First round of Guitar Hero: Smash Hits tracks revealed

by David Hinkle { Apr 17th 2009 at 12:00AM }

And the Guitar Hero games keep on coming! The latest, Guitar Hero: Smash Hits, culls the cream that has risen to the top of each Guitar Hero game and injects them into one über Guitar Hero. Instead of throwing all of the tracks out there for one and all to see, Activision held open voting to see which of the previous games' included tracks would be revealed first (gee, thanks!). The winner was the original Guitar Hero.

Head past the break for the first list of tracks, along with some links to YouTube videos for your sampling pleasure.

Gallery: Guitar Hero: Smash Hits (360/PS3)

Pantera - "Cowboys From Hell (Live)"
Franz Ferdinand - "Take Me Out"
Queens Of The Stone Age - "No One Knows"
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - "I Love Rock N' Roll"
Boston - "More Than A Feeling"
White Zombie - "Thunder Kiss '65"
Blue Öyster Cult - "Godzilla"
Helmet - "Unsung (Live)"
Queen - "Killer Queen"
Incubus - "Stellar"
Ozzy Osbourne - "Bark At The Moon"
Deep Purple - "Smoke On The Water"
The Donnas - "Take It Off"
The Exies - "Hey You"

Tags: activision, activision-blizzard, guitar-hero, guitar-hero-greatest-hits, guitar-hero-smash-hits, music, neversoft, rhythm

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

ice~ @ Apr 17th 2009 12:08AM

Mooooo...

Apparently the idiots at Actiblizzard have never heard of a little something called DLC!!! Maybe, they could release the greatest hits as track packs! But that wouldn't be the most profitable thing to do! I mean who cares about what the CONSUMER thinks... I am starting to get really aggravated with this company.

Rob @ Apr 17th 2009 12:10AM

Tell me about it, what is wrong with just making them DLC, huh?

Comtar @ Apr 17th 2009 1:01AM

That's why I like Rock Band, I feel like Rock Band is alot like an itunes like service where I stick one disc in and pretty much can play any song from any Rock Band game previous, or in the future with very little limitatioins. I know that NONE of the Beatles songs will be able to be extracted or anything from what I hear. I can understand that as part of the terms Rock Band had to make to get The Beatles, but other then that... most every song plays on every version of the game.

But EVERY Guitar Hero is unique and barely any of them allow you to cross play songs. You have to hunt and figure out which game has the song you want to play and which song you download is specific to which Guitar Hero game. And that's why I have abandoned that series.

Michelobius @ Apr 17th 2009 12:16AM

What's really funny is they'd probably make more money from DLC. Imagine charging three times as much per song with no overhead (boxing, distribution, etc) and at the same time making people like us more loyal to them.

It's not rocket science. This is why I'll never buy another GH game, unless Harmonix somehow regains the brand.

Ghen @ Apr 17th 2009 7:04AM

mich, they'd make less money on DLC because people would only buy a third of the offerings on average.

The Baron @ Apr 17th 2009 10:08AM

Plus the majority if GH's audience probably don't even buy DLC. It's a very, very casual brand for most of its players.

Dan @ Apr 17th 2009 10:14AM

It took you this long to get aggravated with Activision and their treatment of this franchise? Their graphical presentation sucks, and their licensing policies around music and the hardware is only detrimental to the rhythm game genre as a whole.

Harmonix is a far better company, Activision's just trying to ride the coat tails. Sucks that Blizzard is getting clumped in with their bad calls now.

Dan @ Apr 17th 2009 10:20AM

@Comtar : I mean, exactly. Guitar Hero is becoming notorious for featuring "sub games" which use the same crappy engine and different songs with some graphical changes... yet we're being charged full price?

Rock Band has 2 fully priced games available right now, and they stuck with what worked. Rock Band: The Beatles will feature new gameplay elements (not just a stupid secondary foot pedal) and an entirely different tour. Plus, The Beatles have more than 5 good songs to put in a game like this (Aerosmith, anyone? Or Metallica, both are applicable.)

Fricken Activision. Go make Tony Hawk games.

ice~ @ Apr 17th 2009 1:56PM

Trust me Dan, I know. The graphical presentation is atrocious and all these "sub-games" are getting ridiculously old. But we can't do anything about it because, guess what? People still BUY THEM.

KeegdnaB @ Apr 17th 2009 12:08AM

Is it me or does the UI get uglier with every [unnecessary] new version?

Travis @ Apr 17th 2009 12:13AM

I think so too. I played Metallica the other day (Demo) and I hated it. The one in GH3 was fine. Did they really have to change it?

Ezio Auditore de Firenze (PSN slycooper_rocker) @ Apr 17th 2009 12:14AM

i think the singer interface looks better than world tour.

