I have to say I haven’t been really psyched about Band Hero. The idea of a pop-focused, family-friendly music game is fine and all, but I was feeling like it wasn’t really for me. But now, looking at the huge list of new tracks Activision revealed yesterday, I’m getting a bit more interested. I wouldn’t go so far as to say the track list is superior to Guitar Hero 5′s — there’s a bit too much contemporary Top-40 in there for my tastes — but I will say that I’m seeing at least as many songs I’m interested in, sight-unseen, as in the GH5 catalog. I mean, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones alongside Big Country? “Mr. Roboto” and “Love is a Battlefield”? As a child of the ’80s, allow me to say: Sign me up!
The console and DS versions have two separate song lists, so we’ll start off with the console lineup and go from there. I’ll also post the previously-announced tracks after the break for your convenience. Because I am all about your convenience.
| The Airborne Toxic Event | Gasoline |   |
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| Big Country | In a Big Country |  |
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| The Bravery | Believe |  |
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| Cold War Kids | Hang Me Up To Dry |  |
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| Counting Crows | Angels of the Silences |  |
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| Dashboard Confessional | Hands Down |  |
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| David Bowie | Let’s Dance |  |
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| Devo | Whip It |  |
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| Evanescence | Bring Me To Life |  |
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| Fall Out Boy | Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down |  |
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| The Go-Go’s | Our Lips Are Sealed |  |
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| Hilary Duff | So Yesterday |  |
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| Jesse McCartney | Beautiful Soul |  |
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| The Kooks | Naïve |  |
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| Marvin Gaye | I Heard It Through The Grapevine |  |
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| Mighty Mighty Bosstones | Impression That I Get |  |
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| OK Go | A Million Ways |  |
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| Pat Benatar | Love Is A Battlefield |  |
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| Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue | Kids |  |
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| Styx | Mr. Roboto |  |
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| Yellowcard | Ocean Avenue |  |
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Here’s the lineup revealed yesterday for the DS:
| The All-American Rejects | Believe |  |
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| Boys Like Girls | The Great Escape |  |
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| Foo Fighters | Monkey Wrench |  |
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| Lacuna Coil | Our Truth |  |
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| The Pretenders | Boots of Chinese Plastic |  |
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| The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus | You Better Pray |  |
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| Sublime | All You Need |  |
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| Sum 41 | In Too Deep |  |
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| The Vines | Get Free |  |
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And here are the previously announced tracks for consoles:
| The All-American Rejects | Dirty Little Secret |  |
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| Alphabeat | Fascination |  |
N/A |
| Aly and AJ | Like Whoa |  |
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| Carl Douglas | Kung Fu Fighting |  |
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| Cheap Trick | I Want You To Want Me (Live) |  |
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| Don McLean | American Pie |  |
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| Duran Duran | Rio |  |
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| Jackson 5 | ABC |  |
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| Janet Jackson | Black Cat |  |
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| Katrina and The Waves | Walking On Sunshine |  |
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| Lily Allen | Take What You Take |  |
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| Maroon 5 | She Will Be Loved |  |
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| No Doubt | Just A Girl |  |
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| Roy Orbison | Oh, Pretty Woman |  |
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| Snow Patrol | Take Back the City |  |
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| Taylor Swift | Love Story |  |
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| Taylor Swift | Picture to Burn |  |
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| Taylor Swift | You Belong With Me |  |
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| Tonic | If You Could Only See |  |
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| Village People | Y.M.C.A. |  |
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…and DS:
| Avril Lavigne | Girlfriend |  |
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| Blink-182 | First Date |  |
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| Evanescence | Call Me When You’re Sober |  |
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| Fall Out Boy | Thnks Fr Th Mmrs |  |
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| Kaiser Chiefs | I Predict A Riot |  |
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| The Killers | Spaceman |  |
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| KT Tunstall | Suddenly I See |  |
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| No Doubt | Excuse Me Mr. |  |
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| P!nk | So What |  |
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| Queen | Crazy Little Thing Called Love |  |
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| Queens Of The Stone Age | No One Knows |  |
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| Spin Doctors | Two Princes |  |
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Refined drum kit, nicely diverse track list, lots of great ’80s tunes? God help me, I’m in. I’m in all the way.
Both versions of the game are due to release November 3, and of course they’ll both work with your previously purchased peripherals.
