Over 28m Rock Band songs downloaded

By Ellie Gibson Published 10 December, 2008

That's an awful lot of money for nothing.

Rock Band players around the world have now downloaded more than 28 million songs.

As reported by Shacknews, there are currently 345 songs in the Rock Band store from 239 different artists. Throw in the tracks on the discs, and that means owners of the original game and its sequel have over 500 songs to choose from.

Each Rock Band track costs 160 Microsoft Points, equivalent to GBP 1.36 / EUR 1.92. So if all of those 28 million songs had been purchased individually, that would amount to more than 38 million quid in sales, or nearly 54 million Europounds.

Of course, many of the tracks will have been bought as part of bundle packs, making them a bit cheaper. Even with that taken into consideration, Eurogamer's top analysts estimate that profits from song sales are likely be well over the hundred pound mark.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (27) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • RobotRocker #1 3 years ago

    Someone is hinting at what they want for DLC...

  • Rodafowa #2 3 years ago

    Can't really complain about how Harmonix have handled DLC. They've provided a pretty steady stream of pretty good stuff in a pretty wide range of genres so there's pretty much something for everyone. Being able ship over the RB songs / DLC to RB2 was very, very cool, too. Obviously there are individual songs / albums I'd like to see (Another Girl, Another Planet and the whole of Raw Power plz!) and it's still a little bit more expensive than I'd like but still there's been something I've been interested in sucking money out of my pocket almost every week since the end of the summer lull.

    Harmonix, you are evil geniuses. I salute you.

  • Stu #3 3 years ago

    Harmonix have bred a cash cow! And well done them, they have innovatived an entirely new genre, honed it to perfection, and are reaping the rewards.

    They've provided some pretty good DLC (though a bit US-centric) - the only thing I'd like to see in future is some way of making RB tracks free to download if you can prove you've already bought them from iTunes or something - though I imagine something like that is fraught with difficulty and legal issues...

  • PlugMonkey #4 3 years ago

    and the whole of Raw Power plz!

    God, that would be good. And get some Therapy? on there too.

  • PlugMonkey #5 3 years ago

    the only thing I'd like to see in future is some way of making RB tracks free to download if you can prove you've already bought them from iTunes or something - though I imagine something like that is fraught with difficulty and legal issues...

    So, you want Harmonix to do a load of work and then give it to you for free because you have paid someone else entirely for a completely different piece of work? I can't see that happening, for some reason.

  • andywilkie35 #6 3 years ago

    I can claim at least 200 of these 28million!

    They have done well haven't they, as said previously they've released tracks every single week, and good on them.

    Now if they can just add the rest of Weezer's Blue album and Pinkerton I'll be a happy chappy!

  • Thunderbolt #7 3 years ago

    PlugMonkey,

    +1

    Therapy? rock and some Terrorvision would go down a treat too

  • Toothball #8 3 years ago

    I've hit the Store quite a number of times. It's really opened me up to a load of new music too. I keep ending up buying CDs of albums and tracks I had bought to play. Here's to many more.

  • optimusprym8 #9 3 years ago

    I would like to see some middleware they can provide to music labels so when you buy a music CD, you can pop it into the 360 / PS3 and it automatically copies the note charts etc to your HDD for use in RB / GH etc
    Edited by 1 at 10/12/08 @ 10:54

  • Evolution #10 3 years ago

    But seriously some Dire Straits would be sweet.

  • DoctorZoidberg #11 3 years ago

    I can claim at least 200 of these 28million!


    Blimey! That means with your original purchase with instruments, and now extra songs, you've clocked up nearly £500 on a computer game!!

    Harmonix must be sleeping on bed's made of gold, caviar and ferraris! No wonder they keep churning out new ones (and the samge for Guitar Hero).

    Fair play to them really.

  • nickthegun #12 3 years ago

    Thats very impressive for a game they dont appear to want people to buy.

    Imagine how many songs would have been downloaded had EA not made a spectacular shit shower out of BOTH launches.

  • nickthegun #13 3 years ago

    Having said they, they deserve some credit for showing Activisions previously appalling attitude to DLC up.

  • Mongoose #14 3 years ago

    I do feel that the tracklist that comes with the game may be deliberately weak to get you do go into the DLC. I wasn't impressed with Rock Band's list, though the game is awesome fun still.

  • awb83 #15 3 years ago

    Congratulations to Harmonix for releasing a successful game. Now that they have a license to print money, how about they reduce the cost of the full game and then I might consider buying it. £100 plus for all the instruments plus the disc is crazy, given the fact that the game is sooooooo cheap is America.

  • Fernando #16 3 years ago

    so much for Rock Band failing

  • coomber #17 3 years ago

    "Eurogamer's top analysts"?

    Some sub-editor has had a guess, you mean.

  • Toothball #18 3 years ago

    @ Mongoose:

    I've really enjoyed the tracks on disc for both versions so far. There has been plenty in there that I'd never heard before, but after a while I started getting into those too. Mind you, I end up doing that with most rhythm action games.

  • Erinan #19 3 years ago

    This is probably the best game I have ever bought. Ever. I spent a lot just to import the game from the US when it came out and it's been fun fun fun ever since (got it in February). People at parties love it! The missus loves it (and plays drums on Expert, eeerrrm), friends too, colleagues as well (guess who's taking part in a company competition).

    Congratulations to Harmonix, you guys are great developers!

  • EzyRyder #20 3 years ago

    Rock Band > Guitar Hero

  • shotgun44 #21 3 years ago

    A gold bed is pretty uncomfotable, I'd know because I sleep in one whenever I fly my platinum jet to my ivory beach house...

  • Pulsar_t #22 3 years ago

    But seriously some Dire Straits would be sweet.

    +1000000000

  • RedSparrows #23 3 years ago

    '"Eurogamer's top analysts"?

    Some sub-editor has had a guess, you mean.'

    Oh dear.

  • dudefella #24 3 years ago

    There's a couple of free songs and a bunch of 80 MS point songs, too.

    Anyway I've definitely spent over 50-60 euros on Rock Band DLC, it's awesome.

  • Corben_Dallas #25 3 years ago

    Wont get fooled again...

    :)
    Roger Daltrey must be wondering where all these vans of cash are coming from!!!1111:) :)
    Edited by 1 at 10/12/08 @ 17:16

  • spidermanalf #26 3 years ago

    @ Thunderbolt

    Hmmmm Screamager and Teethgrinder would be great!

  • Saint_Viper #27 3 years ago

    Ive downloaded a number of songs, however ive not spent a penny.

    The only microsoft points ive used are what ive got free from HMV when making other purchases.