Tiptup300 @ Apr 17th 2009 12:43AM

They lost all the UI guys from Harmonix. It's funny though, because Guitar Hero 1/2 were setup with a rock/mockumentry presentation style to it. Well apparently, neversoft didn't get the joke because GH3/WT's ui takes it self too seriously.

PR0F3TA @ Apr 17th 2009 12:11AM

i seriously feel bad for anyone who buys this... if anything, Harmonix showed us exactly what to expect with Music Games. Though GH:Metallica was sort of great, This batch of rehashing could have easily been available as DLC

i know Activision is trying to appeal to the casuals who dont do DLC, but at what cost, having a gamer own 7 Guitar Hero games in their collection.

SantaDuJuan @ Apr 17th 2009 12:23AM

Really, this is not as bad as it sounds at all.
Alot of people only own GH2 on PS2 or they own GH1 on PS2
This is a great way for people to try out those songs, AND it includes drum/vocal parts? Come on people are just looking for a scapegoat to make fun of Guitar Hero. Sure this could have been DLC but couldn't have all the RB/GH games? In one way or another?

Premature ejaculation man @ Apr 17th 2009 12:28AM

I personally think they should do both at the same time.

VaultICEE @ Apr 17th 2009 1:07AM

Scapegoat to make fun of Guitar Hero? Most people are making fun of Guitar Hero because its being controlled by a corporate overlord who wants teh monies... which explains the constant rehashing, less convenience for the consumer in favor of money, all of the features that are broken/messy, etc.

Smash Hits could have been a giant DLC pack(s) for World Tour AND release it as a standalone disk, and I would applaud Activision for showing that they can still appeal to gamers. You know, the ones who like to be treated like Harmonix has been treating their costumers with RB DLC since 2007.

But... you know, money is all that matters nowadays it seems. Has anyone else been following this whole YouTube fiasco?

Foetoid @ Apr 17th 2009 3:02AM

Well PR0F3TA, start feeling sorry for me. Not only did i preorder GH: Metallica, but i'll buy this for Cowboys from Hell alone.

nehal @ Apr 17th 2009 10:08AM

I agree that it should be one big dlc pack but how would wii and ps2 owners even download them. Wii owners have cant download a file over 200 blocks. So it would all have to be individual downloads and Neversoft or whoever would never go for that. Mabye they could do it on the ps60 but that's about it.

PR0F3TA @ Apr 17th 2009 12:03PM

@nehal

have you ever heard of TRACK PACKS? Harmonix even got the disc distribution correct the first time.

arrness @ Apr 17th 2009 12:14AM

I personally don't own any GH games, just RB,

so I might pick this up

Rob @ Apr 17th 2009 12:15AM

Pick up GH 2 instead, I still consider it the best.

Michelobius @ Apr 17th 2009 12:19AM

True dat. It had a great soundtrack, the best controls and charting of any GH game (refined from GH1, not yet messed up by Activision for GH3). Just a fantastic game all around.

Ezio Auditore de Firenze (PSN slycooper_rocker) @ Apr 17th 2009 12:14AM

they said no bonus tracks right? no jordan, no buy.

Markez @ Apr 17th 2009 12:22AM

Just hold out hope, man, someday you'll get your Jordan Sparx. Maybe not in a GH or RB, but maybe a Singstar or something.

dark_inchworm (on Steam!) dark inchworm (on XBL!) @ Apr 17th 2009 12:25AM

Well, in their defense, Jordan isn't exactly known for its incredible drum work or earth-shattering vocals.

Ezio Auditore de Firenze (PSN slycooper_rocker) @ Apr 17th 2009 1:06AM

*grumble grumble*

i want mah damn buckethead! soothsayer too. at least that's MORE possible than jordan since it was DLC instead of a bonus track.

Martin @ Apr 17th 2009 1:32AM

Except they are including Dragonforce, which was a bonus track. But that song is apparently the culmination of all Guitar Hero experience, so they can throw it in as an exception.

xFenixKnightx @ Apr 17th 2009 8:55AM

Awesome avatar, Ezio!

Slust @ Apr 17th 2009 1:06PM

Who the fuck is Jordan Sparx?

8-bit.artist @ Apr 18th 2009 10:54AM

if they cant have jordan because of lack of vocals or great drumming, then they need to put DETHKLOK on that shit instead.

whazam1337 @ Apr 17th 2009 12:21AM

Dont go to the dark side Rock band is for the actual music lovers/gamers. Not to mention the DLC is better. GH is for the younger kids IMO of course. Get rock band/RB2 and a Crap load of RB dlc/export key

Reuben @ Apr 17th 2009 12:41AM

I've only interested in the guitar aspect, because I play guitar in real life. I find Guitar Hero to be much more challenging and fun when compared to Rock Band's guitar parts. I play on expert, and don't find the Rock Band guitar tracking to be anywhere near as difficult or rewarding

whazam1337 @ Apr 17th 2009 12:48AM

i guess u just like looking at circles instead of rectangles then?

