Rock Band 2's Extra Songs Revealed

Harmonix's Announces their Head-Scratching List of 20 Free Songs.

Nov 4, 2008

The twenty free songs available to download for Rock Band 2 are listed and provide confusion and many questions as to the intentions of how each song was picked.

Having free add-on's to any game is a plus factor, and Rock Band 2's additional track pack was eagerly awaited among fans of the series. The game boasted a strong list of 84 songs, in addition to 55 songs from the last game and many more through DLC. Harmonix's original goal of passing 100 songs on one game was not achieved in time, but it wouldn't stop them from giving the players what they hoped to achieve.

Rock Band 2's manual came with a code allowing player to download the additional list of 20 songs completely free with purchase of the game. While the anticipation was high, the revealed songs leave much to be desired.

If anybody has trouble recognizing even just one artist or song listed above, there's probably a 99% chance they're not alone. The list of what appears to be nothing more than underground and indie artists may leave fans wondering, "Why did they choose these?"

Though it isn't fair to say these songs are unwelcome or bad without having played them yet, it leaves some wondering why weren't other songs added to the list? As much as everyone wants Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, or The Eagles to hit Rock Band, they never seem to make it in without the possibility of only being purchased through a bundle. (I.e. the AC/DC Live pack.) Even other artists, like Eric Clapton, Green Day, or Coldplay would be a great addition to the soundtrack. Many fans and rock enthusiasts would list many more artists or songs, but it's unlikely any of the 20 above would pop up.

Perhaps there are other motivation behind this, but Harmonix should probably focus more on what the fans want than what they do. While licensing issues are a hurdle, there probably could have been some notable songs, even if they weren't as popular as others.

The copyright of the article Rock Band 2's Extra Songs Revealed in Music Video Games is owned by Eric Christiansen. Permission to republish Rock Band 2's Extra Songs Revealed in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Nov 6, 2008 12:54 PM

Guest :

Head scratching? Lame. They're up and coming bands. Did you expect big names? No. Quit whining. They're free.

Nov 8, 2008 5:45 AM

Guest :

I enjoy Rock Band, but I am so sick of playing songs from bands I never heard of. A handful of the songs are terrible and if they came on the radio I would immediately change. They really need to do a better job at song selection.

Dec 7, 2008 6:07 PM

Guest :

I.V- Awesome song! Not too sure about the others, though. Never heard them.

Dec 23, 2008 11:43 AM

Guest :

There is only 19 songs there! What is song #20?

Dec 27, 2008 5:31 PM

Guest :

can you download the songs on to a cd or flash drive then save on to 360????

Dec 28, 2008 12:37 PM

Eric Christiansen :

~Corrected error for songs; should now show all twenty in list.

~While songs can be put onto a 360 through a CD or flash drive, they will only play through the music player and not on Rock Band.

Dec 29, 2008 6:31 AM

Guest :

okay the cab is a good band and obv they are not going to have all old music since this is a game for teens

Jan 29, 2009 12:20 PM

Guest :

meh... what are you going to do. although semi-precious weapons is a bad ass rocket up the charts glam band from NYC with so much energy in their shows this is a welcome addition to a full band experience. i was going to get this one anyway from dlc. but still, things you've never heard of allows you to hear stuff that you will flip for.