List of songs in Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s
Encyclopedia
Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s
(Guitar Hero: Rocks the 80s in Europe), is a music video game
developed by Harmonix
and published by RedOctane
and Activision
in 2007 for the PlayStation 2
console. The game is considered an expansion of the Guitar Hero series and is part of Activision's goal to expand the series into genre or band-specific titles. Rocks the 80s was sold without a peripheral, unlike Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero II
which were sold in a bundle with a guitar controller.
The gameplay in Rocks the 80s is the same as the gameplay in the Guitar Hero series. The player uses a guitar-shaped controller, with five fret
buttons, a strum bar, and a whammy bar, to play along with virtual notes as they scroll on the game screen. The songs can be played across four different difficulty levels in Career mode (presented in a progressive series of tiers), Quickplay mode, and both competitive and cooperative modes. Each tier consists of four songs and one encore song; during Career mode, the player must complete three or four songs in that tier depending on their chosen difficulty level, and then complete the encore song before they can move onto the next tier.
Rocks the 80s features a set list
consisting of thirty songs in the main Career mode. As implied by the game's title, all the songs were either created during the 1980s, or, in one case, parodies works of the 1980s. Most songs in Rocks the 80s are cover versions of the original title created by WaveGroup Sound
, though there are some master recording
s. Each song features the main guitar track as well as a bass track that can be played in practice or cooperative modes. Unlike previous Guitar Hero games, there are no bonus tracks in Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s. Bow Wow Wow
's "I Want Candy
" was originally announced for the game but was ultimately removed; no reason for its removal has been stated by RedOctane.
Limozeen is a fictional 80s glam metal
band featured in the Homestar Runner
series of web cartoons; while the song was created in 2003, it parodies the style of these bands.
Judas Priest's "Electric Eye" includes "The Hellion", the preceding track on the Screaming for Vengeance
album that segues right into "Electric Eye".
Poison's "Nothin' But a Good Time" is labeled in game as "Ain't Nothin' But a Good Time".
Twisted Sister's "I Wanna Rock" is featured as a re-recorded master track of the song, not the original album version.
sued the creators of Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s, claiming the cover version of "What I Like About You
" was virtually indistinguishable from their version, though Activision won a preliminary injunction in the following month to continue selling the game while the case is tried.
Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s
Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s is a music video game and the third installment in the popular Guitar Hero series...
(Guitar Hero: Rocks the 80s in Europe), is a music video game
Music video game
A music video game, also commonly known as a music game, is a video game where the gameplay is meaningfully and often almost entirely oriented around the player's interactions with a musical score or individual songs...
developed by Harmonix
Harmonix Music Systems
Harmonix Music Systems is an American video game development company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the United States...
and published by RedOctane
RedOctane
RedOctane was an American electronic entertainment company perhaps best known for producing the Guitar Hero series beginning in November 2005. RedOctane became a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision in 2006...
and Activision
Activision
Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
in 2007 for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
console. The game is considered an expansion of the Guitar Hero series and is part of Activision's goal to expand the series into genre or band-specific titles. Rocks the 80s was sold without a peripheral, unlike Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero II
Guitar Hero II
Guitar Hero II is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane. It is the second installment in the Guitar Hero series and is the sequel to Guitar Hero...
which were sold in a bundle with a guitar controller.
The gameplay in Rocks the 80s is the same as the gameplay in the Guitar Hero series. The player uses a guitar-shaped controller, with five fret
Fret
A fret is a raised portion on the neck of a stringed instrument, that extends generally across the full width of the neck. On most modern western instruments, frets are metal strips inserted into the fingerboard...
buttons, a strum bar, and a whammy bar, to play along with virtual notes as they scroll on the game screen. The songs can be played across four different difficulty levels in Career mode (presented in a progressive series of tiers), Quickplay mode, and both competitive and cooperative modes. Each tier consists of four songs and one encore song; during Career mode, the player must complete three or four songs in that tier depending on their chosen difficulty level, and then complete the encore song before they can move onto the next tier.
