Rock Band: Keyboard Hero thread

[cherokeesam]

It may be no secret that I've been actively campaigning for HMX to be the first to develop a keyboard peripheral for music games....and even though I don't think we'll be seeing a keyboard pop up in a full-band game anytime soon, I DO think there's a good chance that someone will put together a keyboard-only game that showcases the prominent role of keyboards in rock history -- from the boogie-woogie rock 'n' roll pianos of the 1950s, through the pervasive use of organs in the 1960s, and their crucial role in the evolution of prog and other rock genres in the 70s, into the 80s where synth dominated almost EVERY rock subgenre, and on into the 90s and 00s...

This is an ongoing list of tracks that REALLY showcase the need for a keyboard peripheral....feel free to comment and make suggestions of your own.

I'll also highlight in red the songs that make it into RB and/or GH (and effectively force cheat-charting keyboards to guitar or just ignoring their importance to the song altogether)....

1950s
Great Balls of Fire! -- Jerry Lee Lewis rockabilly
Tutti Frutti -- Little Richard rockabilly

1960s
Light My Fire --- The Doors (Ray Manzarek) classic rock
A Whiter Shade of Pale -- Procol Harum (Matthew Fisher) psychedelic rock
Gimme Some Lovin' --- Spencer Davis Group (Steve Winwood) soul
Riders on the Storm --- The Doors (Ray Manzarek) classic rock
House of the Rising Sun --- The Animals (Alan Price) blues rock
Chest Fever --- The Band (Garth Hudson) classic rock***
Hush --- Deep Purple (Jon Lord) classic rock
Get Back -- The Beatles (Billy Preston) classic rock***
Let It Be -- The Beatles
Lady Madonna -- The Beatles
Magic Carpet Ride -- Steppenwolf (Goldy McJohn) psychedelic
She's Not There -- The Zombies (Rod Argent) classic rock***
What'd I Say -- Ray Charles soul
Eli's Comin' -- Laura Nyro
96 Tears -- ? and the Mysterians
Louie Louie -- The Kingsmen
Bridge Over Troubled Water -- Simon & Garfunkel
Woolly Bully -- Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs
Incense and Peppermints -- Strawberry Alarm Clock
In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida -- Iron Butterfly
When A Man Loves A Woman -- Percy Sledge (Spooner Oldham) soul
Do-Wah-Diddy -- Manfred Mann pop
These Eyes -- The Guess Who (Burton Cummings) rock
Green Onions -- Booker T and the MGs (Booker T Jones) soul
Nights In White Satin -- The Moody Blues (Mike Pinder) psychedelic
Badge -- Cream (Felix Pappalardi) rock

1970s
Roundabout --- Yes (Rick Wakeman) prog
Highway Star --- Deep Purple (Jon Lord) classic rock***
Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding --- Elton John classic rock
Tiny Dancer --- Elton John
Prelude/Angry Young Man --- Billy Joel classic rock
Piano Man --- Billy Joel classic rock
Call Me the Breeze --- Lynyrd Skynyrd (Billy Powell) southern rock
Bat Out of Hell -- Meat Loaf classic rock
Bohemian Rhapsody -- Queen (Freddie Mercury) classic rock
Shine On You Crazy Diamond --- Pink Floyd (Rick Wright) prog
Hold Your Head Up -- Argent classic rock
Rocket Man -- Elton John classic rock
Frankenstein -- Edgar Winter classic rock
Southbound -- The Allman Brothers southern rock
Layla -- Derek and the Dominoes classic rock
Imagine -- John Lennon rock
Peaches En Regalia -- Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention (Ian Underwood)
Great Gig in the Sky -- Pink Floyd (Rick Wright)
No Quarter -- Led Zeppelin (John Paul Jones) classic rock
Blinded By The Light -- Manfred Mann's Earth Band classic rock
Foreplay/Long Time -- Boston***
Superstition -- Stevie Wonder
Lucky Man -- Emerson Lake & Palmer prog
Tuesday Afternoon -- Moody Blues (Mike Pinder)
Point of Know Return -- Kansas (Kerry Livgren) prog***
Tightrope -- Leon Russell
Werewolves of London -- Warren Zevon
Runnin' On Empty -- Jackson Browne
Old Time Rock and Roll -- Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band classic rock
Logical Song -- Supertramp
China Grove -- Doobie Brothers
Backstreets -- Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (Roy Bittan)
Karn Evil 9 1st Impression -- Emerson Lake & Palmer (Keith Emerson) prog
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway -- Genesis (Tony Banks) prog
Firth of Fifth -- Genesis (Tony Banks) prog
Scenes From An Italian Restaurant -- Billy Joel pop
New York State of Mind -- Billy Joel pop
She's Always A Woman -- Billy Joel pop
Autobahn -- Kraftwerk
Oxygene -- Jean Michel Jarre
I Feel Love -- Donna Summer (Giorgio Moroder) disco
Pop Muzik -- M
Come Sail Away -- Styx
Siberian Khatru -- Yes
Sheep -- Pink Floyd
Roll With the Changes -- REO Speedwagon classic rock***
You Make Loving Fun -- Fleetwood Mac (Christine McVie) classic rock
Kid Charlemagne -- Steely Dan
Machine Gun -- The Commodores (Milan Williams) funk
Trampled Underfoot -- Led Zeppelin (John Paul Jones) classic rock
Chameleon -- Herbie Han**** funk
You Are the Sunshine of My Life -- Stevie Wonder R&B
Baby, I Love Your Way -- Peter Frampton classic rock
You're My Best Friend -- Queen (Freddie Mercury) pop
Kashmir -- Led Zeppelin (John Paul Jones) rock
In the Court of the Crimson King -- King Crimson prog
Lady -- Little River Band
After the Gold Rush -- Neil Young


