It was 2009. The rhythm game gold rush was hitting a fever pitch, and Activision was pumping out plastic instrument titles faster than most people could clear "Through the Fire and Flames" on Expert. Then came Guitar Hero 5. If you talk to purists today, they’ll tell you it was the beginning of the end. They're wrong.
The Guitar Hero 5 playlist wasn't just a collection of songs; it was a desperate, brilliant attempt to save a genre by embracing everything it had previously ignored.
People forget how rigid the early games were. You had the "Guitar Hero" brand, which focused on shredding, and "Rock Band," which leaned into the party vibe. By the time the fifth mainline GH title dropped, the developers at Neversoft realized that if they didn't widen the net, the franchise would suffocate under its own weight. So, they gave us 85 tracks that felt like a chaotic, beautiful radio station. One minute you’re playing "Blue Orchid" by The White Stripes, and the next you’re stumbling through "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash. It was weird. It was polarizing. Honestly, it was exactly what the series needed.
The Day the Metal Died (Sort Of)
For years, the GH community was built on a foundation of thrash metal and classic rock. If it didn't have a solo that made your fingers bleed, people didn't want it. But the Guitar Hero 5 playlist pivoted hard. It introduced a level of "indie" and "alternative" credibility that the series lacked.
Think about the inclusion of Vampire Weekend. In 2009, putting "A-Punk" in a game called Guitar Hero felt like heresy to the guys wearing Slayer t-shirts. But you know what? It worked. The track was fun. It had a syncopated rhythm that felt fresh compared to the constant 16th-note chugging of previous entries.
The variety was the point. You had the heavy hitters, sure. Mötley Crüe’s "Shout at the Devil" and Megadeth’s "Symphony of Destruction" (the 2009 remix, interestingly enough) kept the core fan base from revolting. But then they threw in Arctic Monkeys. They threw in Kings of Leon when they were at their absolute peak with "Sex on Fire." They even grabbed "Dancing with Myself" by Billy Idol. It wasn't just about being a "hero" anymore; it was about being a fan of music in general.
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Why the "Everything for Everyone" Approach Worked
- The Multi-Instrument Factor: Since World Tour had already introduced drums and vocals, the songs needed to be fun for everyone, not just the guy on the plastic Gibson SG.
- Party Play: This was the game that introduced "Party Play," where people could jump in and out. You needed catchy, recognizable hooks for that. You needed "Hungry Like the Wolf" by Duran Duran.
- The Kurt Cobain Controversy: We have to mention it. Seeing a digital Kurt Cobain sing Bon Jovi songs was... a choice. Courtney Love hated it. Fans hated it. But it kept the game in the headlines for months.
Breaking Down the Heavy Hitters
Let’s get into the weeds of the setlist. If you look at the Guitar Hero 5 playlist as a historical document, it captures a very specific moment in the late 2000s music scene. It was the era where "indie" was becoming "mainstream."
You had The Killers with "All the Pretty Faces." It’s a deeper cut than "Mr. Brightside," which showed some actual curation effort. Then you have Muse with "Plug In Baby." If you’ve ever tried to play that opening riff on a real guitar, you know it’s a workout. On plastic? It’s a nightmare in the best way possible.
But then, the game would slap you in the face with something like "Lust for Life" by Iggy Pop. The drum beat is iconic, but as a guitar track? It’s basically just three chords and a lot of waiting. This was the trade-off. To get the legendary tracks, you had to accept some filler.
Honestly, the inclusion of Jeff Beck’s "Scatterbrain" was the peace offering to the hardcore players. It is a terrifyingly fast fusion track that proved Neversoft hadn't totally gone soft. If you can gold-star that, you're a god. Period.
The Technical Shift in the Guitar Hero 5 Playlist
One thing that doesn't get discussed enough is how the song selection influenced the actual engine of the game. Previous games were notorious for "over-charting"—adding extra notes that weren't there just to make it harder.
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In GH5, the charts felt more organic. Because the songs were more melodic, the note tracks had to be more precise. Playing "Sultans of Swing" by Dire Straits isn't about speed; it's about finger-picking style and nuance. Trying to translate Mark Knopfler's style to five colored buttons is a tall order, but the GH5 team nailed it.
