Harmonix was on a roll in 2008. They had just jumped ship from Guitar Hero to create something bigger, and frankly, more ambitious. When they dropped the list of songs on rock band 2, it wasn't just a tracklist. It was a statement. It was a massive middle finger to the idea that rhythm games were just a fad for people who couldn't play real instruments.
It was huge. 84 songs on the disc.
Think about that for a second. In an era where we get excited about a 12-song DLC pack, having 84 tracks out of the box—all master recordings—was insane. No covers. No "as made famous by" junk that plagued the early days of Guitar Hero. This was the real deal. You weren't playing a MIDI version of "Carry On Wayward Son." You were playing Kansas.
The sheer variety of the Rock Band 2 soundtrack
What actually makes this specific setlist work is the lack of cohesion. That sounds like a dig, but it’s actually a compliment. Most games try to stick to a vibe. Not this one. You’ve got the grunge filth of Alice in Chains sitting right next to the glittery pop-rock of Blondie.
The list of songs on rock band 2 starts with "Panic Attack" by Dream Theater. If you’ve ever tried to play that on drums on Expert, you know the literal physical pain involved. Mike Portnoy’s drumming is a cardiovascular workout. Then, the game pivots. Suddenly you’re playing "One Step Closer" by Linkin Park. It’s simple. It’s cathartic. It’s exactly what 2008 felt like.
The game didn't just stick to the hits, though. Sure, you had "Everlong" by Foo Fighters—arguably the best drum song in the history of the franchise—but you also had deep cuts. "Lump" by The Presidents of the United States of America is a weird, catchy inclusions that most people forgot existed until they saw it in the scrolling menu.
Why the "Master Recording" rule changed everything
Before this era, rhythm games were a graveyard of cover bands. Remember the first Guitar Hero? Half those songs sounded like they were recorded in a basement by guys who almost knew the lyrics. Harmonix realized that for Rock Band 2 to succeed, the authenticity had to be 100%.
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Every single song on the list of songs on rock band 2 is a master track. When you hear Axl Rose’s screech in "Shackler’s Revenge"—the infamous Chinese Democracy track that somehow debuted in a video game—that’s actually him. It changed the stakes. You weren't just playing along; you were interacting with the actual history of rock and roll.
The inclusivity was also pretty wild for the time. You had Abnormality’s "Visions," a death metal track that most players absolutely loathed because of its difficulty, alongside "Shooting Star" by Bad Company. It shouldn't work. On paper, it's a mess. But in a party setting? It’s perfect.
Breaking down the heavy hitters
Let’s talk about "Painkiller" by Judas Priest.
If you want to test if your friend is actually good at the plastic guitar, you put this on. It is a relentless, finger-shredding nightmare. It sits at the very end of the "Impossible" tier for a reason. But then, you look at the rest of the list of songs on rock band 2 and find "Hello There" by Cheap Trick. It’s barely two minutes long. It’s a warm-up.
The pacing of the setlist was designed to mimic a real career. You start in tiny clubs playing The Donnas and work your way up to playing "Battery" by Metallica in a giant stadium. Speaking of Metallica, getting them on the disc was a massive coup. This was before they went off and did their own dedicated Guitar Hero game, so having "Battery" was the ultimate flex for Harmonix.
The songs you forgot were actually there
Everyone remembers "Pinball Wizard" and "Any Way You Want It." But the list of songs on rock band 2 had some real underground gems that introduced a generation of kids to indie rock.
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- "Teen Age Riot" by Sonic Youth: This is a sprawling, noisy masterpiece that felt totally out of place in a mainstream game, yet it’s one of the most fun tracks to play on bass.
- "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)" by Arcade Fire: Before they were Grammy winners, they were on this disc.
- "Alex Chilton" by The Replacements: A nod to college rock royalty that most teenagers in 2008 definitely didn't know.
Honestly, the "Bonus Songs" section was a bit of a mixed bag. You had a lot of bands that were actually comprised of Harmonix employees. Bands like The Main Drag or Bang Camaro. Some people felt like it was filler, but "Night Lies" by Bang Camaro is a genuine banger with about fifteen vocalists all screaming at once. It captured the "spirit" of the game perfectly.
The technical legacy of the tracklist
One thing people overlook when discussing the list of songs on rock band 2 is how the stems were handled. Because these were master tracks, the game could pull the audio apart. If the drummer missed a note, the drums actually cut out of the song.
This required the developers to get high-quality multi-track recordings for all 84 songs. For older tracks like "Spirit in the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum, that wasn't always easy. Some of these masters had to be baked in ovens to be salvaged. The effort shows. The audio quality in Rock Band 2 arguably peaked for the series; later games felt a bit more compressed.
The Export Controversy
We can't talk about this list without mentioning the export situation. Back then, you could pay a small fee ($5) to move these songs into Rock Band 3. It was a revolutionary idea. Your library grew with you.
However, because of licensing nightmares, some songs got left behind. "Let There Be Rock" by AC/DC was a centerpiece of the list of songs on rock band 2, but it was notoriously difficult to keep in the ecosystem. AC/DC has always been picky about digital rights. If you didn't export your songs ten years ago, you're basically out of luck now. It turns the physical disc into a sort of time capsule.
How to experience these songs today
If you're looking to dive back into this specific era of music gaming, you have a few hurdles. You can't just buy these songs on a modern storefront easily.
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First, check your old accounts. If you ever bought the export key for the list of songs on rock band 2, those licenses might still be tied to your PlayStation or Xbox ID. You can often redownload them into Rock Band 4 (or Rock Band 4’s latest updates).
Second, the secondary market for the physical discs is still surprisingly active. You can find copies of Rock Band 2 for the Xbox 360 or PS3 for less than twenty bucks. The real challenge is the hardware. Finding a drum kit that isn't falling apart is the true endgame.
Lastly, there's the community side. Projects like Clone Hero have allowed fans to port these classic setlists to PC. While it’s not the "official" way to play, it’s how most of the rhythm game community keeps the list of songs on rock band 2 alive. They’ve even up-rezzed the video backgrounds in some cases.
Actionable Steps for the Modern Collector
If you want to relive this soundtrack properly, don't just stream the songs on Spotify. The magic was in the stems.
- Hunt for the "Midi Pro Adapter": If you have an electronic drum kit, this is the only way to play "Panic Attack" without destroying a plastic toy kit.
- Verify your Export Status: Log into your old console's purchase history. Many people own the rights to these songs and don't even realize they can play them on newer hardware.
- Prioritize the PS3/Xbox 360 Versions: Avoid the Wii version if you can help it. The DLC support and audio fidelity were always a step behind on Nintendo's hardware for this specific generation.
- Look for Local Retro Stores: Shipping a plastic guitar from eBay is a recipe for a broken neck (the guitar's, not yours). Buying local is the only way to verify the strum bar isn't mushy.
The list of songs on rock band 2 remains a high-water mark for the industry. It was a time when music labels actually cooperated with game devs, and the result was a curated journey through the history of loud, distorted instruments. It hasn't been topped since.