1980s
Somebody to Love --- Queen (Freddie Mercury) classic rock***
The Way It Is -- Bruce Hornsby and the Range pop rock
Miami Vice Theme -- Jan Hammer synthpop
Rockitt -- Herbie Han**** synthpop
Steppin' Out -- Joe Jackson
Cars -- Gary Numan synthpop
Jump -- Van Halen hair metal
Subdivisions -- Rush prog
Don't You Forget About Me -- Simple Minds
Funkytown -- Lipps Inc
Don't You Want Me Baby -- Human League
Open Arms -- Journey (Jonathan Cain)
Faithfully -- Journey (Jonathan Cain)
Babe -- Styx (Dennis DeYoung)
Chariots of Fire -- Vangelis
She Blinded Me With Science -- Thomas Dolby
Sister Christian -- Night Ranger
Axel F Theme -- Harold Faltermeyer
October/New Year's Day (Live, Under A Blood Red Sky) -- U2 (Edge)
Take On Me -- a-ha
Kiev Mission -- Tangerine Dream
Orinoco Flow -- Enya
Whip It -- Devo
Reap the Wild Wind -- Ultravox
The Message -- Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
Peter Gunn Theme -- Art of Noise
Strangelove -- Depeche Mode
Sweet Dreams Are Made of This -- Eurythmics
I Ran -- A Flock of Seagulls
Oh Yeah -- Yello
Black Coffee in Bed -- Squeeze (Jools Holland) synthpop
Rock Lobster -- The B-52s
Baby Grand -- Billy Joel & Ray Charles jazz/pop
Games People Play -- Alan Parsons Project prog
Decades -- Joy Division (Bernard Sumner) post-punk

1990s
November Rain -- Guns N Roses (Axl Rose)
You've Got a Friend In Me -- Randy Newman
Brick -- Ben Folds Five alt
Cornflake Girl -- Tori Amos alt
Hurt -- Nine Inch Nails industrial
Right Now -- Van Halen hair metal
Epic -- Faith No More***
Block Rockin' Beats -- Chemical Brothers
Nightswimming -- REM
Sadeness -- Enigma
Sweet Lullaby -- Deep Forest
Setting Sun -- Chemical Brothers
Dance of Eternity -- Dream Theater (Jordan Rudess) prog metal
Walkin' on the Sun -- Smash Mouth
Tube -- Phish (Page McConnell) jam
Into my Arms -- Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds alt
Metropolis Part 1 -- Dream Theater (Kevin Moore) prog metal



