For fans of rhythm games and rock music, the Guitar Hero series holds a special place. Long before Fortnite and other musical sensations, Guitar Hero revolutionized interactive music experiences. If you’ve ever wondered about the complete song list from the original Guitar Hero games, specifically excluding World Tour and band-specific titles, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s dive into a comprehensive breakdown of the Guitar Hero Song List from Guitar Hero 1, Guitar Hero 2, and Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock, perfect for revisiting these classics or discovering them for the first time.
Guitar Hero Song List: The Original Setlists
This list aims to provide a clear and easy-to-navigate guide to all the songs featured in the first three main installments of the Guitar Hero franchise. Please note that bonus songs and tracks from spin-off titles are not included to keep the focus on the core Guitar Hero experience.
Guitar Hero 1 Song List
Guitar Hero 1 laid the foundation for the series, introducing players to iconic rock anthems and challenging guitar riffs. The game was structured into tiers, each progressively more difficult, leading players on a journey from beginner strummer to guitar hero.
1. Opening Licks
- I Love Rock ‘N Roll – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
- I Wanna Be Sedated – The Ramones
- Thunder Kiss ‘65 – White Zombie
- Smoke on the Water – Deep Purple
- Infected – Bad Religion
2. Axe-Grinders
- Iron Man – Black Sabbath
- More Than a Feeling – Boston
- You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’ – Judas Priest
- Take Me Out – Franz Ferdinand
- Sharp Dressed Man – ZZ Top
3. Thrash and Burn
- Killer Queen – Queen
- Hey You – The Exies
- Stellar – Incubus
- Heart Full of Black – Burning Brides
- Symphony of Destruction – Megadeth
4. Return of the Shred
- Ziggy Stardust – David Bowie
- Fat Lip – Sum 41
- Cochise – Audioslave
- Take It Off – The Donnas
- Unsung – Helmet
5. Fret-Burners
- Spanish Castle Magic – Jimi Hendrix
- Higher Ground – The Red Hot Chili Peppers
- No One Knows – Queens of the Stone Age
- Ace of Spades – Motörhead
- Crossroads – Cream
6. Face-Melters
- Godzilla – Blue Öyster Cult
- Texas Flood – Stevie Ray Vaughan
- Frankenstein – The Edgar Winter Group
- Cowboys From Hell – Pantera
- Bark at the Moon – Ozzy Osbourne
Guitar Hero 2 Song List
Building upon the success of the original, Guitar Hero 2 expanded the song selection and gameplay, solidifying the series’ place in gaming history. This sequel introduced even more beloved tracks and challenging solos for players to master.
Opening Licks
- Surrender – Cheap Trick
- Mother – Danzig
- Shout at the Devil – Mötley Crüe
- Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You Tonight – Spinal Tap
Amp-Warmers
- Carry on Wayward Son – Kansas
- Strutter – Kiss
- Heart-Shaped Box – Nirvana
- Message in a Bottle – Police
- You Really Got Me – Van Halen
String-Snappers
- Them Bones – Alice in Chains
- War Pigs – Black Sabbath
- Monkey Wrench – Foo Fighters
- Search and Destroy – Iggy Pop and The Stooges
- Tattooed Love Boys – Pretenders
Thrash and Burn
- Who Was in My Room Last Night – Butthole Surfers
- Sweet Child o’ Mine – Guns N’ Roses
- Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’ – The Rolling Stones
- Girlfriend – Matthew Sweet
- Cherry Pie – Warrant
Return of the Shred
- Last Child – Aerosmith
- John the Fisherman – Primus
- Killing in the Name Of – Rage Against the Machine
- Freya – Sword
- Bad Reputation – Thin Lizzy
Relentless Riffs
- Jessica – Allman Brothers
- Crazy on You – Heart
- Stop – Jane’s Addiction
- Tripping on a Hole in a Paper Heart – Stone Temple Pilots
- Rock This Town – Stray Cats
Furious Fretwork
- Madhouse – Anthrax
- Laid to Rest – Lamb of God
- Carry Me Home – The Living End
- Psychobilly Freakout – Reverend Horton Heat
- YYZ – Rush
Face-Melters
- Beast and the Harlot – Avenged Sevenfold
- Misirlou – Dick Dale
- Free Bird – Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Hangar 18 – Megadeth
- Institutionalized – Suicidal Tendencies
Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock Song List
Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock took the franchise to new heights with even more iconic songs, memorable boss battles, and a heightened sense of rock star fantasy. This installment is often cited as a fan favorite for its extensive tracklist and challenging gameplay.
