. Some of the riffs are excellent... same with the solos.

But I prefer country over MTV rock, Nirvana rockers and Radiohead and Weezers guys.