Rock Band 4 is the fourth main installment in the rhythm game series, Rock Band , developed by Harmonix. The game was released in October 2015, following a five-year hiatus from the release of Rock Band 3 . Following the over-saturation of the rhythm game market in 2009, weak sales of Rock Band 3 led Harmonix to put the series on hiatus, though the company continued to provide downloadable content through 2013. The release of Rock Band 4 was prompted by several factors, including the market penetration of the eighth generation consoles PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, a stronger internal vision for what Rock Band 4 should be within Harmonix, and continued support from fans of the series.
Rock Band 4 ships with 65 songs on the disc, spanning rock music and other genres from the 1960s to the 2010s. Though the game includes new features such as freestyle guitar solos and improved drum fills, Harmonix has worked to assure that at least 1,700 of the songs in its downloadable content library from past Rock Band games are compatible with Rock Band 4 and that players who have already bought songs on the previous iterations do not have to repurchase the songs in the newer game as long as they stay within the same console library. As of January 25, 2024, the final DLC content for the game has been released, with Harmonix focusing on the development of Fortnite Festival.
Rock Band 4 is shipped with 65 songs on disc. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]
Song Title | Artist | Year | Genre |
---|---|---|---|
"Ain’t Messin ‘Round" | Gary Clark, Jr. | 2012 | Rock |
"Albert" | Eddie Japan | 2015 | Indie Rock |
"All Over You" | Live | 1994 | Alternative |
"Arabella" | Arctic Monkeys | 2013 | Rock |
"At Night in Dreams" | White Denim | 2013 | Indie Rock |
"Birth in Reverse" | St. Vincent | 2014 | Indie Rock |
"Brown Eyed Girl" | Van Morrison | 1967 | R&B/Soul/Funk |
"Caught Up in You" | .38 Special | 1982 | Southern Rock |
"Cedarwood Road" | U2 | 2014 | Rock |
"Centuries" | Fall Out Boy | 2015 | Pop-Rock |
"Cold Clear Light" | Johnny Blazes and the Pretty Boys | 2015 | R&B/Soul/Funk |
"Dead Black (Heart of Ice)" | Soul Remnants | 2013 | Metal |
"Dream Genie" | Lightning Bolt | 2015 | Rock |
"The Feast and the Famine" | Foo Fighters | 2014 | Alternative |
"Fever" | The Black Keys | 2014 | Rock |
"Follow You Down" | Gin Blossoms | 1996 | Alternative |
"Free Falling" | The Warning | 2015 | Rock |
"Friday I'm In Love" | The Cure | 1992 | New Wave |
"Hail to the King" | Avenged Sevenfold | 2013 | Metal |
"Halls of Valhalla" | Judas Priest | 2014 | Metal |
"I Am Electric" | Heaven's Basement | 2013 | Rock |
"I Bet My Life" | Imagine Dragons | 2015 | Alternative |
"I Miss the Misery" | Halestorm | 2012 | Rock |
"I Will Follow" | U2 | 1980 | Rock |
"The Impression That I Get" | The Mighty Mighty Bosstones | 1997 | Reggae/Ska |
"Kick It Out" | Heart | 1977 | Classic Rock |
"Knock Em Down" | Duck & Cover | 2014 | Punk |
"Lazaretto" | Jack White | 2014 | Rock |
"Light the Fuse" | Slydigs | 2015 | Rock |
"Light Up the Night" | The Protomen | 2009 | Rock |
"Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" | Spin Doctors | 1991 | Alternative |
"Little White Church" | Little Big Town | 2010 | Country |
"Mainstream Kid" | Brandi Carlile | 2015 | Blues |
"Metropolis—Part I: "The Miracle and the Sleeper"" | Dream Theater | 1992 | Prog |
"Milwaukee" | The Both | 2014 | Pop-Rock |
"Miracle Man" | Ozzy Osbourne | 1988 | Metal |
"My God Is the Sun" | Queens of the Stone Age | 2013 | Alternative |
"No One Like You (2011 Re-record)" | Scorpions | 1982 | Metal |
"The One I Love" | R.E.M. | 1987 | Alternative |
"Panama" | Van Halen | 1984 | Rock |
"A Passage to Bangkok" | Rush | 1976 | Prog |
"Pistol Whipped" | Tijuana Sweetheart | 2012 | Punk |
"Prayer" | Disturbed | 2002 | Nu-Metal |