Rocks the 80s features a set list
Set list
A set list, or setlist, is a document that lists the songs that a band or musical artist intends to play, or has played, during a specific concert performance...
consisting of thirty songs in the main Career mode. As implied by the game's title, all the songs were either created during the 1980s, or, in one case, parodies works of the 1980s. Most songs in Rocks the 80s are cover versions of the original title created by WaveGroup Sound
WaveGroup Sound
WaveGroup Sound is a music production studio located in Fremont, CA specializing in audio post production and design. The primary notability of the studio is its work on many of the currently popular music games for the various major video game platforms...
, though there are some master recording
Master recording
A multitrack recording master tape, disk or computer files on which productions are developed for later mixing, is known as the multi-track master, while the tape, disk or computer files holding a mix is called a mixed master.It is standard practice to make a copy of a master recording, known as...
s. Each song features the main guitar track as well as a bass track that can be played in practice or cooperative modes. Unlike previous Guitar Hero games, there are no bonus tracks in Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s. Bow Wow Wow
Bow Wow Wow
Bow Wow Wow were an English 1980s New Wave band created by Malcolm McLaren to promote his and business partner Vivienne Westwood's New Romantic fashion lines.The group's music is described as having an "African-derived drum sound".-History:...
's "I Want Candy
I Want Candy
"I Want Candy" is a song written and originally recorded by The Strangeloves in 1965 that went to number 11 in the United States. It is a famous example of a song that uses the Bo Diddley beat.-Original version:...
" was originally announced for the game but was ultimately removed; no reason for its removal has been stated by RedOctane.
Main setlist
| Year | Song title | Artist | Master recording? | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | "18 and Life 18 and Life "18 and Life" is the second single from Skid Row's 1989 eponymous debut album.The song was to be the band's biggest hit, reaching No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, but only reaching No. 11 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, which was previously their biggest market. It was named the 60th... " |
Skid Row | 1. Opening Licks Encore |
|
| 1988 | "Ain't Nothin' But a Good Time Nothin' but a Good Time "Nothin' But a Good Time" is the first single from the second Poison album Open Up and Say...Ahh!. The B-sides are "Livin' For the Minute" and "Look But You Can't Touch".... " |
Poison Poison (band) Poison is an American glam metal band that achieved great success in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. To date, Poison has sold over 30 million records worldwide and have sold 15 million records in the United States alone. The band has also charted ten singles to the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100,... |
5. Relentless Riffs | |
| 1984 | "Ballroom Blitz" | Krokus Krokus (band) Krokus is a hard rock/heavy metal band from Switzerland. They enjoyed moderate success in North America during the 1980s.Krokus was founded in Solothurn in 1974 by bassist Chris von Rohr and guitarist Tommy Kiefer... |
4. Return of the Shred | |
| 1984 | "Balls to the Wall Balls to the Wall (song) "Balls to the Wall" was the lead single from Accept's fifth studio album with the same name. The album's best known song, which became Accept's signature tune, is the anthemic title track, for which a music video was shot that received American airplay on MTV.... " |
Accept Accept Accept is a German heavy metal band from the town of Solingen, originally assembled by former vocalist Udo Dirkschneider, guitarist Wolf Hoffmann and bassist Peter Baltes. Their beginnings can be traced back to the late 1960s... |
1. Opening Licks | |
| 1983 | "(Bang Your Head) Metal Health Metal Health (song) "Metal Health", sometimes listed as "Metal Health "; "Bang Your Head"; or, as it was listed on the Billboard Hot 100, "Bang Your Head ," is a song by American heavy metal band Quiet Riot on their breakthrough album of the same name. The song is one of their best known hits and received constant MTV... " |
Quiet Riot Quiet Riot Quiet Riot is an American Heavy Metal band. They are best known for their hit singles "Metal Health" and "Cum On Feel the Noize". They were founded in 1973 by guitarist Randy Rhoads and bassist Kelly Garni, under the original name Mach 1, before changing the name to Little Women and finally Quiet... |
