Exclusive: Rolling Stones, Green Day Lead ‘Guitar Hero Live’ Set List
The Guitar Hero franchise is coming back in 2015 after a five-year hiatus, and now Guitar Hero Live has revealed the first 24 songs from its expansive set list. The Rolling Stones, Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Black Keys and Green Day are among the initial wave of artists that will contribute music to the upcoming game.
Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance, two bands on hand for the Guitar Hero Live launch party, will also lend tracks to the newest version of the game. This incarnation’s eclectic lineup also features newer acts like Alt-J and the War on Drugs, guitar heroes like Gary Clark, Jr., heavy metal greats like Pantera and Megadeth and, most surprisingly, a handful of artists not associated with guitar heroism, like the Lumineers, Ed Sheeran and Skrillex.
“This is something we gave a load of thought to. Guitar Hero – by its name alone – has always been associated with classic rock tracks. And we know fans really love that type of music. So we wanted to make sure those fans weren’t disappointed,” FreeStyle creative director and studio head Jamie Jackson tells Rolling Stone. “But it’s been 10 years since the first Guitar Hero game came out. When you think of it like that, and think about how much the musical landscape has changed since then – that’s where we’ve been able to explore some new types of musical style as well. Guitar music is broader than it’s ever been – so we’re reflecting that in the range of music on offer.”
Among the new features on the revitalized Guitar Hero are a more realistic controller/instrument – no more deadly orange pinky button – and a 24-hour music video network called GHTV, “the world’s first playable music video network.” Game creators Activision says the channel will allow participants to play along to official videos across various genres and challenge other online players of the same skill level.
“The great thing about GHTV mode, which is the world’s first playable music video network, is it gives us even more scope to broaden the songs on offer,” Jackson said. “There are going to be Rock channels, so if that’s your bag you can spend hours competing with people to your favorite tracks. But if you fancy mixing it up, or want to play something else than you can just flick channels and find something else to play.”
Guitar Hero Live will also present the game from a first-person perspective, allowing gamers to almost interact with the crowd and their bandmates on screen. “If you start dropping notes and messing it up, not only are the crowd gonna turn on you, but so are your band members as well, because you’re effectively ruining their career as well as your own,” Jackson said. FreeStyle and Activision partnered on Guitar Hero Live.
The game will be available on PlayStation 3 and 4, Xbox One and 360, Nintendo Wii U and, for the first time, mobile devices. The set list below is the first batch of a weekly rollout that will eventually include hundreds of songs. Guitar Hero Live is scheduled for release this fall.
Guitar Hero Live Set List (New songs in bold)
Judas Priest – “Living After Midnight”
Amaranthe – “Drop Dead Cynical”
Primus – “Jerry Was a Race Car Driver”
Robert Palmer – “Addicted To Love”
Chevelle – “Face To The Floor”
Rage Against the Machine – “Killing In The Name”
Godsmack – “1000hp”
Jack White – “Sixteen Saltines”
Sleeping With Sirens – “If You Can’t Hang”
Tenacious D – “Rize of the Fenix”
Walk The Moon – “Shut Up And Dance”
Scott Weiland & The Wildabouts – “Modzilla”
Audioslave – “Like A Stone”
Five Finger Death Punch – “The House of the Rising Sun”
Heart – “What About Love?”
Huey Lewis and the News – “Heart and Soul”
Great White – “Rock Me”
The Outfield – “Your Love”
Cinderella – “Shake Me”
Lower Than Atlantis – “Here We Go”
Neon Trees – “I Love You (But I Hate Your Friends)”
Rush – “Fly By Night”
Sammy Hagar – “I Can’t Drive 55”
The Amazing Snakeheads – “Here It Comes Again”
Jake Bugg – “Slumville Sunrise”
Kings of Leon – “Supersoaker”
R.E.M. – “Shiny Happy People”
One Republic — “Counting Stars”
Paramore — “Now”
The Mowgli’s — “San Francisco”
Cypress Hill Featuring Tom Morello — “Rise Up”
Asking Alexandria — “The Final Episode”
The Vines — “Metal Zone”
Wolf Alice — “Moaning Lisa Smile”
Disturbed — “Down With the Sickness”
TV on the Radio — “Lazerray”
Foster the People — “Coming of Age”
Alice In Chains – “Stone”
Bullet for My Valentine – “Temper Temper”
Deap Vally – “Lies”
Wolfmother – “Sundial”
Weezer – “Buddy Holly”
Angus & Julia Stone – “A Heartbreak”
Catfish and the Bottlemen – “Kathleen”
Neon Trees – “Everybody Talks”
New Politics – “Harlem”
Halestorm – “Love Bites [So Do I]”
Tenacious D – “Tribute”
Beartooth – “I Have a Problem”
Pearl Jam – “Mind Your Manners”
Rise Against – “Tragedy + Time”
Soundgarden – “Been Away Too Long”
Anthrax – “Got the Time”
Architects – “Gravedigger”
Chevelle – “The Clincher”
A Day To Remember – “Right Back at it Again”
Royal Blood – “Little Monster”
Marilyn Manson – “Disposable Teens”
Killswitch Engage – “In Due Time”
Marmozets – “Move Shake Hide”
Of Mice & Men – “Bones Exposed”
Deftones – “Diamond Eyes”
Vista Chino – “Sweet Remain”
Bring Me the Horizon – “Shadow Moses”
Mastodon – “High Road”
Trivium – “Strife”
The Black Keys – “Gold on the Ceiling”
Blitz Kids – “Sometimes”
Ed Sheeran – “Sing”
Fall Out Boy – “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)”
Gary Clark, Jr. – “Don’t Owe You a Thang”
Green Day – “Nuclear Family”
The Killers – “When You Were Young”
The Lumineers – “Ho Hey”
My Chemical Romance – “Na Na Na”
Pierce the Veil – “King for a Day (feat. Kellin Quinn)”
The Rolling Stones – “Paint it Black”
Skrillex – “Bangarang”
The War on Drugs – “Under the Pressure”
Black Veil Brides – “In The End”
Rage Against the Machine – “Guerrilla Radio”
Judas Priest – “Breaking the Law”
Pantera – “Cowboys From Hell”
Sleigh Bells – “Bitter Rivals”
System of a Down – “Chop Suey!”
Alter Bridge – “Cry of Achilles”
Alt-J – “Left Hand Free”
Broken Bells – “Leave It Alone”
Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Higher Ground”
The Pretty Reckless – “Going to Hell”