Popular songs vs. less known Songs

[AlmightyDan]

There was a little discussion about popular songs in RB in a thread by dark_maiden.

What do you think about popular songs in RB?

I experienced that people who played GH1 & 2 who werent too much into Rock music at all enjoyed the game by playing the popular songs like "Boston - More than a feeling". For beginners it seems easier to play a song that you already know.
And for some people popular songs are a reason to buy the game.

But while playing the two GH titles i found out that its great to get to know songs you never heard of before. And to start liking them! It kind of widened my musical horizon (The Sword for ex.).
The better i got the i thought the really popular songs suck / get boring.

In my opinion RB should have those songs that are more fun to play and not those which brought the biggest success to their artists. If both is the case: no problem with havin a popular song in RB.

But i trust in Harmonix to get a good mixed selection of songs that will statisfy both: The beginners and non-Rockmusic fanatics and the rest. (and i think they will even have like a dozen of songs in it i refuse to play and like - but no problem taste is a subjective thing)

[oberlin]

My favorites in GH2 to play were the ones i didnt know before- Six and Collide. However, Message In a Bottle was a favorite too, and I'm a big police fan

[StevoM]

Popular Licensed Songs have to be in Rock Band as it's a party game not a game of skills in music playing songs that you never heard from your favourite bands
It's just Teh Jakester moaning to have a song you never heard about and was just from a album BUT this is a party game so they have to pass these requirements

1.It has to be made into a video (But sometimes songs like Nightrain were live videos so that counts as a popular song)
2. It has to be released as a single or it's a fan's favourite song from an album (That what happened with Wrathchild)

That's only for the licensed songs
Bonus Songs don't need to do that

[dark_maiden]

i think that it is good to start off with quite alot of popular songs in the game in order to boost the reputation of the game and increase sales but then have alot of either lesser known songs by popular bands or unkown bands in the downloadable content.
I liked playing songs that id never heard before like push push or radium eyes but i enjoyed picking the guitar up and playing stellar or more than a feeling if i was only gonna play a couple songs.

[Rev0lver]

well, i think its good to have a mix of both in the game. but.... a little less of the crappy ones*cough*yes we can*cough*

[spokkeh]

I have o agree with what the OP said here. Guitar Hero really broadened my musical taste and made me discover bands that I'd never heard of before. It also helped me discover that fantastic TV show Metalocalypse. :D

I put my faith in the creators to give us bands we know and love and to give us songs that are ****ing awesome and are sure to like. :D

[Teh_Jakester]

GN'R - Nightrain. Same album as WTTJ, PC AND SCOM, third track. Listen to it.
Ozzy - Suicide Solution. Same album as Mr. Crowley and Crazy Train. Fith track. Listen to it.

[sushi111]

But Rock Band is all about inviting people over and rocking out, how can someone possibly rock out to Nightrain when they havent heard the song? I say go with the popular ones only if they are fun to play. Like Walk this Way is one of the most popular Aerosmith songs, at it would be fun to play so thats fine. But like Creep is Radioheads most popular song and it would be boring as hell in this game. In that case I would go for something a little less popular like Paranoid Android, which is still a song millions of people have heard.

[Teh_Jakester]

Walk This Way wouldn't be fun. Moron.

[StevoM]

Walk This Way wouldn't be fun. Moron.
It would be fun if it was with Run DMC :D

[Teh_Jakester]

Same riff. Over and over. Not fun.

[zankfrappa]

Same riff. Over and over. Not fun. no, its 3 different riffs really, and 2 guitar solo's, of course it would be fun to play...have you actually ever heard it?

[Teh_Jakester]

*Goes to iTunes* 266 plays.

[sushi111]

*Goes to iTunes* 266 plays.

Actually walk this way would be fun. It starts with a great riff for like 10 seconds and cuts to a chorurus which sounds nothing like the riff, then back to the riff for 10 seconds, then the chorus again, then a compltely different verse thats sounds completley different then a small solo, then the riff for 10 seconds, and then the chorus, then the riff for 10 seconds, then the chorus again, then the different verse again, then another solo, then another solo until the end.

So really its not that repetitive, in fact you only play the riff for like 30 seconds. And its a great riff anyways.

And the singing would be really really fun, as would the drums and bass.

So go listen to it again.

[AlmightyDan]

Same riff. Over and over. Not fun.

I thought about this problem for a while.
Im at a point where i ask myself:

who the hell said that repetition in a song is a bad thing?!?

In some cases its even real fun. For example if someone plays a certain riff over and over and someone else plays a solo over it. Thats when you get a real band feeling.
I'll go one step further and say that its sometimes even fun if only one instrument is playing for a while and the rest is smashing in. It all makes it more realistic.

I cant see why every instrument has to play non repetitive stuff through the whole song.

A good example is freebird in GH2: The rhythm guitar plays the same part over and over and over... while the lead is playing the melody. It kinda hurt my brain after playing the rhythm five times in a row in order to complete it on expert. But it somehow had a realistic feeling to it..

PLUS: Beginners learn faster to play with repetitive songs.

So im not totally against a few of those songs... as long as there is no "yes we can" in the game anymore.

[Teh_Jakester]

People, please listen to Mama Kin or Dude Looks Like a Lady.

[FunkaTrunk]

There are quite allot of songs that are popular, but suck. There are allot of unknown songs that suck...for a reason. In Guitar Hero 2, Almost every single song was awsome exept for 3 or 4, and quite a few I had never heard before.
I trust the game developers enough to filter out the good from the bad from the Trodgor.

See you in the spotlight!

[StevoM]

People, please listen to Mama Kin or Dude Looks Like a Lady.

Mama Kin sucks but Dude Looks Like A Lady pwns

[sushi111]

There are quite allot of songs that are popular, but suck. There are allot of unknown songs that suck...for a reason. In Guitar Hero 2, Almost every single song was awsome exept for 3 or 4, and quite a few I had never heard before.
I trust the game developers enough to filter out the good from the bad from the Trodgor.

See you in the spotlight!

Well they did put Cherry Pie in the game and most of the songs on GH 80s suck, so I dont trust them just yet...


But then again its Harmonix were talking about.