"Recession" | Jeff Allen ft. Noelle LeBlanc and Naoko Takamoto | 2015 | Pop/Dance/Electronic |
"Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" | Rick Derringer | 1973 | Classic Rock |
"The Seeker" | The Who | 1970 | Classic Rock |
"Short Skirt/Long Jacket" | Cake | 2001 | Alternative |
"Somebody Told Me" | The Killers | 2004 | Alternative |
"Spiders" | System of a Down | 1998 | Nu-Metal |
"Start a Band" | Brad Paisley ft. Keith Urban | 2008 | Country |
"Still Into You" | Paramore | 2013 | Pop-Rock |
"Superunknown" | Soundgarden | 1994 | Grunge |
"Suspicious Minds" | Elvis Presley | 1969 | Rock |
"That Smell" | Lynyrd Skynyrd | 1977 | Southern Rock |
"Tongue Tied" | Grouplove | 2011 | Indie Rock |
"Toys in the Attic" | Aerosmith | 1975 | Rock |
"Turn it Around" | Lucius | 2013 | Indie Rock |
"Uptown Funk" | Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars | 2015 | R&B/Soul/Funk |
"V-Bomb" | Dark Wheels | 2015 | Rock |
"Violent Shiver" | Benjamin Booker | 2014 | Rock |
"The Warrior" | Scandal | 1984 | Rock |
"What's Up?" | 4 Non Blondes | 1992 | Alternative |
"The Wolf" | Mumford & Sons | 2015 | Rock |
"You Make Loving Fun" | Fleetwood Mac | 1977 | Classic Rock |
"Your Love" | The Outfield | 1985 | Pop-Rock |
Rigopulos said of the main soundtrack that "The budget that we’ve allocated for the title supports a top-tier soundtrack". [10] Harmonix allowed for fans to request songs to be included in the game, and tried to include the most-requested songs. [11]
In addition to developing new songs for purchase following the release of Rock Band 4, Harmonix was also working to ensure that as much of its existing library of downloadable songs would be compatible with the game upon its release as possible; 1,500 songs were available at launch. [9] Nearly all existing Rock Band DLC, including disc exports from previous games (excluding The Beatles: Rock Band ), Track Packs, and Rock Band Blitz , will be transitioned to Rock Band 4 within the same console family at no cost to the player (i.e. PlayStation 4 can only import songs purchased on PlayStation 3, and Xbox One can only import songs purchased on Xbox 360). "If you bought a Rock Band song, it should be yours in Rock Band 4," said Sussman. "Everything that you have already exported will come over." [12] At release, only individual songs were available for redownloading within Rock Band 4, with Harmonix working with Sony and Microsoft to offer support for existing song bundles and the various disc exports following the game's release. The Rock Band 3 disc export was available starting in early December 2015 for a small fee. [13] [14] [15] Rock Band 1 songs were available in January 2016, and Rock Band 2 and Lego Rock Band songs followed in February 2016. In May 2018, Harmonix announced it would be bringing the most popular entries as well as fan-requested songs from the Rock Band Network into Rock Band 4; however, unlike regular Rock Band DLC, users are unable to carry over any previously purchased RBN songs due to technical and licensing constraints. [16]
Most of the existing songs are updated with features new to Rock Band 4, specifically the use of Freestyle Guitar Solos for songs with guitar solos, and Freestyle Vocals. For songs previously released that would have vocal harmonies but did not have these harmonies presented in the Rock Band games, typically those prior to Rock Band 3's release, Harmonix has worked with fans to include such harmonies created by the fans in the Rock Band 4 version of these tracks. Other new features of Rock Band 4, such as new drum fills to trigger Overdrive, are automatically supported in any song by the game.
Depending on the nature of the sale, a number of songs were available as free bonuses to those that pre-ordered the game through various vendors; these songs were otherwise available at cost to other players.
