Guitar Hero: Rocks the 80's is the third entry, and the first expansion entry in the Guitar Hero series. It's the game released between the 2nd and 3rd main entries (Guitar Hero II and Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock respectively). It's the last Guitar Hero game developed by Harmonix, as they and RedOctane were purchased by different companies. Activision who purchased RedOctane went on to develop Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, while Harmonix moved on to make the Rock Band series. The game was released on July 24, 2007 as a PlayStation 2 exclusive.
Song list[]
Guitar Hero: Rocks the 80's is the first expansion Guitar Hero game. And as it is an expansion, it came with less songs the two previous Guitar Hero games. The game shipped with 30 songs, the least amount of on-disc songs in a console Guitar Hero game. Like it's predecessors, all songs are covers made by WaveGroup. However, songs "I Ran (So Far Away)", "Because, It's Midnite", "The Warrior", and "Electric Eye" are their master recordings. "I Wanna Rock" by Twisted Sister is also a master recording, but were re-recorded by Twisted Sister made specifically for the game.
NOTE: the song "Electric Eye" includes the intro song "The Hellion" from the album "Screaming For Vengeance".
| Artist | Song | Career tier/venue | Other Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quiet Riot | Metal Health (Bang Your Head) | 1.1 - Opening Licks | Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories |
| The Go-Go's | We Got the Beat | 1.2 - Opening Licks | Click Here |
| A Flock of Seagulls | I Ran (So Far Away) | 1.3 - Opening Licks | Click Here |
| Accept | Balls to the Wall | 1.4 - Opening Licks | Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories |
| Skid Row | 18 and Life | 1.5 - Opening Licks [Encore] | Rock Band 4 (DLC) |
| Scorpions | No One Like You | 2.1 - Amp-Warmers | |
| Eddie Money | Shakin' | 2.2 - Amp-Warmers | |
| Asia | Heat of the Moment | 2.3 - Amp-Warmers | Rock Band 4 (DLC) |
| White Lion | Radar Love | 2.4 - Amp-Warmers | original version in Lips (DLC), Rock Band 3, SingStar (DLC), Grand Theft Auto V (beta); 16-bit cover in Rock n' Roll Racing |
| Limozeen | Because, It's Midnite | 2.5 - Amp-Warmers [Encore] | |
| Dio | Holy Diver | 3.1 - String Snappers | Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, Rock Band 2 (DLC), Rocksmith 2014 (DLC) |
| The Vapors | Turning Japanese | 3.2 - String Snappers | |
| .38 Special | Hold on Loosely | 3.3 - String Snappers | |
| Scandal | The Warrior | 3.4 - String Snappers | Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, Rock Band 4, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy |
| Twisted Sister | I Wanna Rock (2004 version) | 3.5 - String Snappers [Encore] | Click Here |
| The Romantics | What I Like About You | 4.1 - Return of the Shred | Click Here |
| The Police | Synchronicity II | 4.2 - Return of the Shred | |
| Krokus (original by The Sweet) | Ballroom Blitz | 4.3 - Return of the Shred | |
| Oingo Boingo | Only a Lad | 4.4 - Return of the Shred | |
| Ratt | Round and Round | 4.5 - Return of the Shred [Encore] | Click Here |
| Poison | Nothin' But a Good Time | 5.1 - Relentless Riffs | Air Guitar Hero Rocker, Guitar Hero Smash Hits, Rock Band 3 (DLC), Rocksmith 2014 (DLC), Guitar Hero TV |
| Billy Squier | Lonely Is the Night | 5.2 - Relentless Riffs | Grand Theft Auto V |
| Faster Pussycat | Bathroom Wall | 5.3 - Relentless Riffs | |
| X | Los Angeles | 5.4 - Relentless Riffs | Tony Hawk's Underground 2, Grand Theft Auto V (re-release), Rock Band 2 (DLC) |
| Iron Maiden | Wrathchild | 5.5 - Relentless Riffs [Encore] | |
| Judas Priest | Electric Eye | 6.1 - Furious Fretwork | Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, Guitar Hero Smash Hits |
| Dead Kennedys | Police Truck | 6.2 - Furious Fretwork | Tony Hawk's Pro Skater |
| Winger | Seventeen | 6.3 - Furious Fretwork | Saints Row |
| Anthrax | Caught in a Mosh | 6.4 - Furious Fretwork | Rock Band 3 |
| Extreme | Play With Me | 6.5 - Furious Fretwork [Encore] | Guitar Hero Smash Hits, Rocksmith+ |
| Bow Wow Wow | I Want Candy | N/A (cancelled song) | Samba De Amigo (Wii) (DLC) |