1. Opening Licks | |
| 1987 | "Bathroom Wall Bathroom Wall "Bathroom Wall" is a song taken from Faster Pussycat's first album Faster Pussycat released in 1987. Like much of the band's material from the album, it has a comedy side and deals with graffiti left on a bathroom stall wall that Taime Downe saw backstage at a gig the band were playing prior to... " |
Faster Pussycat Faster Pussycat Faster Pussycat is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California formed in 1986. The group was most successful during the late 1980s with their self-titled debut album, their 1989 gold album Wake Me When It's Over and the 80,000 selling Whipped! in 1992.-The roots of Faster Pussycat... |
5. Relentless Riffs | |
| 2003 | "Because, It's Midnite" | Limozeen | 2. Amp Warmers Encore |
|
| 1987 | "Caught In a Mosh" | Anthrax Anthrax (band) Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene... |
6. Furious Fretwork | |
| 1982 | "Electric Eye Electric Eye (song) "Electric Eye" is a song by British heavy metal band Judas Priest, from their 1982 album Screaming for Vengeance, and released as a single later that year... " |
Judas Priest Judas Priest Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,... |
6. Furious Fretwork | |
| 1982 | "Heat of the Moment Heat of the Moment UK 7" single-Chart performance:-Popular culture:* "Heat of the Moment" was repopularized in 2005 when it was featured in the motion pictures The 40-Year-Old Virgin and The Matador.... " |
Asia Asia (band) Asia are an English rock group formed in 1981. The band was labelled a supergroup as it included former members of several veteran progressive rock bands, namely John Wetton , Geoff Downes , Steve Howe and Carl Palmer Asia are an English rock group formed in 1981. The band was labelled a... |
2. Amp Warmers | |
| 1981 | "Hold On Loosely Hold On Loosely "Hold On Loosely" is a 1981 rock song by 38 Special and the first song to appear on their 4th studio album Wild-Eyed Southern Boys in 1981. It is the first single from the album, and made it to #3 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks and #27 on the Billboard Hot 100... " |
.38 Special | 3. String Snappers | |
| 1983 | "Holy Diver Holy Diver (song) "Holy Diver" is the first single released by heavy metal band Dio, taken from the band's debut album of the same name. Although it only reached #40 on the Mainstream Rock chart at that time, today it is one of Dio's most popular songs.... " |
Dio Dio (band) Dio was an American heavy metal band from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Formed in 1982 and led by vocalist Ronnie James Dio, after he left Black Sabbath with intentions to form a new band with fellow former Black Sabbath member, drummer Vinny Appice. Naming the band Dio made sense from a commercial... |
3. String Snappers | |
| 1982 | "I Ran (So Far Away) I Ran (So Far Away) "I Ran" is a song by English New Wave band A Flock of Seagulls. It was released on their debut album A Flock of Seagulls in 1982 and was its most successful single, reaching number 9 in the United States and number 1 in Australia.-Single:The single was promoted by a distinctive music video in... " |
A Flock of Seagulls A Flock of Seagulls A Flock of Seagulls are an English New Wave band originally formed by brothers Michael "Mike" Score and Alister "Ali" James Score , with Frank Maudsley , Michael Kuby , H.J... |
1. Opening Licks | |
| 2007 | "I Wanna Rock I Wanna Rock "I Wanna Rock" is a song from the album Stay Hungry by American heavy metal band Twisted Sister. In 2009 it was named the 17th VH1 Greatest Hard Rock Songs by VH1... " |
Twisted Sister Twisted Sister Twisted Sister is an American heavy metal band from Long Island. Musically, the band implements elements of traditional heavy metal bands such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, along with a style that is similar to early glam metal bands... |
3. String Snappers Encore |
|
| 1981 | "Lonely Is the Night Lonely Is the Night "Lonely Is the Night" is a song written and performed by American rock singer and guitarist Billy Squier. It appeared as the sixth song on his 1981 album Don't Say No and become a rock radio hit, reaching number 28 on Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in 1981.Squier has performed "Lonely... " |
Billy Squier Billy Squier William Haislip "Billy" Squier is an American rock musician. Squier had a string of arena rock hits in the 1980s. He is best known for the song "The Stroke" on his 1981 album release Don't Say No... |
