For fans of guitar games and 90s rock, imagining the perfect setlist for a Guitar Hero 2 style experience is a fun thought experiment. This curated list dives into the heart of 90s rock, offering a tiered progression of songs that would be both challenging and incredibly satisfying to play. Think of this as your ultimate 90s rock dream setlist, designed for hours of fret-shredding fun.
Tier 1 – Getting Started
Kicking things off, Tier 1 provides some accessible and recognizable tunes to warm up your fingers.
- No Rain – Blind Melon (1992)
- Gotta Get Away – The Offspring (1994)
- Sick And Beautiful – Artificial Joy Club (1997)
- Hand In My Pocket – Alanis Morissette (1995)
Encore: Clumsy – Our Lady Peace (1997)
Tier 2 – Ramping Up the Rock
Tier 2 starts to increase the intensity, introducing songs with more driving rhythms and slightly trickier guitar parts.
- Jenny Says – Cowboy Mouth (1996)
- Anthem For The Year 2000 – Silverchair (1999)
- Falling Down – Vertical Horizon (1995)
- Water’s Edge – Seven Mary Three (1995)
Encore: Banditos – The Refreshments (1996)
Tier 3 – Mid-Tier Mastery
Now we’re entering the mid-tiers, where songs become more demanding and require tighter rhythm and more complex chord progressions.
- Long Day – Matchbox 20 (1996)
- Everything For Free – K’s Choice (1998)
- Lazy Boy Dash – Jimmie’s Chicken Shack (1999)
- Basket Case – Green Day (1994)
Encore: Lithium – Nirvana (1991)
Tier 4 – Becoming a Guitar Hero
Tier 4 is where players start to feel like true guitar heroes, tackling songs with faster tempos and more intricate guitar lines.
- Lounge Fly – Stone Temple Pilots (1994)
- Airport Song – Guster (1998)
- Hello (Band Version) – Poe (1995)
- Quicksand – Finger Eleven (1998)
Encore: Bittersweet Me – R.E.M. (1996)
Tier 5 – Expert Level Approaches
Tier 5 marks the approach to expert level difficulty, featuring songs that demand precision and stamina for those extended guitar sections.
- Only Happy When It Rains – Garbage (1995)
- Last Stop: This Town – The Eels (1998)
- New – No Doubt (1999)
- Seether – Veruca Salt (1994)
Encore: Don’t Drink The Water – Dave Matthews Band (1998)
Tier 6 – Shredding Territory
Welcome to the shredding zone! Tier 6 brings in songs that will seriously test your guitar game skills with faster riffs and more challenging solos.
- Go Ahead – Radio Iodine (1997)
- Jeremy – Pearl Jam (1991)
- Machinehead – Bush (1994)
- Coma White – Marilyn Manson (1998)
Encore: Every You Every Me – Placebo (1998)
Tier 7 – Nearing Guitar God Status
Tier 7 is for the almost-guitar gods, featuring songs with relentless energy and complex structures that will push your abilities to the limit.
- Blind – Korn (1994)
- Save Yourself – Stabbing Westward (1998)
- Stranger Than Fiction – Bad Religion (1994)
- All Wrong – God Lives Underwater (1995)
Encore: Wherever I may Roam – Metallica (1991)
Tier 8 – Legendary Guitar Hero
The final tier before the ultimate challenge, Tier 8 is reserved for legendary Guitar Hero players ready to conquer the most demanding tracks.
- Living Dead Girl – Rob Zombie (1998)
- Enough – Gravity Kills (1996)
- We’re In This Together – Nine Inch Nails (1999)
- Stinkfist – Tool (1996)
Encore: Macarena – Los del Rio (1995) – (Yes, really!)
Final Song – The Ultimate Test
And finally, the ultimate test of your 90s rock Guitar Hero skills, a true epic to conclude your setlist journey.
Metropolis Part 1: The Miracle And The Sleeper – Dream Theater (1992)
This setlist aims to capture the diverse and powerful sounds of 90s rock within a Guitar Hero 2 framework. From grunge to alternative to metal influences, there’s something here for every rock fan ready to pick up their virtual guitar. What 90s rock anthems would you add to your dream Guitar Hero setlist?