A pre-order from Amazon included 4 exclusive songs for the Band-in-a-Box Bundle and Guitar Bundle pre-orders, on top of the original 30 free songs for those bundles. [17] They included:
Song Title | Artist | Year |
---|---|---|
"Don't Wanna Fight" | Alabama Shakes | 2015 |
"Failure" | Breaking Benjamin | 2015 |
"Trainwreck 1979" | Death from Above 1979 | 2014 |
"Follow Me Down" | The Pretty Reckless | 2014 |
PlayStation Network Plus members who pre-ordered via the PlayStation Store included: [18]
Song Title | Artist | Year | Genre |
---|---|---|---|
"Divide" | All That Remains | 2015 | Metal |
"Run for Cover" | Blitz Kids | 2014 | Pop-Rock |
"Throne" | Bring Me the Horizon | 2015 | Nu-Metal |
"Mona Lisa" | Dead Sara | 2015 | Alternative |
"The Reflex" | Duran Duran | 1983 | Pop-Rock |
"Move Over" | Janis Joplin | 1971 | Classic Rock |
"Would You Still Be There" | Of Mice & Men | 2014 | Nu-Metal |
"Sugar, You" | Oh Honey | 2015 | Indie Rock |
"Cowboys from Hell" (Live from Monsters in Moscow Festival) | Pantera | 1991 | Metal |
"Summertime Boy" | Seasick Steve | 2015 | Blues |
Pre-ordering a digital copy on Xbox One via Xbox Live included: [19]
Song Title | Artist | Year | Genre |
---|---|---|---|
"What If I Was Nothing" | All That Remains | 2012 | Metal |
"High Road" | Mastodon | 2014 | Metal |
"September" | Earth, Wind & Fire | 1978 | R&B/Soul/Funk |
"Backwoods Company" | The Wild Feathers | 2013 | Southern Rock |
"One Big Holiday" | My Morning Jacket | 2003 | Southern Rock |
"Jane" | Jefferson Starship | 1979 | Classic Rock |
"Gimme Chocolate!!" | Babymetal | 2014 | Metal |
"King for a Day" | Pierce the Veil | 2012 | Alternative |
"Rebellion" | Linkin Park | 2014 | Nu-Metal |
"All the Rage Back Home" | Interpol | 2014 | Indie Rock |
"The Mephistopheles of Los Angeles" | Marilyn Manson | 2015 | Alternative |
"My Own Eyes" | "Weird Al" Yankovic | 2014 | Novelty |
Pre-orders for the Band-in-a-Box and Guitar Bundles of the game shipped with 30 downloadable songs for free download; many of these include tracks by Harmonix employee-affiliated musical groups that had previously appeared in the first two Rock Band games. [20]
Pre-orders for the October 2016 Rivals expansion received these songs free upon the expansion's release, while the songs were later offered on the storefront for individual purchase. [21]
Song Title | Artist | Year | Genre |
---|---|---|---|
"Happy Song" | Bring Me the Horizon | 2015 | Nu-Metal |
"Safe and Sound" | Capital Cities | 2011 | Pop/Dance/Electronic |
"Save Tonight" | Eagle-Eye Cherry | 1997 | Alternative |
"Sweater Weather" | The Neighbourhood | 2011 | Indie Rock |
"Little Talks" | Of Monsters and Men | 2011 | Indie Rock |
"Happy" | Pharrell Williams | 2013 | R&B/Soul/Funk |
"Closing Time" | Semisonic | 1998 | Alternative |
"Chandelier" | Sia | 2014 | Pop/Dance/Electronic |
"Feel Invincible" | Skillet | 2016 | Rock |
"King of the World" | Weezer | 2016 | Alternative |
Two additional songs to the above ten are available for those that pre-order the expansion through Amazon.com. [22]
Song Title | Artist | Year | Genre |
---|---|---|---|
"One More Night" | Maroon 5 | 2012 | Pop-Rock |
"3AM" | Matchbox Twenty | 1997 | Alternative |
For users that have purchased the "Rivals" expansion, various updates brought more free songs; a December 2016 update brought twelve free songs from local Boston bands who had also been part of the Rockumentary footage; with the January 2017 Online Quickplay update, one additional free song was added to the "Rivals" expansion. [23]
Song Title | Artist | Year | Genre |
---|---|---|---|
"Bethany" | Goddamn Draculas | 2015 | Rock |
"Black Corridor" | Worshipper | 2016 | Metal |
"Black Streak" | Nemes | 2014 | Indie Rock |
"Closer, Closer" | The Warning Shots | 2016 | Punk |
"Constant Disaster" | When Particles Collide | 2014 | Alternative |
"Hour of Rats" | The Red Chord | 2009 | Metal |
"I Recognize" | Newfane | 2016 | Alternative |
