Arranged alphabetically by ranking
The Camera Eye | Rush | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Other instruments take a break in this song – not the drums. You’ll be all over the set, constantly trying to keep up. It’s that good kind of “effing hard” that makes you want to keep playing, not give up. ****
Push It | Static X | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Holy crap you will be all over that damn drum kit, alternating which hands will strike which pads in which order in an attempt to keep up. It’s hard, but not insane, and that’s why we have to highly suggest it for drummers – though it looks like everyone else might hate the song’s guttural-screaming guts. ****
Red Barchetta | Rush | 160MPS, $1.99 PSN
One of the most organic sets we’ve played in a while. Bang through this one and you’ll feel like the real thing – almost. ****
All Over Again | Locksley | 80MSP, $0.99 PSN
Perhaps the only Rock Band song thus far that gives you ‘60s-style drumming. Or ‘90s, if you count That Thing You Do. Fun because it’s different. ***
Bad to the Bone | George Thorogood & the Destroyers | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Long stretch of same-y notes, but it’s such a damn fun song to play in a group you won’t mind treading familiar ground. Even when playing solo there are some challenging fills to overcome. ***
The Conjuring | Megadeth | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Lots of movement and flourishes, several instances of triple notes and heavy, heavy footwork. Fun, but approaching the “too difficult to bother” ceiling. ***
Cream and Bastards Rise | Harvey Danger | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
A forgotten band pulls out a surprisingly diverse and slap-happy set. It’s not gonna blow your mind or anything, but the note arrangement will have you moving around and mixing things up so much it’s well worth the digital cash. ***
Girl U Want | Devo | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Pretty easy and straightforward, a good song to practice if you're making the transition from Medium to Hard. ***
Hands Down | Dashboard Confessional | 80MSP, $0.99 PSN
Lyrics may be emo but the drums convey total positive energy, with interesting beats and varied pedals to keep you moving. Good fun! ***
Limelight (Original) | Rush | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Starts off plain, then erupts into crazy-but-manageable triple foot pedals. Tough yet enjoyable, like most of the Rush drums. ***
Love Spreads | The Stone Roses | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Don’t be put off by the 5-star, 8th tier difficulty warning. It’s a long and busy haul, but in a good way, mixing things up instead of sticking you with one beat, offering more variety than a typical piece of DLC. ***
Natural Disaster | Plain White T’s | 80MSP, $0.99 PSN
Another great transition song from Medium to Hard, even Hard to Expert. Teaches you advanced techniques you’ll see a lot more of in harder sets. ***
Nearly Lost You | Screaming Trees | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Excellent on Hard, plenty of pedal action without getting crazy. You can’t zone out as with many Rock Band songs – it keeps changing things up and altering the beat, which is something of a rarity in a lot of drum notes. ***
One of THOSE Nights | The Cab | 80MSP, $0.99 PSN
Poppy and bouncy with some tricky footwork that keeps it from being too plain. Good practice for Mediums looking to grow into Hards. ***
Pretty Fly (For a White Guy) | The Offspring | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Abhor the song, but sadly have to acknowledge that it’s the best drum set in the Offspring Pack. It doesn’t stick to one pattern too long and keeps you moving. A very remorseful recommendation. ***
Rio | Duran Duran | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Highly demanding. You're all over the board and almost always in motion. A great showoff song if you can nail it - recommended. ***
Shhh | Darkest of Hillside Thickets | 80MSP, $0.99 PSN
Way fast, easily the most challenging song in the PAX Pack. Really good for the faux-punker with a love for heavy foot action. ***
Shoot the Runner | Kasabian | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Easy even on Hard, but it’s a fun, spacious note layout that makes you feel like the most important member of the group. Great song for when you just want to play and not worry about struggling to keep up. ***
Stop! | Against Me! | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Great foot tapping intro – we’re shocked this is the first time we’ve come across the pedal-yellow-pedal-yellow dance beat. It’s kinda simple though, even on Hard, and you could probably play the first half without much focus and then close your eyes for the rest. Expert players will love it even more. ***
Vital Signs | Rush | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Yet another bout of solid, fun beats that challenge without being annoying. ***
Wake Up Dead | Megadeth | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Great hard song, slightly tricky then slows down later on so you can work out all the difficult parts. Quite a workout. ***
You’re No Rock N Roll Fun | Sleater-Kinney | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Bangy and fast. Doesn’t do much, but what’s there is lively and the song itself checks out right before you’d start to get bored. Switch it up to Expert and get a bit more mileage. ***
YYZ | Rush | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Tough as hell but not in a bastard way; it’s challenging without being as ass about it. Lots of triple foot pedals, very satisfying. ***