QAguy @ Apr 17th 2009 1:07AM

I agree, Rock Band's charting is soooo easy compared to Guitar Hero, and I prefer the circles over the tiny rectangles. I think its better for doing more difficult solos. I do prefer Rock Bands Career mode and the overall aesthetics but as far and shredding on expert, Guitar Hero all the way. (Regardless of what the internets say)

As far a this game being DLC...I agree...but I work in the industry and I know these guys make NO money from DLC...between the licensing fees, production cost, testing, motion capture...there is NO money in DLC for music games. Activision should share this information, it would ease some of the internet hate I think.

To each his own, I'm glad there are 2 games on the market...it breeds innovation! Good for the consmers.

oolz @ Apr 17th 2009 7:58AM

I don't understand where any of you get off saying Guitar Hero is more challenging. That was true with GH3, but has not been true since then. The only reason it was true then is because they chose to overchart easy songs so they could place them where they wanted them in the difficulty scale, rather than let the songs own difficulty dictate where it belonged. That's like turning the lights out at a basketball game and saying it's better because it's harder.

The timing windows in every one of the Neversoft GH games (including Gh3) are HUGE. They seem even more relaxed in GHWT and GH:M than even in GH3 and will be the same in GHSH. How they've added the tapped notes and it just makes the whole thing easier. RB has tapped notes (solo's), but at least they force you to step out of your comfort zone and use the higher fret buttons in order to make them easier.

Harmonix just doesn't go out of their way to make a song any harder than it is. Get the Peace Sell's album or several of the songs from SRV and tell me they're not as hard as anything in any of the recent GH games.

oolz @ Apr 17th 2009 8:01AM

QAguy: they make no money on DLC? You're out of your mind... quite simply, you don't know what the hell you're talking about. You might be in the industry, but you have no clue wtf you're talking about.

B3astofthe3ast @ Apr 17th 2009 10:14AM

HAHA

The guns n Roses album this week had all buckethead guitar solos, not to mention stuff like constant motion, sleepwalker, and the yngwie DLC. Right now, RB is ALOT harder than GH.

Kamizar @ Apr 17th 2009 12:23AM

Franz Ferdinand has other songs, they're not one hit wonders on the British charts. Ulysses or Live Alone would be fun to play.

ifalldownstairs @ Apr 17th 2009 12:57AM

yeah but other than Take Me Out, This Fire, or The Fallen none of their songs seem like they would be particularly fun to play. The new CD tries to hard to be a dance album to have any of its songs put up for consideration. Speaking of The Fallen though, that would be awesome...

Ezio Auditore de Firenze (PSN slycooper_rocker) @ Apr 17th 2009 1:06AM

they're not one hit wonders here either. i know for a fact that lucid dreams did very well.

ittybittygirl @ Apr 17th 2009 1:07AM

I'll take Jacqueline, Auf Achse, Come on Home, 40', Dark of the Matinée from their self titled. They may not be the most musically complex songs, and probably wouldn't translate into terribly difficult note charting, but they'd be damn fun to play/sing. In Rock Band of course.

eastsidexhusalah @ Apr 17th 2009 12:30AM

I might get this the soundtrack looks pretty sweet so far.. Im starting to get a little bored of all the rock band dlc and rock band exported songs after 7 months.
I'd love to see sweet child o mine or welcome to the jungle. We got chinese democracy as dlc for rock band but thats not gnr thats axl rose.

Dopple Boppler @ Apr 17th 2009 12:32AM

I'm not going to buy this, but aside from lacking Ziggy Stardust (WUT) this is definitely the best of the non-bonus tracks from the original. Plus singing Killer Queen would be wicked fun.

You know, if they had just put Even Rats in here I probably would have bought this game. What a great song.

Joe @ Apr 17th 2009 12:41AM

Yah. This is getting RIDICULOUS!

Matt B @ Apr 17th 2009 12:42AM

This definitely looks awesome. Since I don't have a PS2, GH1 or GH2 is not possible for me. And since Activision hasn't screwed Wii owners over like Harmonix has, I'll be picking this up.

Kyattsuai @ Apr 17th 2009 12:45AM

Dammit, not only does this list make me slightly interested in this game, but I also have the main riff from Unsung stuck in my head.

Dante Sparda @ Apr 17th 2009 12:50AM

Serious this is a greatest hits?

Where is Iron Man? Where is Frankenstein? Where is Crossroads? Where is Texas Flood? No Sharp Dressed Man? and come on, Activison has been flaunting about having Jimi Hendrix on World Tour and they don't even bring Spanish Castle Magic back? Seriously this is highly disappointing.