So the track listing for Guitar Hero: Van Halen has been announced, and not surprisingly, it’s got plenty of Van Halen. As previously reported, the game only draws from the David Lee Roth-era, so you Jimmy Buffet Sammy Hagar fans are out of luck. So are any Michael Anthony fans, as Wolfgang Van Halen, who wasn’t even alive when 1984 came out, is the featured bassist.
Of interest are the non-VH songs also featured in the game. Some make sense, while others don’t. While Billy Idol, Queen and Foreigner are bands that any VH fan would know, it’s puzzling to see Jimmy Eat World, Killswitch Engage and Yellowcard songs included in the game. Not to take anything away from any of those bands (well, except for Yellowcard), but I highly doubt anyone in Van Halen is familiar with those bands, and I’d imagine most VH fans aren’t either. And is Alter Bridge still even around now that Creed’s back together?
At least some of the bands in Guitar Hero: Metallica made sense because they’d opened for Metallica, like Corrosion of Conformity and The Sword. And the same goes for Aerosmith. The Dave-era version of Van Halen was only from 1978-84, unless you count the reunion tour last year, so the field to draw from is smaller. But some songs on here don’t really make that much sense. That said, the Van Halen songs are so fun (and probably a blast to play), that it’s going to be a worthy purchase when it comes out later this year. Hell, it’s almost worth picking up for “Eruption” alone, not to mention “Painkiller.” Full list after the jump.
Van Halen songs:
Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love
And The Cradle Will Rock
Atomic Punk
Beautiful Girls
Cathedral (solo)
Dance the Night Away
Eruption (solo)
Everybody Wants Some
Feel Your Love Tonight
Hang ‘Em High
Hear About It Later
Hot For Teacher
Ice Cream Man
I’m The One
Jamie’s Cryin’
Jump
Little Guitars
Loss Of Control
Mean Street
Panama
Pretty Woman
Romeo Delight
Running With the Devil
So This Is Love
Somebody Get Me a Doctor
Spanish Fly (solo)
Unchained
You Really Got Me
Other Bands:
Alter Bridge “Come To Life”
Billy Idol “White Wedding”
Blink 182 “First Date”
Deep Purple “Space Truckin'”
Foo Fighters “Best of You”
Foreigner “Double Vision”
Fountains of Wayne “Stacy’s Mom”
Jimmy Eat World “Pain”
Judas Priest “Painkiller”
Killswitch Engage “The End of Heartache”
Lenny Kravitz “Rock And Roll Is Dead”
Queen “I Want It All”
Queens of the Stone Age “Sick, Sick Sick”
Tenacious D “Master Exploder”
The Clash “Safe European Home”
The Offspring “Pretty Fly For A White Guy”
Third Eye Blind “Semi-Charmed Life”
Weezer “Dope Nose”
Yellowcard “The Takedown”