Picture relevant. You try picking only five good songs from the last year!

Looking back at the last year, we saw some amazing content added to the store. And while some out there keep up with the weekly announcements and reviews we have here (and so you should!), we understand some of you may have missed some of them. We’d like to do a short recap and showcase some of our favourite content from the last 366 days; it was a leap year after all! Playthrough videos of the tracks are provided by the always awesome thenewnoelisoncruz. Definitely check out and subscribe to his YouTube channel!

Without further ado, our top picks of the last year are after the jump!

Foster The People – Helena Beat

It was Rock Band that first introduced me to this band back in the summer of 2012. I then had to question why I hadn’t listened to it before. It’s a song that I can’t quite explain why I like it as much as I do. As for it’s presence in Rock Band, it stands as having my favourite pro drum chart of the year. Any pro drummer should buy this song, as it makes a great addition to your library. (Suggested by LolMunnchy)

Elton John – I’m Still Standing

An absolute classic, I was overjoyed when this was announced back in the summer. It’s definitely a must have for key players out there, with quick chord changes throughout. Not to mention bass and drums are pretty fun to boot too. Probably one of the best band songs of the year. Definitely one for parties. (Suggested By LolMunnchy)

I wanted to pick one song from the Blitz soundtrack, to give that a nod, as I think Harmonix put together a great, diverse collection of music for that one. I’m Still Standing stuck out to me as a song that’s pretty interesting on almost every instrument. As with any Elton John song, it shines the most on Keys, but the vocals are pretty fun as well, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the song on guitar. The quick nature of the song also adds a bit to the challenge, and overall, makes it one that I really enjoyed playing in Rock Band 3. (Suggested by Mcmax3000)

The Black Keys – Lonely Boy

Wow, that opening riff is just brilliant! One of those ‘I’ve heard this somewhere before but can’t quite place it’ tracks, frequently cropping up in adverts and movie trailers, Lonely Boy is a tough one to keep pace with on drums but it’s still badass. Catchy, able to stand up to repeat playthroughs and downright cool it’s a classic slice of indie rock that deserves a place in everyone’s RB session list. And, hey, it’s another one from Forza Horizon as well! (Suggested by James)

Killswitch Engage – Starting Over

I’ll be honest, I didn’t know this song existed before the pack got announced. I figured Killswitch Engage’s last album was the one with My Curse on it. But I couldn’t be happier this got a release. It’s all about the guitar track on this one. Tier 5, but incredibly fun. Fast paced. 3 note chords and plenty of quick changes that have your fingers frantically moving across the buttons. But it’s manageable and fun. (Suggested By LolMunnchy)

Florence + The Machine – Dog Days Are Over

When this got announced, I promptly reloaded the page, twice, to check if there was an error with the webpage. Out of the releases last year, this is one of the biggest surprises of the last year. And while bass and key charts are lacking (Seriously, if you play either of these instruments a lot, stay away from it!), drums pick up halfway through, and guitar and vocals are really fun throughout the song. Plus, it’s an awesome song to boot. (Suggested by LolMunnchy)

Toadies – Possum Kingdom

I don’t know about you, but when they announced this was coming to the store, a mass wave of nostalgia hit me in the face like a brick wall. I have fond memories of playing this in GH2, and looked forward to seeing what the chart would be like. I wasn’t disappointed. The guitar chart for this one is a vast improvement over its previous counterpart. Three note chords shouldn’t be phased out, and this is a perfect example of why they work so well. (suggested by LolMunnchy)

The Black Crowes – She Talks to Angels

From Keys to Crowes, She Talks to Angels has a wonderful, intricate guitar riff that works so well translated to Rock Band charts. Couple that with some soulful, genuinely poignant lyrics and this is a late contended for favourite song this year. It’s not ridiculously difficult or merrily up-beat – instead it’s one of those tracks where it’s so easy to connect with the music. This is Rock Band for the contemplative, for those wanting to relax and think. It’s amazing what the medium can do for a simple song – moving it beyond the passive connects it directly to emotion. She Talks to Angels is a perfect example of a song that just clicked with the atmosphere of the time. (Suggested by James)

The Black Keys – Tighten Up

This is easily one of my favourite songs of all time, and the announcement that we were getting this song was beautiful. Gameplay wise, it’s easy but chill. While I prefer songs that are a little more fast paced, rather than easy,
I still enjoy the guitar chart for this song. It’s easy but tricky to FC, given the hammer ons and pull offs. The Pro guitar chart is fantastic, and shows off Dan Auerbach’s talents by moving up and down the fretboard throughout the song, with notes ranging from the 2 fret, all the way up to the 14th, with a couple of 17′s thrown in for good measure. Very fun to play nonetheless. (Suggested By LolMunnchy)

A Flock Of Seagulls – I Ran (So Far Away) & Foreigner – I Want to Know What Love Is

I grouped these two together, because they make my list for the same reasons. They’re not particularly challenging on any instrument, but to me, these are the songs that make Rock Band such an amazing game: The songs that everybody knows.