"Mean Girls" | Petty Morals | 2016 | Pop-Rock |
"Never Let 'Em Hold Ya Back!" | Parlour Bells | 2016 | Glam |
"Pain Killer" | Ruby Rose Fox | 2016 | Indie Rock |
"Shadow" | Bearstronaut | 2016 | Pop-Rock |
"True Confessional" | Party Bois | 2016 | Pop/Dance/Electronic |
"S.O.M.P" [23] | Skratch'N Snyf | 1990 | Glam |
"Sink" | Animal Flag | 2016 | Indie Rock |
"These Hands" | Bent Knee | 2016 | Indie Rock |
"No Place for Me" | Black Beach | 2016 | Rock |
"History Repeats" | Creaturos | 2016 | Rock |
"RudeBoys" | Dutch ReBelle | 2016 | Hip-Hop/Rap |
"Hurry Up (& Wait for You)" | Julie Rhodes | 2016 | Indie Rock |
"Casablanca" | Littlefoot | 2016 | Pop-Rock |
"Cross That Line" | Michael Christmas | 2016 | Hip-Hop/Rap |
"Skydiver" | Ruby Rose Fox | 2016 | Indie Rock |
"Good" | STL GLD | 2016 | Hip-Hop/Rap |
"Alone Time" | Tigerman WOAH | 2016 | Rock |
"Sweater Weather" | Parks | 2012 | Pop-Rock |
"To My Romeo" | Spirit Kid | 2016 | Pop-Rock |
"Black Seas" | Arctic Horror | 2016 | Metal |
"(You're) Breakin' Up" | The Black Cheers | 2015 | Punk |
"Open Water" | Assuming We Survive | 2016 | Rock |
"Shy" | Hunny | 2017 | Indie Rock |
"Bloodhands (Oh My Fever)" | In the Valley Below | 2017 | Indie Rock |
"Who's Your Lover" | Nightmare Air | 2017 | Indie Rock |
"Radio" | No Small Children | 2017 | Rock |
"Forget About Tomorrow" | The Bergamot | 2016 | Alternative |
"I Hear the Dead" | Dolly Spartans | 2017 | Alternative |
"Body Like That" | The Eiffels | 2018 | Alternative |
"Vinyl" | Fly by Midnight | 2018 | Pop/Dance/Electronic |
"Shame" | Jocelyn and Chris Arndt | 2016 | Rock |
"Survive" | The Warning | 2017 | Rock |
"This Will Be the Day" | Jeff Williams feat. Casey Lee Williams | 2013 | Rock |
"Thinking Emoji" | Barely March | 2018 | Punk |
"Love That Hurts" | PREACHERVAN | 2018 | Alternative |
"Let's Just Dance" | Ships Have Sailed | 2018 | Alternative |
"Save Yourself" | tiLLie | 2017 | Alternative |
The game's on-disc soundtrack was generally considered weaker than previous installments, describing it as primarily featuring "B-list" musicians, "lesser-known" songs by notable acts (such as Rush's "A Passage to Bangkok") that had already been featured in Rock Band, and lacking a number of major acts that had historically made appearances in the franchise. [24] Many reviewers were underwhelmed by the soundtrack but did acknowledge several "seriously inspired choices", such as The Protomen. [25]
Rock Band is a 2007 rhythm game developed by Harmonix, published by MTV Games, and distributed by Electronic Arts. It is the first installment in the Rock Band series. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions were released in North America on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was released on December 18, 2007 and the Wii version on June 22, 2008. Harmonix previously developed the first two games in the Guitar Hero series, which popularized gameplay of rock music with guitar-shaped controllers. After development of the series was shifted to Neversoft, Harmonix conceived Rock Band as a new title that would offer multi-instrument gameplay.
Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enabling the publisher to gain additional revenue from a title after it has been purchased, often using some type of microtransaction system.
Rock Band 2 is a 2008 rhythm game developed by Harmonix, published by MTV Games, and distributed by Electronic Arts. It is the sequel to Rock Band (2007) and the second installment in the Rock Band series. The game allows up to four players to simulate the performance of popular songs by playing with controllers modeled after musical instruments. Players can play the lead guitar, bass guitar, and drums parts to songs with "instrument controllers", as well as sing through a USB microphone. Players are scored on their ability to match scrolling musical "notes" while playing instruments, or by their ability to match the singer's pitch on vocals.
