Features
Sales Rise With Game Appearances
Here’s a sampling of how some songs have fared after appearing in versions of Activision’s “Guitar Hero” and “Rock Band,” from Viacom Inc.’s MTV Games and distributed by Electronic Arts Inc., that were released late last year.
Download figures compare the week ending Dec. 30, 2007, with the final week of December 2006.
— Guns N’ Roses, “Welcome to the Jungle” (1987), Geffen, released on “Guitar Hero III” Oct. 27, 2007: 38,000 downloads, up 153 percent.
— Pat Benatar, “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” (1980), Chrysalis, released on “Guitar Hero III,” Oct. 27, 2007: 9,800 downloads, up 180 percent.
— Aerosmith, “Dream On” (1973), Columbia, released on “Guitar Hero III,” Oct. 27, 2007: 10,000 downloads, up 15 percent.
— Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Suck My Kiss” (1992), Warner Bros., released on “Guitar Hero III,” Oct. 27, 2007: 3,900 downloads, up 200 percent.
— Nirvana, “In Bloom” (1992), DGC, released on “Rock Band,” Nov. 20, 2007: 9,000 downloads, up 543 percent.
— KISS, “Detroit Rock City” (1976), Casablanca, released on “Rock Band,” Nov. 20, 2007: 3,400 downloads, up 89 percent.
— David Bowie, “Suffragette City” (1976), RCA, released on “Rock Band,” Nov. 20, 2007: 1,700 downloads, up 55 percent.
— R.E.M., “Orange Crush” (1988), Warner Bros., released on “Rock Band,” Nov. 20, 2007: 3,200 downloads, up 256 percent.
— Smashing Pumpkins, “Cherub Rock” (1993), Virgin, released on “Rock Band” on Nov. 20, 2007: 6,600 downloads, up 843 percent.