31 Best Guitar Hero 2 Songs

KISS – Strutter

You wouldn’t ordinarily think that a band that dons makeup and costumes would be such a hit in the rock world. On the contrary, KISS proved that their onstage personas were actually a huge factor in their international success.

Strutter is a classic from KISS’s early catalog, filled to the brim with unforgettable guitar licks. 

Alice Cooper – Billion Dollar Babies

Guitar Hero 2’s developers made an excellent choice of including Billion Dollar Babies in the game’s soundtrack. Most people only know of Alice Cooper by means of School’s Out, I’m Eighteen, or No More Mr. Nice Guy.

Out of his entire catalog, Billion Dollar Babies is perfect for a video game centered around the guitar. You’ll only be able to find this cut on the Xbox 360 version.

Heart – Crazy On You

If there’s one song that might inspire you to pick up the real guitar, it’s Heart’s hit track, Crazy On You. This song begins with an intro that hints at classical composition before erupting into classic riff rock.

You’ll encounter this track on the game’s 6th level, when things remain somewhat easy but feature a subtle dose of difficulty.

Lamb Of God – Laid To Rest

If you didn’t know any better, you would think that Guitar Hero 2’s focus on metal music mostly consists of classic metal tracks. And while that might be true to some extent, Lamb Of God’s song, Laid To Rest, provides something for modern metal fans.

This song is fairly difficult due to its unforgiving speed. You might just want to lie down and rest once you master this song on the expert difficulty level.

Van Halen – You Really Got Me

Considering that Eddie Van Halen is one of the guitar heroes of the 1980s, featuring him in Guitar Hero 2 was a must. This is especially so since Van Halen got passed over when the developers made the first Guitar Hero game.

You Really Got Me marks what would eventually become a tradition in the Guitar Hero series. 

Buckethead – Jordan

Buckethead is a name that just about everybody in today’s society is at least somewhat familiar with. But, to be fair, Buckethead’s popularity only really became such by means of being featured in Guitar Hero 2. 

Jordan is an unlockable track that will push your dexterity to the limit if you’re not properly prepared.

Valient Thorr – Fall Of Pangea 

If you have access to Guitar Hero 2’s unlockable songs, do not skip over Fall Of Pangea by Valient Thorr. This is a long, spiraling track that blossoms like a flower before erupting into a rock song that isn’t afraid to get in your face.

Strong Bad – Trogdor

Remember the mention of how some songs are considered must-play among Guitar Hero fans? Even though it’s shorter than 2 minutes long, Trogdor is a song that will have you singing its name well after you complete the song.

All That Remains – Six

Your controller is bound to get a serious workout when you attempt Six by All That Remains. There’s a fair chance your wrist will need an ice bag if you play this on the expert difficulty level.

Dethklok – Thunderhorse 

If you were in high school when Guitar Hero 2 came out, chances are that you were also watching Metalocalypse on Adult Swim. Considering that Dethklok might be the greatest animated metal band ever, including Thunderhorse in Guitar Hero 2 just makes perfect sense.

You won’t find this song during the game’s main levels. Rather, Thunderhorse is a track that can only be unlocked later in the game. 

Top Guitar Hero 2 Songs, Final Thoughts

Guitar Hero 2 greatly expanded on the initial surprising success that the first game in the series managed to achieve. It was the success of Guitar Hero 2 that eventually prompted developers to create spin-off titles with similar gameplay. 

Plus, the game was notable for having different guitar controllers depending on the console you purchased the game for. Mastering this game on the expert difficulty level was a necessity if you thought of yourself as a “cool kid”.