The Guitar Hero World Tour Music List: Why It Still Hits Different After 18 Years

You remember the plastic drums. Those orange-rimmed pads that sounded like Tupperware if you hit them too hard, and the kick pedal that never quite stayed in one place on the carpet. When Guitar Hero World Tour dropped in late 2008, it wasn't just another sequel. It was a massive, clunky, beautiful attempt to take over your living room.

The guitar hero world tour music list was the heart of that takeover.

Honestly, looking back at the 86 songs on that disc, it’s a weirdly perfect time capsule. You had the legends like Jimi Hendrix and Ozzy Osbourne rubbing shoulders with mid-2000s radio staples like Paramore and Linkin Park. It was the first time the series gave us all master recordings. No more "as made famous by" cover bands that sounded mostly like the real thing but lacked the soul.

The Heavy Hitters on the Disc

People usually talk about the "Big Three" of this era: Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and whatever drum set was currently breaking in someone's basement. But the setlist here was ambitious.

You had "Beat It" by Michael Jackson. That was a huge get. Getting the rights to MJ wasn't easy, and playing that Eddie Van Halen solo on a plastic fretboard felt like a rite of passage. Then you had the Tool tracks. Not just one song, but a whole dedicated venue. "Schism," "Parabola," and "Vicarious" weren't just songs; they were endurance tests for your brain. The visuals changed into this psychedelic, Alex Grey-inspired fever dream that made your living room feel a lot more intense than it actually was.

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Why the Variety Mattered

The variety was kinda wild. One minute you’re playing "Sweet Home Alabama" (the live version, which felt roughly eleven years long) and the next you’re struggling through "B.Y.O.B." by System of a Down.

The game tried to be everything to everyone. It had:

• Classic Rock Staples: "Hotel California" by The Eagles and "Go Your Own Way" by Fleetwood Mac.
• Modern (for 2008) Hits: "Misery Business" by Paramore and "The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World.
• The "I Can't Believe This Is Here" Picks: "La Bamba" by Los Lobos. Seriously, trying to sing that on the microphone while your friend missed every note on the drums was peak 2000s entertainment.

The "Final Boss" Songs

If you played through the Career mode, you know the difficulty curve was basically a vertical wall once you hit the end. The final venue in Times Square was a gauntlet. You had to survive "Overkill" by Motörhead—which is essentially a cardio workout for a drummer—and "Trapped Under Ice" by Metallica.

But the real kicker? "Hot For Teacher" by Van Halen.

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That opening drum solo by Alex Van Halen is legendary for a reason. On Expert drums, it was a nightmare. On guitar, the tapping intro was enough to make your fingers cramp. It felt like the developers were actively trying to hurt us, and we loved it.

Beyond the Main Setlist: The Guest Stars

One thing that made the guitar hero world tour music list feel more "alive" than previous games was the inclusion of real-life avatars. You weren't just playing as Axel Steel or Judy Nails anymore. You were playing as Hayley Williams or Zakk Wylde.

It was sort of surreal. Seeing a digital Billy Corgan perform "Today" or watching Ted Nugent engage in a guitar duel with you (yes, that was a thing) gave the game a weirdly personal touch. It wasn't just a playlist; it was a concert.

The Export and DLC Situation

Here is where it gets a bit messy. If you were there at the time, you remember the "Great Song Export" wars. You could actually move 35 of the songs from the World Tour disc over to Guitar Hero 5 or Warriors of Rock, but it cost a few bucks and some songs were left behind due to licensing.

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And the DLC? Man, the DLC was a goldmine. We got the entire Death Magnetic album from Metallica. We got the "Smashing Pumpkins Pack" with "G.L.O.W." and "1979." It felt like the music would never stop coming. Of course, most of those servers are long gone now, making the original 86-song disc even more precious for collectors.

What Most People Get Wrong About the Setlist

A lot of critics at the time complained that the list was "too pop-heavy" compared to Guitar Hero 3. They missed the point. World Tour was meant to be played as a band.

Sure, "The Joker" by Steve Miller Band isn't exactly a "Through the Fire and Flames" level shred-fest, but it’s a blast when you have four people in a room together. The guitar hero world tour music list wasn't just about the guitar anymore; it was about the synergy of the group. Playing "Eye of the Tiger" with a full band is objectively more fun than playing it solo. That's just a fact of life.

How to Play It Today

If you’re looking to revisit these tracks in 2026, you have a few options, but they aren't all easy.

1. Original Hardware: Dust off the PS3 or Xbox 360. You can find the discs for cheap at thrift stores, but the controllers are becoming vintage items. A working drum kit is basically a relic at this point.
2. The "Definitive Edition" Mod: On PC, there is a massive community project called Guitar Hero World Tour: Definitive Edition. It’s a fan-made mod that adds thousands of songs, fixes the bugs, and allows for modern resolutions. It’s honestly the best way to experience the game now.
3. Clone Hero: If you just want the songs without the career mode fluff, most people just import the guitar hero world tour music list into Clone Hero.

Actionable Next Steps for Fans

If you're feeling nostalgic, don't just watch YouTube clips. Here is how to actually dive back in:

• Check Local Listings: Scour Facebook Marketplace or eBay for "Guitar Hero controllers." Look for the ones with the "sliding" neck—that was the specific World Tour model. Even if the guitar is broken, the bodies are often fixable with a little soldering.
• Download the Soundtrack: Most of these tracks are on Spotify or Apple Music under "Guitar Hero World Tour" playlists. It makes for an incredible gym mix, especially the "Ozzfest" section of the game.
• Join the Community: The Guitar Hero Discord and Reddit are surprisingly active. They can help you get the PC version running with all the bells and whistles.

The game might be nearly two decades old, but the music hasn't aged a day. Whether you're hitting the "purple" note on the slide bar or screaming the lyrics to "Everlong" into a cheap plastic mic, that setlist still delivers.