5. Relentless Riffs | |
| 1980 | "Los Angeles" | X | 5. Relentless Riffs | |
| 1982 | "No One Like You No One Like You "No One Like You" is a song by the German heavy metal band Scorpions, written by band members Rudolf Schenker and Klaus Meine . It first appeared on the band's 1982 album Blackout, and was one of three hits from the album... " |
Scorpions Scorpions (band) Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still... |
2. Amp Warmers | |
| 1981 | "Only a Lad" | Oingo Boingo Oingo Boingo Oingo Boingo was an American new wave band. They are best known for their influence on other musicians, their soundtrack contributions and their high energy Halloween concerts. The band was founded in 1972 as The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, a performance art group... |
4. Return of the Shred | |
| 1989 | "Play With Me Play with Me "Play with Me" is Extreme's first single from their self-titled debut album. It is one of the band's best known songs. It includes a fast and complex guitar solo by guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, and takes its intro riffs from Mozart's Alla turca.... " |
Extreme Extreme (band) Extreme is an American rock band, headed by frontmen Gary Cherone and Nuno Bettencourt, that reached the height of their popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s.Among some of Extreme's musical influences are Queen and Van Halen... |
6. Furious Fretwork Encore |
|
| 1980 | "Police Truck Police Truck "Police Truck" is a song by the Dead Kennedys. The song was originally released in May, 1980, as the B-side of the "Holiday in Cambodia" single and later released in June 1987 on the DKs' compilation album, Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death... " |
Dead Kennedys Dead Kennedys Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1978. The band became part of the American hardcore punk movement of the early 1980s. They gained a large underground fanbase in the international punk music scene.... |
6. Furious Fretwork | |
| 1989 | "Radar Love" | White Lion White Lion White Lion is an American/Danish hard rock/heavy metal band that was formed in New York City in 1983 by Danish vocalist Mike Tramp and American guitarist Vito Bratta. Mainly active in the 1980s and early 1990s, the band achieved double platinum status with their #8 hit "Wait" and #3 hit "When the... |
2. Amp Warmers | |
| 1984 | "Round and Round Round and Round (Ratt song) "Round and Round" is a song by American glam metal band Ratt which proved to be the biggest hit of their career, reaching No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. It appears as the third track of their album Out of the Cellar... " |
Ratt Ratt Ratt is an American heavy metal band that had significant commercial success in the 1980s. The band is best known for songs such as "Round and Round," "Wanted Man," "Lay It Down," "You're in Love", "Slip of the Lip", "Back For More", "Dance", "Body Talk", "I Want a Woman", and "Way Cool Jr." Ratt... |
4. Return of the Shred Encore |
|
| 1988 | "Seventeen Seventeen (Winger song) "Seventeen" is a single released by the American glam metal/hard rock band Winger, from their album Winger. Released in 1988, the song charted at No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100. Despite its pop metal sound, Kip Winger points out that the tune is musically a Progressive song and that it is actually... " |
Winger | 6. Furious Fretwork | |
| 1982 | "Shakin' Shakin' "Shakin" is a song by American rock singer, Eddie Money, from his album No Control in 1982. It was co-written by Eddie Money, Elizabeth Myers, and Ralph Carter, and released as a single, reaching #63 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #9 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks.The video for the single... " |
Eddie Money Eddie Money Eddie Money is an American rock guitarist, saxophonist and singer-songwriter who found success in the 1970s and 1980s with a string of Top 40 hits and platinum albums... |
2. Amp Warmers | |
| 1983 | "Synchronicity II Synchronicity II "Synchronicity II" is a song by The Police, described by People Weekly as "aggressive" and "steely." It was recorded in 1983 and was included on the album Synchronicity. It was released as a single in the UK and the U.S. by A&M Records. The third single from the album, it reached number 17 in the... " |
The Police The Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland... |
