Yesterday, Harmonix announced that Van Halen will be part of the Rock Band franchise for the first time in Rock Band 4. Originally released in 1984, “Panama” could easily be considered the band’s signature song (though “Jump” and “Hot For Teacher” might give it a run for its money).
If it seems surprising that its taken this long for Van Halen to collaborate with Harmonix, there’s a good reason behind it. Back in 2009, the band signed a deal with Activision to created Guitar Hero: Van Halen, the final band-specific produced before the series went on hiatus in 2010.
“For years we’ve wanted to bring Van Halen’s music to Rock Band,” said Harmonix CEO Steve Janiak. “Not only are the songs incredible in their own right, but they’re amazingly fun to play and perform, whether you’re on guitar, bass, drums, or vocals.”
If you need more Van Halen in your Rock Band, don’t worry, Harmonix plans to add more songs from the band’s catalog to the Rock Band Music Store after Rock Band 4 launches for the PS4 and Xbox One on October 6.
