Harmonix has announced that Rock Band will celebrate next week's release of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' new live anthology box set with a six-pack of live tracks arriving as downloadable content, with P!nk, Kelly Clarkson and the Go-Gos as support.

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live Anthology Pack
• Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - "A Thing About You (live)" +
• Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - "American Girl (live)"
• Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - "Even the Losers (live)"
• Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - "Here Comes My Girl (live)" +
• Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - "Mary Jane's Last Dance (live)"
• Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - "Refugee (live)" +
• Go-Go's - "Our Lips Are Sealed" +
• Kelly Clarkson - "Miss Independent" +
• P!nk - "Who Knew" +

All tracks are from original master recordings, and those marked with a cross will also hit the family-friendly LEGO Rock Band. Tracks will cost $2 a pop (160 Microsoft Points, 200 Wii Points) while the Live Anthology Pack will be priced at $10 (800 MS Points).

Xbox 360 and Wii players can rock out to the tracks from Tuesday November 24, while PlayStation 3 plastic guitarists must wait until Thursday November 26.

While the entirety of Sgt. Pepper's one and only Lonely Hearts Club Band march out to The Beatles: Rock Band next Tuesday, developer Harmonix will be releasing six downloadable tunes for its regular Rock Band entries.

The below tunes hit Xbox 360 and Wii on Tuesday, November 17, with a PlayStation 3 release following Thursday, November 19. Each track will sell by itself for $2 (160 Microsoft Points / 200 Wii Points), with the five-track AFI bundle going for $8.50 (680 Microsoft Points) on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

AFI Pack 01
• AFI - "Beautiful Thieves
• AFI - "End Transmission"
• AFI - "Love Like Winter"
• AFI - "Medicate"
• AFI - "The Leaving Song, Pt II"
• The Bangles - "Walk Like an Egyptian" +

  Tracks marked "+" will also hit the family-friendly LEGO Rock Band Music Store.

Best Buy is offering a very accessible entry point to the world of plastic toy guitars with a one-day deal on a bundle of Rock Band 2 Special Edition and The Beatles: Rock Band on Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 for $130, a $30 discount on their individual prices.

Rock Band 2 SE contains the guitar, drum and microphone controllers in addition to a copy of the 84-track game, while The Beatles: Rock Band is the game disc only.

The deal is only available today from Best Buy's online store. Thanks masem for the tip.

Having already made his Rock Band debut in with another band, Jack White returns to Harmonix's music game franchise with a selection of tracks from The White Stripes as The Damned and Kasabian toss songs of their own on the downloadable wagon.

Due on Xbox 360 and Wii Tuesday, November 10 and PlayStation 3 on Thursday, November 12, each of the following tunes will go for the usual asking price of $2 / 160 Microsoft Points, with three-pack offering a slight savings at $5.50 / 440 MS Points.

The White Stripes Pack 01
• The White Stripes - "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground"*
• The White Stripes - "Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine"*
• The White Stripes - "Icky Thump"
• The Damned - "Smash It Up (Part II)"*
• Kasabian - "Club Foot"*

*Also available in the family-friendly LEGO Rock Band Music Store.

Developer Harmonix has issued details on next week's batch of downloadable add-ons for Rock Band and Rock Band 2, which will deliver eight new tracks to the franchise.

The following will hit the online marketplaces of the Xbox 360 and Wii on Tuesday, November 3, and then PlayStation 3 on November 5. Each track will be $2 / 160 MS Points, with the Foo Fighters Pack at $7 / 560 MSP and Nirvana at $5.50 / 440 MSP.

Foo Fighters Pack 03
• Foo Fighters - "Best of You"
• Foo Fighters - "The Pretender"... Read more

The plan for a new band-specific Rock Band game may have been spoiled by The Who lead singer Roger Daltrey, who stated in a new interview that the legendary group is getting the Harmonix treatment next year.

"They're going to be doing a Who one next year," said Daltrey to Masslive, in giving his thoughts on this year's The Beatles: Rock Band.

"There is one planned," he added. "[The idea] is fabulous."

While the default assumption is that the aged rocker was referring to DLC, The Who has already been featured as Rock Band DLC several times. Harmonix has said nothing, of course.

As Halloween draws ever closer, Harmonix has proclaimed that next week's Rock Band downloadable content will be "the spookiest DLC packs yet." Which artists could warrant this blood-curdling title? Why, it's none other than family-friendly shock rocker Rob Zombie, wailin' Wolfmother, lurid Liz Phair, and the macabre Morningwood.