Bad Omen | Megadeth | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Slow buildup leads to hectic, cluttered set of notes that rarely lets up. There are so many notes it’s hard to get a fix on the foot beat. It’s just too damn busy to enjoy unless you’re excessively talented. **
Charlene (I’m Right Behind You) |Stephen and the Colberts |Free
Well, it’s free, so it doesn’t really matter, does it? It’s ultra-basic with nothing out of the ordinary, and based on a two-year-old joke from The Colbert Report. Love the show though, so for no money down how can you say no? **
Chiron |All That Remains | 80MSP, $0.99PSN until 10/9/08; 160MSP, $1.99 after 10/9/08
Uneven, just like Two Weeks by the same band. This is probably the most enjoyable drum track from them though, and definitely has some kickass moments that move you all over the pads without being a prick. Give this one a shot first, then consider the other two as last resorts. **
Devil’s Island | Megadeth | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
More repetitive than other ‘deth songs. Lots of double pedals and repeating notes. Skippable when going solo, but energetic enough to play as a full band. **
Don’t Make Me Wait | Locksley | 80MSP, $0.99 PSN
Bouncy, radio-friendly tapping that neither excites nor disappoints. Very poppy though. **
Get Your Rock On | The Janitors | 80MSP, $0.99 PSN
Good stepping stone for learning off-beat foot pedal notes. Also mixes things up a lot on the board without getting difficult. Straightforward, but decent. **
Girls on Film | Duran Duran | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Lots of rolling blue notes and off-beat cymbal taps. The rolls put us off for some reason, but otherwise a decent set. **
Gone Away | The Offspring | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Despite loving the song to death, we have to admit it’s probably the weakest of the Offspring Pack when it comes to drums. Middle of the road blah-ness. **
Good Mourning/Black Friday | Megadeth | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Heavy, heavy footwork. Playing on Hard feels more like a mid-tier Expert song. You’ve gotta be really into Megadeth or a drumming maniac to enjoy this. **
I Ain’t Superstitious | Megadeth | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
A kinder, gentler, dive bar-ier Megadeth. Slow and groovy, then speeds back up at the end, devolving into pedal/Red/Blue mashing. Could have been much better if it had a proper ending. **
Livin’ on the Corner of Dude and Catastrophe | MC Frontalot | 80MSP, $0.99 PSN
What begins as a fun ditty to tap out turns into a repetitive clackfest that, despite being lively, becomes annoyingly simple. Maybe if you’re a fan you’ll get more out of this. **
My Last Words | Megadeth | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Looong periods of the same incredibly difficult beat. Hard as hell with some fun flourishes here and there that make it worth playing if you bought the album, not so much for an individual purchase. **
Self Esteem | The Offspring | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
The most popular, overplayed Offspring song of all time is a welcome addition to the Rock Band roster (along with anything else from Smash), but other than a few hyperactive fills it’s not meant for solo drummers. **
She Does | Locksley | 80MSP, $0.99 PSN
Not bad, just too familiar and same-y to justify buying from a drummer’s perspective. There could very well be another Rock Band song with this exact set of notes. **
She Sells Sanctuary | The Cult | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Great song for the whole band. Unfortunately it’s quite boring from the drummer’s perspective, offering little more than yellow-yellow-yellow-red over and over. Play it in a group or not at all. **
She’s a Handsome Woman | Panic at the Disco | 80MSP, $0.99 PSN
Slow and easy, not meant for seasoned players at all. Oh it’s fine and well, maybe more interesting in a group setting, but pass if you’re drumming alone. Meh all around. **
Skullcrusher Mountain | Jonathan Coulton | 80MSP, $0.99 PSN
Unique structure and fun as a group, but not all that exciting when going solo. Fun song, just not by Rock Band standards. **
This Calling |All That Remains | 80MSP, $0.99PSN until 10/9/08; 160MSP, $1.99 after 10/9/08
Way too hard for the average player. Even on Hard it’s a bastard-tough challenge that’ll probably piss you off more than anything else. If you’re a prodigious drummer with ten arms and seven feet, hey, this one’s for you – everyone else, eh, skip it. **
Tom Sawyer (Original) | Rush | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Well, it’s already in the first game, so go play it for free. It’s fun, but unless you’re getting the entire album you don’t really need to drop two bucks. **
Witch Hunt (Part III of Fear) | Rush | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Feels faster than the rest of the song, almost doesn’t fit right. A lot of double-note tapping (Red/Yellow, Yellow/Blue etc) but kinda boring overall. **
All Right Now | Free | 160MSP, $1.99 PSN
Extremely basic structure will bore drumming vets. It may sound strange to say, but there literally is a whole lot of nothing to do – it’s a long, repetitive song that only classic rock fans will want to tap through. *
Through Being Cool | Devo | 160MPS, $1.99 PSN
Verrrry repetitive. The swing-style beat is fun for a bit but quickly becomes tiring. Only buy if you love the band. *
Two Weeks |All That Remains | 80MSP, $0.99PSN until 10/9/08; 160MSP, $1.99 after 10/9/08
Feels uneven. Strenuous beats extend for minutes and then suddenly you’re barely tapping anything at all, like you’re back on Medium or Easy. Weird and unsatisfying, unless you simply adore thrash metal that pounds on drums like an infant’s toy. *