2000s
Butterflies and Hurricanes -- Muse (Matt Bellamy) alt
Piano Thing -- Muse (Matt Bellamy) alt
A Thousand Miles -- Vanessa Carlton
Clocks -- Coldplay
Boulevard of Broken Dreams -- Green Day pop-punk
Please Forgive Me -- David Gray
Chariot -- Gavin DeGraw
Joker and the Thief --- Wolfmother***
Get Ready 2 Rokk --- Freezepop***
100 Years --- Five for Fighting
This Is The Last Time -- Keane
Somebody Told Me -- The Killers
Electric Feel -- MGMT
Octavarium -- Dream Theater (Jordan Rudess) prog metal
Black Diamond -- Stratovarius
Dirty Harry -- Gorillaz
Le Disko -- Shiny Toy Guns (Jeremy Dawson) synthpop
United States of Eurasia -- Muse (Matt Bellamy) alt
Come Back to Me -- Ayreon (Arjen Anthony Lucassen) symphonic metal
Pyramid Song -- Radiohead (Thom Yorke)
Chaos -- Mute Math (Paul Meany)
Never Let Down -- Andrew WK
"When It Rains (Live)" - Paramore (Pop Rock)
"Good Girls Go Bad" - Cobra Starship & Leighton Meester (Pop Rock)
"Take My Hand (Remix)" - The Cab (Pop Rock)
"Writing On The Walls" - Underoath (Metalcore)
"Stick Stickly" - Attack Attack! (Metalcore)
"Keelhauled" - Alestorm (Scottish Pirate Metal)
"Feuer Frei!" - Rammstein (Industrial)
"Fiction (Dreams In Digital)" - Orgy (Industrial)
"Looking Glass" - The Birthday Massacre (Industrial)
"Bring Her Down (To Crippletown)" - Rob Zombie (Alternative Metal)
"Wake Up" - The Arcade Fire (Baroque Pop)
"Lover I Don't Have To Love" - Bright Eyes (Indie Pop)

***green: new updates

[Phategod1]

I dont think there are enpugh good Band songs that would mark the arguement for adding a Piano periphial. could you imagine a six piece party with a drummer and keyboardist all in your living room.

[cherokeesam]

I dont think there are enpugh good Band songs that would mark the arguement for adding a Piano periphial. could you imagine a six piece party with a drummer and keyboardist all in your living room.

That's why I said this wasn't a BAND game, but a one-off....pretty much a one-player.

And "not enough good songs to mark the argument...." Were you *reading* any of the songs that I picked.....?

[kingtonyx]

cool idea, but the 2000's leaves a bit to be desired for me but the voids I'm seeing can be filled

after the U2 YouTube concert is over and I can listen to some songs, I'll suggest a few

[Alright_Computer]

Good setlist, but "Pyramid Song" was released in 2001, not the 90's.

[kingtonyx]

A few for you to look through...

"When It Rains (Live)" - Paramore (Pop Rock, 2008)
"Good Girls Go Bad" - Cobra Starship & Leighton Meester (Pop Rock, 2009)
"Take My Hand (Remix)" - The Cab (Pop Rock, 2009)
"Writing On The Walls" - Underoath (Metalcore, 2006)
"Stick Stickly" - Attack Attack! (Metalcore, 2008)
"Keelhauled" - Alestorm (Scottish Pirate Metal, 2009)
"Feuer Frei!" - Rammstein (Industrial, 2001)
"Fiction (Dreams In Digital)" - Orgy (Industrial, 2000)
"Looking Glass" - The Birthday Massacre (Industrial, 2007)
"Bring Her Down (To Crippletown)" - Rob Zombie (Alternative Metal, 2001)
"Wake Up" - The Arcade Fire (Baroque Pop, 2004)
"Lover I Don't Have To Love" - Bright Eyes (Indie Pop, 2002)

[DJZoSo]

three words for why you need a keyboard peripheral

John Paul Jones!

[afterstasis]

they should definitely make a keyboard game so i can pwn you noobs.

[cherokeesam]

A few for you to look through...

"When It Rains (Live)" - Paramore (Pop Rock, 2008)
"Good Girls Go Bad" - Cobra Starship & Leighton Meester (Pop Rock, 2009)
"Take My Hand (Remix)" - The Cab (Pop Rock, 2009)
"Writing On The Walls" - Underoath (Metalcore, 2006)
"Stick Stickly" - Attack Attack! (Metalcore, 2008)
"Keelhauled" - Alestorm (Scottish Pirate Metal, 2009)
"Feuer Frei!" - Rammstein (Industrial, 2001)
"Fiction (Dreams In Digital)" - Orgy (Industrial, 2000)
"Looking Glass" - The Birthday Massacre (Industrial, 2007)
"Bring Her Down (To Crippletown)" - Rob Zombie (Alternative Metal, 2001)
"Wake Up" - The Arcade Fire (Baroque Pop, 2004)
"Lover I Don't Have To Love" - Bright Eyes (Indie Pop, 2002)

Thanks for the 00s, Tony....yeah, I'm gonna try to beef up the 90s and 00s, because there's still a lot of great keyboardists out there these days (Matt Bellamy and Jordan Rudess, just to name two, are PHENOMENAL)....the list (so far) shades heavily towards 70s and 80s because I started out mainly with the piano men, prog epics, and synthpop....

I also need to get more 60s organ tracks in there.....

[afterstasis]

some andrew wk is flat-out necessary.