With today’s launch of Rock Band 2 there are 500 songs available for that game, a truly remarkable number of tracks and bands. But Harmonix is still just scratching the surface of what’s out there, so I’ve decided to throw together a very subjective list of the top ten bands I think still need to be seen on Rock Band. For the purposes of being completist, I’ve only included bands that (to the best of my knowledge) are not on Rock Band or any of the 700 Guitar Hero games, but I must admit that I don’t know the full playlists of that version of Guitar Hero you play with your belt buckle or the edition that comes bundled with your microwave (one of those is real).

This is a highly subjective list, which means you’ll notice Vampire Weekend can fuck right off and suck my dick. Rock Band 2 has too many crummy modern songs for my taste as it is, and playing it last night with friends I kept feeling like I was in the closing credits of a high school comedy starring Seth Green.

Also take note that I’ve tried to do a couple of things with these choices: I’ve tried to stick with bands/songs that either work for Rock Band as it is or that would improve the game in ways that I’ve long wanted it improved. When songs/bands don’t work in Rock Band as it is, I’ve tried to examine that. And I’ve left off songs/bands that can’t be on Rock Band in masters form. Some of those you’ll find on the third page, in the Wishful Thinking section. I’ve also left off Led Zeppelin and The Beatles – these are both no duh choices that are held up by licensing and little else.

For each band I’ll list a song that would make a great stand-alone choice for the game, but also an album that would be wonderful as a complete download. For some of these bands choosing the album was almost arbitrary, as they have so many good ones from which to choose.

I don’t expect you to agree with it all, so make your voice heard via email – devin@chud.com or on our message board.

10 – Pavement
I actually can’t believe Pavement isn’t already in one of these games. One of the greatest 90s rock bands, Pavement makes music almost tailor made for a music game, filled with great guitar hooks and poppy choruses. The problem with picking a Pavement song for this list is winnowing it down. The urge is to go with Cut Your Hair, their biggest hit, or maybe Stereo. I love Spit on A Stranger, Range Life, Gold Soundz… so many songs that are so good. But for my choice I went back to the very first Pavement song I ever heard, off their first LP, Slanted & Enchanted.

Song: Summer Babe


Album: Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
This is, for me, the Pavement masterpiece. I love every Pavement record, but Crooked Rain is magic from the first note to the last.

9 – Prince
Have you ever wanted to get head while playing guitar in one of these games? The main reason you haven’t is that there’s no Prince on them. Prince can play some fucking blistering guitar, and his songs will pump up your party with the quickness. And the wetness. Sadly, there are no Prince songs on YouTube, so the best you’re going to get is this cover:

Song: Let’s Go Crazy

Album: Purple Rain
You have to ask?

8 – Liz Phair
A truism: There are not enough girl songs on Rock Band. The theory, perhaps, is that girls will sing guy songs but guys won’t sing girl songs. I don’t know if that’s the case, but more ladies need to be represented in these games. The problem with Liz Phair becomes apparent the very second you try to pick the song to highlight – her very best song ever, without a doubt, is Fuck and Run, but that sucker is going to wreak havoc with your game rating. On top of that, Phair’s voice is lower, making her not as ideal a girlie singer. Still, she writes terrific pop songs, and deserves to be represented.

Song: Supernova

Album: Exile in Guyville
I split the difference here. Supernova is a memorable, commercial song with good parts for all the instruments, but Exile in Guyville is her masterpiece, and it contains the problematic Fuck and Run. Offer it as DLC with a parental warning or something.

7 – Johnny Cash
Where’s the country, Rock Band? We got Jimmy Buffett DLC, meaning the margarita rock crowd is covered, but the greats of country music remain unrepresented. It seems to me that the country artist least likely to cause a stroke for the fans of the franchise. The only problem that might arise would be finding out which Cash tunes have the proper masters available – some of Cash’s best stuff might be relegated to the Wishful Thinking section as a result.

But besides bringing country to Rock Band, I task Johnny Cash with doing something else for the game – bringing duets. There’s a better than average chance soon enough that we’ll be owning two mics, or at least a mic and a headset, so duets seem feasible. And they’re definitely fun. Coming at Rock Band as a party game, the duet adds a whole new level of good times for the group.

Song: Darlin’ Companion

Album: Johnny Cash At Folson Prison
I’m probably breaking my own rules here – is it possible that Folsom Prison was recorded on enough tracks to separate every instrument out? – but it’s worth it for a record both seminal and wonderful. And Jackson makes for another phenomenal duet.

6 – Wilco
I really want to put Uncle Tupelo in here, but I have to make some concessions to commercialism. And it’s not like Wilco isn’t a great band all on their own, with a catalog almost swamped with songs that would be amazing on Rock Band. What’s cool about Wilco, in fact, is the way the band has changed over its history, meaning that you could have two Wilco songs on one game and they might sound almost nothing alike.

Song: Can’t Stand It

Album: Being There
This was a tough one. While I think Yankee Hotel Foxtrot would be better known (and easier to do, having fewer songs), Being There is just an album I love. Subjective decision takes the day!