Some of the most underrated gems on the disc:
- "20th Century Boy" by T. Rex: It’s pure glam rock swagger.
- "In the Meantime" by Spacehog: A 90s classic that most people forgot existed until this game.
- "Sneak Out" by Rose Hill Drive: A deep-cut blues-rock track that was actually one of the most fun to play.
- "Blue Orchid" by The White Stripes: Jack White's fuzzy, distorted tone felt great with the GH5 star power mechanics.
The game also gave us "Spirit of Radio" by Rush. If you want to talk about a perfect rhythm game song, that’s it. It has the iconic opening riff, the reggae-inspired breakdown, and a drum part that keeps you moving. It’s a masterpiece of composition, and it felt right at home here.
Comparison: GH5 vs. The World
When you compare the Guitar Hero 5 playlist to Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, the differences are staggering. GH3 was the "cool" older brother who only listened to classic rock and metal. GH5 was the younger sibling who went to Coachella and had a diverse Spotify wrapped (if Spotify existed back then).
GH3 had "One" by Metallica. GH5 had "Lithium" by Nirvana.
GH3 had "Raining Blood." GH5 had "Wolf Like Me" by TV on the Radio.
It was a fundamental shift in philosophy. Activision saw that the "extreme" difficulty of GH3 was pushing casual players away. They wanted a game that families could play on Thanksgiving. This led to some "soft" choices—like Stevie Wonder’s "Superstition"—but it also meant the game had a much longer shelf life in a social setting. You could put on GH5 at a party and someone would actually know the lyrics to "YMCA" by The Village People (yes, that was actually in the game, and no, we don't need to talk about it).
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What We Can Learn From the Setlist Today
Looking back, the Guitar Hero 5 playlist was the peak of the "Big Box" rhythm game era. After this, things started to fragment. We got Band Hero (which was basically GH5 for Taylor Swift fans) and eventually Guitar Hero Warriors of Rock, which tried to go back to the "metal" roots but felt like it was trying too hard.
The lesson here is that curation matters. A setlist isn't just a list of songs; it’s a vibe. GH5’s vibe was "the ultimate summer festival." It was messy, it was diverse, and it didn't care if it offended the elitists.
If you’re looking to revisit the game or just want to build a killer nostalgic playlist, don't just stick to the hits. Dig into the weird stuff. Play the Rammstein track ("Du Hast"). Suffer through the "Bring the Noise 20XX" remix with Public Enemy and Tom Morello. That’s where the soul of the game lives.
How to get the most out of the GH5 experience now:
- Track Down the Import Feature: If you have an old console, remember that you could import songs from World Tour and Smash Hits into the GH5 engine. It makes the UI so much better.
- Check the Song Metadata: Many of these tracks were master recordings, not covers. Take a second to appreciate the clarity of the stems.
- Experiment with Challenges: GH5 introduced song-specific challenges (like "whammy for 10 seconds"). It forces you to play the songs differently than you did in the 2007 era.
The Guitar Hero 5 playlist might not be the most "metal" or the most "difficult" in the series' history. But it is undeniably the most complete. It took the elitism out of the genre and replaced it with a genuine love for the broad spectrum of rock and roll. That’s a legacy worth picking up a plastic guitar for.
Actionable Next Steps
- Audit Your Library: If you're a Clone Hero player, search for the "GH5 Setlist" pack. Playing these charts with modern hardware and high refresh rates breathes new life into tracks like "The Look" by Roxette.
- Explore the Artists: Many of the "one-hit wonders" on this list, like The Bronx or Brand New, have incredible discographies that the game only scratches the surface of.
- Check Compatibility: If you're buying a physical copy for Xbox 360 or PS3, make sure your instruments are synced. GH5 was the first game to really standardize the "all instruments" tech, so it's the most stable platform for a full-band session.
- Revisit the Legends: Go back and play the Peter Frampton or Santana tracks. We often skip them for the faster songs, but the note-for-note logic in the GH5 solos is some of the best work Neversoft ever did.