Although no new once-popular rhythm games have retained a dedicated fanbase that continue to rock out with their guitar-shaped controllers to some of the biggest, best, and most technically demanding songs of all time. Since the release of Guitar Hero in 2005, there have been seven mainline entries into the series, with approximately 3000 songs ranging from pop to prog, jazz to heavy metal, and neo-classical to grunge, featured in the extensive and eclectic catalog.
With such an enormous catalog of tracks featured across the Guitar Hero series, many of which are widely considered to be some of the most iconic songs ever created, it is interesting to consider which are the greatest Guitar Hero songs of all time. They may not necessarily be the greatest songs of all time; however, their importance to the legacy of the series, impressive guitar-centric instrumentation, or notoriety as remarkably difficult in the game, qualify them as some of the greatest Guitar Hero tracks.
12 Deep Purple - Smoke on the Water
One of the first songs many budding rock stars learn on the guitar is also one of the greatest songs playable in any game from the Guitar Hero franchise. Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water" is a mainstay in the series, playable in Guitar Hero, Guitar Hero 2, and Guitar Hero: Smash Hits. It is one of the easiest songs in any Guitar Hero game, but it's one most rock aficionados love, even those who don't easily recognize its signature riff. The highlight of the track is its easy-to-play and infectiously catchy central theme created by Ritchie Blackmore.
11 Bon Jovi - Livin’ on a Prayer
Released in 1986 on the album, Slippery When Wet, Bon Jovi's signature song, "Livin’ on a Prayer", is one of the easiest tracks to play on lead guitar in any Guitar Hero game. In spite of its technical simplicity, it is undeniably one of the greatest tracks featured in the series' extensive musical catalog. Playable in Guitar Hero World Tour and Guitar Hero Live, "Livin’ on a Prayer" is the first track on World Tour, and it really sets the game off with a bang. The track is a classic of '80s glam metal and remains a fan-favorite song.
10 The Eagles - Hotel California
Featured in Guitar Hero World Tour, "Hotel California" is one of the best Guitar Hero songs of all time. The laid-back soft rock song from 1976's Hotel California, The Eagles' fifth studio album, is widely regarded as the band's creative magnum opus - an impressive achievement considering their extensive repertoire of classics and hits. Although "Hotel California" has a long - and at times fast - lead guitar solo, the track does not require the mastery of complex techniques and is mostly on the slower side - as a result, it is one of the easier options to play in Guitar Hero World Tour.
9 Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free Bird
It may have obtained a status as a meme, but Lynyrd Skynyrd's southern rock anthem, "Free Bird", is one of the greatest songs to ever feature in Guitar Hero. Playable in Guitar Hero 2 and Guitar Hero: Smash Hits, "Free Bird" is one of the longest and hardest tracks in the series. A player's endurance will be pushed to its limit during the nearly ten-minute track, which varies in tempo from the slow opening to the blisteringly fast solo. Hammer-ons, triplets, and complex fretting throughout ensure that "Free Bird" is one of the best, but hardest songs in Guitar Hero.
8 Guns N’ Roses - Sweet Child O’ Mine
Although only ever featured in Guitar Hero 2, the classic track from Guns N’ Roses, "Sweet Child O’ Mine", is one of the greatest songs playable in any game from the series. Released in 1988 on the debut album Appetite for Destruction, "Sweet Child O’ Mine" is a riff tour de force; undoubtedly one of the band's most iconic songs. Though the solo may offer newer players a challenge, the track is a rather easygoing one. "Sweet Child O’ Mine" is a classic and the lightly modified version featured on Guitar Hero 2 is a joy to play every time.
7 Foo Fighters - Everlong
Although the Foo Fighters' 1997 alternative rock smash hit, "Everlong", seems as if it would be a relatively easy track to perform in any Guitar Hero, its sole appearance in Guitar Hero World Tour can definitely challenge an unprepared player's endurance and is, at times, deceptively difficult. The hardest parts of "Everlong" are the song's alternate strumming pattern and the continual need to quickly maneuver the index finger back and forth between the Red and Green positions. In spite of this, the track is a classic, and it is one of the greatest songs featured in the Guitar Hero series.
6 Metallica - One
One of the big four bands of metal, Metallica, is known for its brutally heavy and ferociously fast tracks - a great example of this is "One". Based on the novel Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo, "One", is among the band's most popular songs, it is also perhaps the hardest of their songs to play in any Guitar Hero. Originally featured in Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock and then in Guitar Hero: Metallica, owing to its rapid tempo and that one infuriating yellow, "One" is notable for being an incredibly difficult track to get a full combo on.
5 Van Halen - Eruption
Featured in the criminally underrated Guitar Hero: Van Halen, "Eruption" is one of the most influential hard rock songs ever. Although only 1:42 in duration, the heavy metal instrumental guitar solo composed and performed by legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen is famous for its exhibition of innovative use of instrumental techniques - many of which make the Guitar Hero version one of the most difficult songs in the series. As it is a relatively short track, "Eruption" is less a challenge of physical and mental endurance, and more a fight to withstand the barrage of tapping, pull-offs, and shredding.
4 Kansas - Carry On My Wayward Son
First featured in Guitar Hero 2, before returning to the series in Guitar Hero: Smash Hits and Guitar Hero Live, Kansas' magnum opus, "Carry On My Wayward Son", is a classic, progressive, and hard rock anthem - certainly one of the greatest songs in any game from the series. The track has become an icon of the series, synonymous with the widely loved second installment. "Carry On My Wayward Son" is not exceedingly challenging in any way, and although it has an intricate and, therefore, moderately difficult solo, the track, for the most part, only requires knowledge of simple instrumental techniques.
3 Steve Ouimette - The Devil Went Down to Georgia
Originally a country song by The Charlie Daniels Band, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" was re-imagined as a speed metal track by Steve Ouimette for the final boss battle in Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock. Like many of the most difficult songs in the series, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" is a serious test of the endurance of even the most experienced Guitar Hero aficionados - the track is ferociously fast, with a near-endless bombardment of notes launched at the player. Although it is intentionally difficult, Ouimette's cover of the classic track is one of the series' best.
