Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock was a great game. I played the hell out of it and still pick up my plastic ax every now and then (thanks to some free DLC).

When I read the first previews for the next iteration, Guitar Hero: World Tour, I couldn’t imagine what Harmonix (developers of Rock Band) could do to outshine Activision. Along with a new set list, Guitar Hero: World Tour will feature user-generated content (minus the vocals), new peripherals (doing its best Rock Band impersonation), cameos from some of the biggest names in rock, customizable instruments and characters, and online play for an entire band. Before you ask, the guitars from Guitar Hero III will be compatible with Guitar Hero: World Tour.

I was ready to devote another $60 to the Guitar Hero franchise.

That all changed last Friday.

I turned on my computer to find rumors that, not only would Rock Band 2 have lots of songs (120 shipped on the disc), but that the game would feature music from rock legends, AC/DC. I struggled to contain my excitement as “Thunderstruck” continuously ran through my head, while I put on my Angus school boy outfit and ran through the neighborhood screaming in joy.

It seemed, for a moment, that Harmonix had loosened the death grip that the Guitar Hero franchise has had on my soul since I first picked up a plastic ax.

Since the official announcement of Rock Band 2 on Monday, fans of the franchise have been treated to a few leaked lists of songs possibly appearing in the sequel to the popular music game.

The first round of songs came from a screenshot broadcasted on Tuesday’s episode of X-Play. The listed included master recordings of System of a Down’s “Chop Suey,” “Everlong” by the Foo Fighters and “Ace of Spades” by Motorhead. It should be noted that “Everlong” has been confirmed for Guitar Hero: World Tour and “Ace of Spades” appeared in the original Guitar Hero, as a cover.

Little did I know that this was only the beginning.

Early yesterday, Destructoid reported, based on information from the ScoreHero forums, that a second list of songs had leaked onto the Internet. Harmonix has not confirmed or denied the existence of these songs in Rock Band 2, so this information is merely speculation.

The first song on the list was Linkin Park’s “One Step Closer.” It’s a solid song. I actually bought “Hybrid Theory” (the name of the CD) when it was released back in 2000. However, it’s not a song that would force me to buy Rock Band 2.

Then I saw the next song. After settling back into my chair, I stared at my computer to make sure that I hadn’t misread the title. Nope, I read it correctly. Megadeth’s “Peace Sells” is one of the tracks rumored to be in Rock Band 2.

There is more on the second page.

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