Rock Band is a series of rhythm games first released in 2007 and developed by Harmonix. Based on their previous development work from the Guitar Hero series, the main Rock Band games has players use game controllers modeled after musical instruments and microphones to perform the lead guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, drums and vocal parts of numerous licensed songs across a wide range of genres though mostly focusing on rock music by matching scrolling musical notes patterns shown on screen. Certain games support the use of "Pro" instruments that require special controllers that more closely mimic the playing of real instruments, providing a higher challenge to players. Players score points for hitting notes successfully, but may fail a song if they miss too many notes. The series has featured numerous game modes, and supports both local and online multiplayer modes where up to four players in most modes can perform together.
Green Day: Rock Band is a 2010 rhythm game developed by Harmonix, published by MTV Games, and distributed by Electronic Arts. It is the sixth console installment in the Rock Band series and the second band-centric game, following The Beatles: Rock Band (2009). It allows players to simulate rock music by using controllers shaped like musical instruments. The game's setlist consists of songs by American rock band Green Day. Rock Band features virtual depictions of the three band members performing the songs in new venues designed for the game.
The Rock Band series of music video games supports downloadable songs for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii versions through the consoles' respective online services. Users can download songs on a track-by-track basis, with many of the tracks also offered as part of a "song pack" or complete album at a discounted rate. These packs are available for the Wii only on Rock Band 3. Most downloadable songs are playable within every game mode, including the Band World Tour career mode. All downloadable songs released before October 26, 2010 are cross-compatible between Rock Band, Rock Band 2 and Rock Band 3, while those after only work with Rock Band 3. Certain songs deemed "suitable for all ages" by Harmonix are also available for use in Lego Rock Band.
The Rock Band series of music video games supports downloadable songs for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii versions through the consoles' respective online services. Users can download songs on a track-by-track basis, with many of the tracks also offered as part of a "song pack" or complete album at a discounted rate. These packs are available for the Wii only on Rock Band 3. Most downloadable songs are playable within every game mode, including the Band World Tour career mode. All downloadable songs released before October 26, 2010, are cross-compatible between Rock Band, Rock Band 2 and Rock Band 3, while those after only work with Rock Band 3. Certain songs deemed "suitable for all ages" by Harmonix are also available for use in Lego Rock Band.
Rock Band 3 is a 2010 rhythm game developed by Harmonix. The game was initially published and distributed by MTV Games and Electronic Arts, respectively, on October 26, 2010. Mad Catz took over both roles and re-released the title on November 23, 2011. It is the third main installment and the seventh console release in the Rock Band series. As with the previous titles, Rock Band 3 allows players to simulate the playing of rock music and many other subgenres using special instrument controllers mimicking lead and bass guitar, keyboard, drums, and vocals. Rock Band 3 expands upon previous games by including three-part vocal harmonies — previously used in The Beatles: Rock Band and Green Day: Rock Band — plus support for MIDI-compatible keyboards, electronic drumkits, and even use of a real guitar in "Pro" mode.
The Rock Band series of music video games supports downloadable songs for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii versions through the consoles' respective online services. Users can download songs on a track-by-track basis, with many of the tracks also offered as part of a "song pack" or complete album at a discounted rate. These packs are available for the Wii only on Rock Band 3. Most downloadable songs are playable within every game mode, including the Band World Tour career mode. All downloadable songs released before October 26, 2010 are cross-compatible between Rock Band, Rock Band 2 and Rock Band 3, while those after only work with Rock Band 3. All songs that are available to Rock Band 3 will be playable in Rock Band Blitz. Certain songs deemed "suitable for all ages" by Harmonix are also available for use in Lego Rock Band.
Fantasia: Music Evolved is a 2014 motion-controlled rhythm game developed by Harmonix and published by Disney Interactive Studios for the Xbox 360 and Xbox One with Kinect. The game is the interactive successor to Walt Disney Animation Studios' 1940 animated film Fantasia and its 1999 sequel Fantasia 2000, both of which it is based upon.
The Rock Band series of music video games supports downloadable songs for the Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 versions through the consoles' respective online services. Users can download songs on a track-by-track basis, with many of the tracks also offered as part of a "song pack" or complete album at a discounted rate. All songs that are available to Rock Band 3 are playable in Rock Band Blitz.
Rock Band 4 is a 2015 rhythm game developed and published by Harmonix. The game was initially distributed by Mad Catz, who also developed new instrument controllers for the game, for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on October 6, 2015. Performance Designed Products (PDP) took over manufacturing of instrument controllers and distribution of the game by 2016. It is the fourth main installment and the ninth console release in the Rock Band series.