Special Achievement

Best Licensed Music

Taking someone else's songs and successfully incorporating them into your video game is no easy feat. Many games use licensed soundtracks to complement the gameplay, but it takes a special game to integrate preexisting music in a way that enhances and enriches the experience. Similarly, there is a lot of great music that finds its way into the many rhythm games on the market, but only a few games manage to gather a tracklist that sets them apart from the rest. Whether it's a great setlist or a rockin' soundtrack, these games made the best use of licensed music in 2009.

Editorial Nominees

Editors' Choice Winner

Click to reveal winner

26 Comments

  • Metalhed4lyfe

    Posted Dec 29, 2009 3:29 pm GMT

    Brutal Legend deserves this so much

  • cheesemonkey199

    Posted Dec 24, 2009 5:37 am GMT

    brutal legend by far. it had so many awesome songs in it

  • Tomrock101

    Posted Dec 23, 2009 6:00 pm GMT

    GH5.

  • contentxcontext

    Posted Dec 23, 2009 7:21 am GMT

    may i add i dont like or hate the beatles. I think they were a little over hyped over time, but they could write a good ditty. lol.

  • contentxcontext

    Posted Dec 23, 2009 7:18 am GMT

    the beatles rock band shouldnt win because it is a game where the music is the game, its not being used in a way thats different or creative, the only reason someone would like this game or put it first is because they like the band. That means the result is tainted. If you dont like it in another game it can still be good in the game as it might help the feel or the story. but a game where the music is the main feature makes voting redundent.

  • Petch1984

    Posted Dec 23, 2009 6:14 am GMT

    haha I am great at taking the trash out but I don't like it.

  • 14113a

    Posted Dec 23, 2009 4:31 am GMT

    I HATE the beatles, does that mean that I dont like music? me, with my grade 5 piano and grade 8 saxophone? I thought not, now shut up.

  • Petch1984

    Posted Dec 23, 2009 3:45 am GMT

    If you don't like the Beatles then you don't like music.

  • wwefanforlife

    Posted Dec 23, 2009 3:24 am GMT

    I think Brutal Legend had the best soundtrack as it had a massive soundtrack with so many great bands like Motorhead.

  • Flameberge

    Posted Dec 22, 2009 2:50 pm GMT

    argh, congratulations to Gamespot for essentially saying "zomg we r love teh beatles so dey whin!" Surely best licenced music should involve the 'best' music, that can be appreciated by most people, that is put to the best use in the game? If you don't like the Beatles, then Beatles: Rock Band has rubbish music. That is a reason why no single-band music game should win that award. If the Beatles can be on your nominees, then why not Guitar Hero: metallica? Because of the subjective view that the Beatles made "better" music. Seems an odd criteria to judge a game on...

  • sambob530

    Posted Dec 22, 2009 10:01 am GMT

    Brutal Legend was good but there was slightly better. Just. I don't think music games should count, btw why is no omne voting Guitar Hero:Metallica that was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than Rock Band the Beatles, IMO

  • Jonny7892

    Posted Dec 22, 2009 7:06 am GMT

    Brutal Legend. Any game that has black sabbath in the soundtrack gets my vote

  • secretgamer666

    Posted Dec 22, 2009 3:03 am GMT

    brutal legend absolutely rocked!!!!!!!

  • Abbas803

    Posted Dec 22, 2009 2:46 am GMT

    I went for the beatles.

  • HavQ-san

    Posted Dec 21, 2009 4:09 pm GMT

    Brutal Legend! That's what I'm talking about.

  • bm1212

    Posted Dec 21, 2009 2:23 pm GMT

    Everyone loves the Beatles.

  • KingWev

    Posted Dec 20, 2009 7:31 am GMT

    Mackey18
    LittleBigPlanet came out in the last quarter of '08

  • Mackey18

    Posted Dec 20, 2009 2:05 am GMT

    Where on Earth is LittleBigPlanet?!?!?!

  • efc91

    Posted Dec 19, 2009 1:00 am GMT

    The beatles Duh

  • smithster118

    Posted Dec 18, 2009 12:05 pm GMT

    The Beatles. Easily.

advertisement

Table of Contents

Winner Reveal Schedule

  • Dec 21
    Special Achievement
  • Dec 22
    Dubious Honors
  • Dec 23
    Genre Awards
  • Dec 24
    Platform Awards
  • Dec 25
    Game of the Year

Readers' Choice winners are announced Jan. 27, 2010