4. Return of the Shred | |
| 1980 | "Turning Japanese Turning Japanese "Turning Japanese" is a song released by the English band The Vapors from their album New Clear Days, and the song for which they are known best. The song's lyrics consist mainly of the singer talking about pictures of his love... " |
The Vapors The Vapors The Vapors were a New Wave and power pop band from England, that existed between 1979 and 1981. They had a hit with the song "Turning Japanese" in 1980, which reached #3 in the UK Singles Chart, and #36 in the U.S... |
3. String Snappers | |
| 1984 | "The Warrior The Warrior (song) "The Warrior" is a song by pop/rock group Scandal, from the album of the same name. The song went to number one in Canada and number seven in the US, as well as number one on the Mainstream Rock chart in the US, in addition to winning a BMI Airplay Award in 1984.-In popular culture:*The song was... " |
Scandal | 3. String Snappers | |
| 1982 | "We Got the Beat We Got the Beat "We Got the Beat" is a song recorded by the American rock band The Go-Go's. Written by the group's lead guitarist Charlotte Caffey, the band recorded the song in 1980 and it was released in May as a single in the UK on Stiff Records. The song's single release brought the Go-Go's underground... " |
The Go-Go's The Go-Go's The Go-Go’s are an all-female American rock band formed in 1978. They made history as the first all-female band that both wrote their own songs and played their own instruments to top the Billboard album charts.... |
1. Opening Licks | |
| 1980 | "What I Like About You What I Like About You (song) "What I Like About You" is a song by American rock band The Romantics. The song, written by Romantics members Wally Palmar, Mike Skill and Jimmy Marinos is featured on the band's self-titled 1980 debut album, and was also released as a single. Marinos, the band's drummer, is the lead vocalist on... " |
The Romantics The Romantics The Romantics is an American New Wave band from Detroit, Michigan, formed in 1977. The band adopted the name "The Romantics" because they formed on Valentine's Day, 1977. The Romantics achieved popularity in the United Kingdom, The U.S... |
4. Return of the Shred | |
| 1981 | "Wrathchild" | Iron Maiden Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six... |
5. Relentless Riffs Encore |
Limozeen is a fictional 80s glam metal
Glam metal
Glam metal is a subgenre of hard rock and heavy metal that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States, particularly on the Los Angeles Sunset Strip music scene...
band featured in the Homestar Runner
Homestar Runner
Homestar Runner is a Flash animated Internet cartoon. It mixes surreal humor with references to retro pop culture, notably video games, classic television, and popular music.The cartoons are nominally centered on the title character, Homestar Runner...
series of web cartoons; while the song was created in 2003, it parodies the style of these bands.
Judas Priest's "Electric Eye" includes "The Hellion", the preceding track on the Screaming for Vengeance
Screaming for Vengeance
Screaming for Vengeance is the eighth studio album by British heavy metal band Judas Priest. It was recorded at Ibiza Sound Studios, Ibiza, Spain and mixed at Beejay Recording Studios and Bayshore Recording Studios in Coconut Grove, Florida. It was first released on 17 July 1982...
album that segues right into "Electric Eye".
Poison's "Nothin' But a Good Time" is labeled in game as "Ain't Nothin' But a Good Time".
Twisted Sister's "I Wanna Rock" is featured as a re-recorded master track of the song, not the original album version.
Controversy
In November 2007, The RomanticsThe Romantics
The Romantics is an American New Wave band from Detroit, Michigan, formed in 1977. The band adopted the name "The Romantics" because they formed on Valentine's Day, 1977. The Romantics achieved popularity in the United Kingdom, The U.S...
sued the creators of Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s, claiming the cover version of "What I Like About You
What I Like About You (song)
"What I Like About You" is a song by American rock band The Romantics. The song, written by Romantics members Wally Palmar, Mike Skill and Jimmy Marinos is featured on the band's self-titled 1980 debut album, and was also released as a single. Marinos, the band's drummer, is the lead vocalist on...
" was virtually indistinguishable from their version, though Activision won a preliminary injunction in the following month to continue selling the game while the case is tried.