Thanks to Guitar Hero and Rock Band, Younger Generations Are Loving Classic Rock
By Stephany on Thursday, March 13th, 2008 at 1:02 PM PST In Activision, Game Companies, Gamer Life, Games, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony
Sometimes, it takes a video game to get the youngest generation to appreciate music that was created before they were born, or for that matter, the majority of our readers. Case in point, the Guitar Hero and Rock Band games that we all love to jam with has not only gotten younger children interested in Mommy and Daddy’s music, but it has also helped many bands with their income.
Music that kids would not generally be exposed to, such as Megadeth, have seen a huge jump in sales via iTunes. Who would have ever thought that 7 year-old Jimmy from Mayberry USA would ever like a Megadeth song unless he played it on GH? Personally, I think this is great but I also think it exposes more than just children to the music contained on these game, it exposes all of us to them. I would never have heard the song “Freya” on any radio station where I live, but thanks to GHII and iTunes, it is now in my playlist.
“It’s a big part of our secret agenda,” says Harmonix co-founder Alex Rigopulos, whose company created both franchises. The games “are about connecting people with music in a deeper way.”
Considering the fact that Rock Band has currently sold over 1.5 million units along with over 5 million songs having been downloaded, and top that cake off with the icing that is the Guitar Hero franchise, which has sold over14 million units in North America alone, it is no wonder the music industry has seen a nice boost in sales, and is starting to take both games seriously.
A prime example is Aerosmith’s “Same Old Song and Dance” (which is horrible in my opinion). According to Neilson SoundScan, which tracks both digital and retail music, the sales of that single increased 136% the week after “GHIII came out and during the week after Christmas, it sored a whopping 400%. With these kind of numbers, it is no wonder that musicians and record companies are starting to allow master recording of their songs to be included in the games and downloads.
“It’s cool to see so many bands working closely with us,” says RedOctane co-founder Charles Huang (Guitar Hero). ” [most artists] were disengaged and just licensing us music; now they want to be heavily involved. Bands and labels are seeing this as one of the newest ways to introduce music.”
A prime example of bands wanting to cash in on this success is the British punk band The Sex Pistols. They wanted to be included in GHIII so severely that they reunited (sans Sid Vicious of course unless they dug is body up for show) to re-record “Anarchy in the U.K.” because they were not in possession of the master recording.
Hopefully now that musicians have become aware of the success of both of these games, along with the amount of extra money they would generate from this form of entertainment, more artists will get on board. I am talking to you Angus Young, if Paul McCartney can make a deal with iTunes you can make one with it as well – then get off your ass and let the fans rock out to AC/DC on GH and RB for goodness sake.
Read the full article via MSNBC.
YES! I’ve been saying this ever since the first Guitar Hero came out. People have grown up and realized theres better music out there than rap. They’re sick of stolen beats with vocals. I remember when I first heard Pink Floyd’s The Wall and realized what music was really capable of.
Good article, but Johnny Rotten doesn’t like GH, he made that very clear on record.
Joel, Johnny Rotten does not like ANYTHING. Not even himself despite the image he tries to portray while out in public.
Does my heart good to hear the young people enjoying the classics. Although not exactly old, as a child of the 80’s, I grew up listening to my father play records and tapes from his home stereo. Quadraphonic sound he said it was, the precursor to digital surround and only really available for the 80’s extreme audiophile. My Dad was the guy who paid almost 1000 dollars on a Compact Disc player on day 1.
Led Zep, Floyd, Deep Purple, Motorhead, Maiden, Dio, Sabbath (with RJD and with Ozzy), I mean this is music. Anyone can relate on any level with this music regardless of your race, social status or your fiscal worth. This music that transcends time, it’s as good now as it was when a track first appeared in the 70’s or 80’s. Few genres other than reggae can really appeal to everyone as long as they don’t close their mind and cross their arms over their chest with a shit smell on their face and purposely not let the sound and lyrics grasp them.
Other genres seem to be very fake or limited to a particular caste of people. Rap and country are the big ones. Rap is fake as hell, it can’t be related to by really anyone other than the singer (who oft times isn’t even telling a personal story because homeboy grew up in the Hampton’s wearing polos, playing tennis, and hanging around with people named Chad and Muffy). Those that have “street cred” still can’t convince even their fans who are in touch with reality that their life can be gangster too and they can shoot fools, smoke bud, fuck hoes, and pimp their rides and somehow turn that into a rap career or millions of dollars in the bank. Country is just god awful depressing and usually features some crooner wailing about how his wife left him for his brother, then his dog died and then he drank himself to death, and is now pining for his lost love in heaven. Corn ball as hell.
Anyhow, the true revival of classic rock makes my want to sport an old REO Speedwagon shirt and go stand around a mall or what not, leaning on my car, a pumpkin orange 1970 Camaro with my smoke pack rolled up onto my shoulder sleeves ala a combo of Adam Sandler and McCounahay (sp?) in both Billy Madison and Dazed and Confused.