I appreciate a challenging Guitar/Bass/Drum/Keys part as much as the next hardcore Rock Band player, but I would trade every bit of challenge this game has for even one of those moments when you have a room full of people that are playing along to a classic song that they all know really well, and I feel like these two songs are the best examples of that in 2012. (Suggested by Mcmax3000)

Midnight Oil – Power and the Passion

When it was first announced that Midnight Oil were coming to Rock Band, I was super excited that we were finally going to get Beds Are Burning. When I read that this was the song, however, I was a bit shocked because I had always assumed they were a one hit wonder. Once I got to play it, however, I was blow away at how much fun I was having! Although keys are lacking, guitar and bass are fun throughout. Where the song really shines, however, is on it’s amazing drum part! It’s got a great solo, and a pattern that’s different from the usual beat! (Suggested by OsagaTheGreat)

Hall and Oates – I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)

Another great surprise of 2012, these were an act I was forced to listen to while growing up. And I couldn’t be happier. This is a classic, and definitely a challenge for vocalists. Even seasoned veterans will have trouble 5 staring this one, but not many people will care, as they’ll be having way too much fun singing this at parties! (Suggested by LolMunnchy)

The B-52’s – Love Shack

Harmonies are my strong suit so seeing Love Shack, The B-52’s most recognizable track, hit Rock Band was awesome. Aside from the tight harmonies there are some great charts on the other instruments – that opening drum beat just gets things going in the right way! It’s a party starter and one that shouldn’t be missed! (Suggested by James)

Iron Maiden – Rime of the Ancient Mariner

I’ll admit, save for a few bands, metal has never really been my thing (this is, of course, excluding hair metal, my favourite genre of music!). Iron Maiden, however, has always been one of the metal bands I like, and Rime of the Ancient Mariner is exactly the reason why! An almost 14 minute epic based on the classic poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner filled with complex instrumentation making for an epic Rock Band experience. You’ll have the most fun if you’re a guitarist or a bassist due to the solo filled tracks that each instrument sports! (Suggested by OsagaTheGreat)

The Band – The Weight (Live)

I was shocked to finally see this song come out! It had been leaked for ages, but I’d figured that it was just one of those songs that leaked, but licensing meant it had to be pulled last minute. Fortunately, this wasn’t the case, as it eventually got released on Rock Band’s 5th Birthday! The instruments are all challenging, but not overwhelming! The star of this song, however, is the epic harmonies. I can guarantee that everyone will want to sing along! (Suggested by OsagaTheGreat)

Paramore – Ignorance

I’ll always have a soft spot for any Paramore song in Rock Band, because their first DLC track introduced me to the band. As a primarily vocal player, I liked all of the songs in their first pack, but I chose Ignorance for my list, because it has the interesting parts for most of the instruments, aside from Keys, which sees long stretches of nothing to do.

For everything else, it’s a fun song, with a medium amount of challenge. (Suggested by Mcmax3000)

Foster the People – Don’t Stop (Colour on the Walls)

Another Foster The People song here! Confession: I didn’t know who the hell FTP were before hearing these songs and, even hearing them, they sounded a little too cool for my liking. Then I played the song – with it’s infectious chorus, driving beat and downright quirky tics – and loved it. Hearing it crop up in Forza Horizon cemented it’s place in my top DLC for the year and it’s a perfect accompaniment to their Blitz track. Guaranteed to get people dancing as well as singing! (Suggested by James)

Kenny Loggins – I’m Alright

I wanted to put Footloose here, I really did, and if the guitar part in Footloose wasn’t annoying as hell, it’d be here instead. I’m Alright is incredibly fun. The guitar is filled with HOPOs, chords, and even features a guitar solo! Bass has HOPOs going all across the fretboard, and vocals are difficult, but the sort of difficult that means EPIC HARMONIZING! If you ask me, however, the song truly shines on the drums, featuring nothing that resembles a standard beat until the very end! Everything about this is super fun, and deserves a spot in your library! (Suggested by OsagaTheGreat)

Evanescence – What You Want

I’ll admit that a big part of my reason for choosing this one is similar to the last one… I like the band, but outside of just liking the band, and song, this one turned out pretty well on almost every instrument. If you’re on guitar, it’s not the most challenging, but for all of the other instruments, including Keys, and especially my primary instrument, vocals, it offers a really fun challenge (even if my voice is usually shot for a couple of hours afterwards from the high notes). (Suggested By Mcmax3000)

Rage Against the Machine – Killing in the Name

We’ve been waiting for it since the heady days of Guitar Hero II, but the thrill of seeing it finally hit the DLC library was worth the delay. It might have been severely edited but the raw power of RATM’s anger is still palpable and the charts do it justice, even if they aren’t the most technically impressive. A surprising Christmas number 1 in the UK, seeing Killing in the Name in my library is a real treat and always a guilty pleasure to bust out at family RB nights! (Suggested by James)

Whitesnake – Still of the Night

As I mentioned, I absolutely LOVE hair metal, so I’ll snatch up any Whitesnake I can get! Guitar features an AMAZING HOPO filled riff, a great alt-strumming section between the Green and Orange notes, and a not-too-complex-but-still-super-fun solo! I wasn’t expecting the drums to be as difficult as they were, but they managed to be great to play, and I’d probably enjoy the part more if I could actually play drums! Keys mirror the guitar quite a bit, featuring pretty much everything the same as guitar, even including a solo (and a fun one at that!). The true superstar of this song has got to be the bass. It mirrors the guitar, but manages to make it 10x more fun! It also features a solo, and we all know that bass solos, no matter how short, are WAY more epic than guitar solos! The song is phenomenal to play on everything, and if you don’t have it already, you might have committed a crime in Rock City. (Suggested by OsagaTheGreat)

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