Rob Zombie Track Pack
• Rob Zombie - "Burn"
• Rob Zombie - "Dragula"
• Rob Zombie - "Superbeast"
Wolfmother Track Pack
• Wolfmother - "New Moon Rising"... Read more

It looks like next week will be a costly one for some Rock Band owners, as developer Harmonix is slated to unleash some rather anticipated downloadable add-ons.

Those with plain old Rock Band or Rock Band 2 will be tempted by the addition of ten Queen tunes, all of which are original master recordings. Each tune will go for $2 / 160 MS Points / 200 Wii Points, with the entire ten-pack going for $16 / 1280 MS Points.

Meanwhile, owners of The Beatles: Rock Band will be able to expand their song libraries with the remaining tracks from "Abbey Road," including the 16-minute B-side medley. Songs will be available individually at $2 / 160 MS Points / 200 Wii Points or collectively through a $17 /1360 MS Point bundle, with more albums on the way.

Expect both sets of downloadable content to hit Xbox 360 and Wii on Tuesday, October 20, with PlayStation 3 availability coming Thursday, October 22. Should you desire a full list of the various tunes soon to be on offer, look no further... Read more

While we still don't have a date for LEGO Rock Band beyond the "holiday" window, co-publisher Warner Bros. has pulled the curtain back on all of its included songs.

Along with word that busting will make players feel good on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii and Nintendo DS, the company confirmed that the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 editions will let owners download the included songs for use in Rock Band 1 and 2. The process involves entering a "unique code" from the manual and paying... Read more

A face-rocking triple-pack from the Brutal Legend soundtrack is headlining next week's batch of Rock Band downloadable content to celebrate the release of Double Fine's heavy metal action adventure, with support acts including Kansas, L7 and Joe Satriani.

"These are three great songs that totally capture the feeling of Brutal Legend. I can't wait to play them in Rock Band," said Double Fine head honcho Tim Schafer in a statement. "I've air-drummed to all of them so many times, I'm sure I'll be able to beat them on hard mode, no problem. Or at least on medium. Like medium plus. That's a setting, right?"

Brutal Legend Pack
• Motorhead - "(We Are) The Road Crew '08"
• Tenacious D - "The Metal"
• Testament - "More Than Meets the Eye"
• Black Tide - "Show Me the Way"... Read more

A ten-pack of tracks from rock gods Queen will be arriving in Rock Band as downloadable content this month, Harmonix has announced.

The tracks are due October 20--a Tuesday, meaning they'll probably hit Xbox 360 and Wii that day and follow in PlayStation 3 form via the PS Store update on Thursday, October 22.

• Another One Bites the Dust
• Crazy Little Thing Called Love... Read more

Alanis Morissette's oft-debated misrepresentation of the meaning behind "irony" comes to Rock Band in the form of downloadable content next week, joined by tracks from hip-hoppers Flobot, rockers The Raconteurs, and disco punks Electric Six.

The below tunes hit Xbox 360 and Wii on Tuesday, October 6, with PlayStation 3 availability following Thursday, October 8. Per usual, each song will sell for $2 / 200 Wii Points / 160 Microsoft Points, with the two packs going for $5.50 / 440 MS Points each.

Electric Six Pack 01
• Electric Six - "Dance Epidemic"
• Electric Six - "Gay Bar"... Read more

An update for the Xbox 360 edition of Rock Band 2 was released by Harmonix today, delivering the long promised support of the Xbox 360 Wireless Microphones that come bundled with Lips and were recently released for standalone purchase.

The Xbox 360 incarnations of recent music games releases, such as The Beatles: Rock Band and Guitar Hero 5, are also compatible with the wireless peripherals. Rock Band 2 owners will be prompted to download the patch upon connecting to Xbox Live.

The update also brings with it a number of other tweaks, including new sorting criteria, the ability for Rock Band Network members to sample their custom charts and songs, plus improved hammer-ons and pull-offs, with the full details following... Read more

A five-pack of Alice in Chains tracks both new and old headline will next week's batch of Rock Band downloadable content releases, supported by three Breaking Benjamin tracks, two by Britpop rockers Kula Shaker, and just a single song from Just Kait.

Alice in Chains Track Pack
• Alice in Chains - "A Looking in View"
• Alice in Chains - "Check My Brain"
• Alice in Chains - "No Excuses"
• Alice in Chains - "Rooster"... Read more

The whole of alt-rockers Pearl Jam's new album 'Backspacer' will arrive in Rock Band as downloadable content on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii next week.