Tier 1: Starting Out Small
- Slow Ride (as made famous by Foghat)
- Talk Dirty to Me (by Poison)
- Hit Me with Your Best Shot (as made famous by Pat Benatar)
- Story of My Life (as made famous by Social Distortion)
- Encore: Rock and Roll All Nite (as made famous by Kiss)
- Co-op Encore: Sabotage (by Beastie Boys)
Tier 2: Your First Real Gig
- Mississippi Queen (as made famous by Mountain)
- School’s Out (as made famous by Alice Cooper)
- Sunshine of Your Love (as made famous by Cream)
- Barracuda (as made famous by Heart)
- Boss: Tom Morello’s Original Boss Battle Recording
- Encore: Bulls on Parade (by Rage Against The Machine)
- Co-op Encore: Reptilia (by The Strokes)
Tier 3: Making The Video
- When You Were Young (by The Killers)
- Miss Murder (by AFI)
- The Seeker (as made famous by The Who)
- Lay Down (by Priestess)
- Encore: Paint It Black (by The Rolling Stones)
- Co-op Encore: Suck My Kiss (by Red Hot Chili Peppers)
Tier 4: European Invasion
- Paranoid (as made famous by Black Sabbath)
- Anarchy in the U.K. (by The Sex Pistols)
- Kool Thing (by Sonic Youth)
- My Name is Jonas (by Weezer)
- Encore: Even Flow (by Pearl Jam)
- Co-op Encore: Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll (as made famous by Blue Oyster Cult)
Tier 5: Bighouse Blues
- Holiday in Cambodia (as made famous by Dead Kennedys)
- Rock You Like a Hurricane (as made famous by Scorpions)
- Same Old Song and Dance (by Aerosmith)
- La Grange (as made famous by ZZ Top)
- Boss: Slash’s Original Boss Battle Recording
- Encore: Welcome to The Jungle (by Guns N’ Roses)
- Co-op Encore: Helicopter (by Bloc Party)
Tier 6: The Hottest Band On Earth
- Black Magic Woman (as made famous by Santana)
- Cherub Rock (by Smashing Pumpkins)
- Black Sunshine (as made famous by White Zombie)
- The Metal (by Tenacious D)
- Encore: Pride and Joy (as made famous by Stevie Ray Vaughn)
- Co-op Encore: Monsters (by Matchbook Romance)
Tier 7: Live In Japan
- Before I Forget (by Slipknot)
- Stricken (by Disturbed)
- 3’s and 7’s (by Queens of the Stone Age)
- Knights of Cydonia (by Muse)
- Encore: Cult of Personality (by Living Colour, Re-recorded)
Tier 8: Battle For Your Soul
- Raining Blood (by Slayer)
- Cliffs of Dover (as made famous by Eric Johnson)
- Number of the Beast (by Iron Maiden)
- One (by Metallica)
- Boss: Lou (The Devil) Boss Battle Recording
- Encore: Devil Went Down to Georgia (as made famous by Charlie Daniels Band, Steve Ouimette rendition)
Relive the Glory Days of Guitar Hero
This complete guitar hero song list for GH1, GH2, and GH3 offers a nostalgic trip down memory lane for long-time fans and a fantastic starting point for new players curious about the origins of the rhythm game craze. From iconic rock anthems to challenging solos, these games delivered countless hours of entertainment and introduced a generation to the joy of virtual guitar shredding. Pick up your guitar controller (or maybe just air guitar!), crank up the volume, and get ready to rock with these legendary tracks!