Harmonix has also confirmed that a special edition of the album on sale in Target stores in the US will include a download code for the DLC on Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3.

Released for Xbox 360 alongside the album on September 20, then September 22 on Wii and the 24th for PS3, the tracks cost $2 a pop (160 Microsoft Points, 200 Wii Points) or $18 (1440 MS Points) for the whole album, hailing from original master recordings.

Pearl Jam - Backspacer

1. "Gonna See My Friend"
2. "Got Some"
3. "The Fixer"... Read more

What with today being Friday and all, Rock Band series developer Harmonix has issued its regularly scheduled update on the new downloadable tunes coming to the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii editions of Rock Band and Rock Band 2 next week.

The following are slated to hit Xbox 360 and Wii on Tuesday, September 15, with their PlayStation 3 debut occuring Thursday, September 17. As usual, each song will individually at 160 MS Points ($2), with the Anvil Pack going for 440 MS Points ($5.50)

Anvil Pack 01
• Anvil - "666"
• Anvil - "Metal on Metal"
• Anvil - "This is Thirteen"
• Dinosaur Jr. - "Pick Me Up"... Read more

As PAX 2009 kicks off today, Harmonix has revealed that it will once again be bringing a little bit of the popular gaming convention home through the magic of Rock Band DLC.

Alongside Jonathan Coulton's postmodern exploration of the working class human-zombie dynamic "Re: Your Brains," we've also got some tracks from Audioslave, MC Frontalot, 3 Doors Down, Jackson 5, and so on. Look for the tunes to hit Xbox 360 and Wii on Tuesday, September 8, with a PlayStation 3 release Thursday, September 10:

Freezepop Pack 01 (240 MS Points / $3)
• "Get Ready 2 Rokk" (80 MS Points / $1)
• "Less Talk More Rokk" (80 MS Points / $1)
• "Science Genius Girl" (80 MS Points / $1)
The PAX 2009 Collection (240 MS Points / $3)
• Jonathan Coulton - "Re: Your Brains" (80 MS Points / $1)... Read more

Arriving next week on the Rock Band downloadable content stage is a monster set by the lovely Talking Heads, a pair of songs by The Jam, and a sprinkling of songs by other artists, including Rage Against the Machine for those sullen rebels of Generation Y.

Talking Heads Track Pack
• "And She Was"
• "Crosseyed & Painless"
• "Girlfriend is Better"
• "Once in a Lifetime"
• "Take Me to the River"
• Avenged Sevenfold - "Bat Country"
• The Jam - "A Town Called Malice"
• The Jam - "Going Underground"
• Oasis - "Supersonic" (Live)
• Rage Against the Machine - "Guerilla Radio"

Based on original master recordings and arriving September 1 on Xbox 360 then September 3 on PlayStation 3, tracks will be priced at $2 (160 Microsoft Points) a pop and the Talking Heads Pack will run you a tidy $8.49 (680 MS Points).

Yet another one of the many tunes from Guitar Hero 5 is coming to the rival Rock Band franchise, as developer Harmonix today announced that Tom Petty's "Runnin' Down a Dream" will soon be joining "Feel Good Inc." by the Gorillaz as Rock Band DLC.

The following tunes will be downloadable for Xbox 360 players on Tuesday August 25 and PlayStation 3 owners on Thursday August 27, priced at 160 MS Points ($2) a pop:

• Billy Idol - "Mony Mony"
• Billy Idol - "Rebel Yell"
• Fleetwood Mac - "Don't Stop"
• Fleetwood Mac - "World Turning"
• Jet - "She's a Genius"
• Tom Petty - "I Won't Back Down"
• Tom Petty - "Runnin' Down a Dream"

Major Harmonix-related announcements have just been unleashed from GamesCom.

The company has priced the downloadable Abbey Road album for The Beatles: Rock Band at $16.98 (1360 Microsoft Points). The album hits on October 20, with Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band to arrive in November and Rubber Soul in December.

"All You Need Is Love" will be available as a single for $1.99 on launch day, September 9, on Xbox Live exclusively. Other platforms will get the song later.

Harmonix adds that "purchasers of the full album download of Abbey Road will have the option to play the famous 16-minute B-side medley as a single continuous track."

Furthermore, Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos revealed that the following bands will soon be featured as Rock Band 2 DLC: Queen, Nirvana, Tom Petty, Elton John, Iggy Pop, The White Stripes, Pantera, Talking Heads, Korn, and The Raconteurs.