Fretladder

The 100 hardest Guitar Hero and Rock Band songs on Expert guitar

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Ranked by fretwork’s difficulty D on the Expert guitar chart, one entry per song at its hardest part, from the official charts on the site: the ones matched to a released game or DLC. The tier is Calc Tier, D on a log scale; the percentile is where the chart sits among every Expert guitar chart on the site.

A difficulty list computed from the chart files, not a poll: fretwork reads every note of every chart and scores how busy it is, how much the hands move and how unevenly the work is spread, so two charts of the same song in different games get different numbers, and a custom chart is measured on the same scale as an official one. The pictures are the charts’ own graphs, difficulty over time.

Difficulty graph of Through The Fire & Flames by Dragonforce: notes per second, fret changes per second and their sum over time1. Through The Fire & Flames Dragonforce, D 33.31Difficulty graph of Through The Fire & Flames (Co-op) by Dragonforce: notes per second, fret changes per second and their sum over time2. Through The Fire & Flames (Co-op) Dragonforce, D 32.31Difficulty graph of The Devil Went Down to Georgia by Steve Ouimette: notes per second, fret changes per second and their sum over time3. The Devil Went Down to Georgia Steve Ouimette, D 31.06

#SongArtistSourcePartDifficulty (D)Calc Tier
1Through The Fire & FlamesDragonforceGuitar Hero III (Individual Songs)Lead33.3196%9
2Through The Fire & Flames (Co-op)DragonforceGuitar Hero III (Individual Songs)Lead32.3195%9
3The Devil Went Down to GeorgiaSteve OuimetteGuitar Hero III DLCLead31.0695%9
4Through the Fire and FlamesDragonforceGuitar Hero - Smash HitsLead30.2595%9
5Fury of the StormDragonForceGuitar Hero - Warriors of RockLead29.3794%8
6Revolution DeathsquadDragonforceGuitar Hero III DLCLead29.3394%8
7Revolution Deathsquad (Co-op)DragonforceGuitar Hero III DLCLead27.9593%8
8Heroes of Our TimeDragonforceGuitar Hero III DLCLead27.8793%8
9Operation Ground and PoundDragonforceGuitar Hero III DLCLead27.8393%8
10Black Widow of La PorteJohn 5 featuring Jim RootGuitar Hero - Warriors of RockLead27.1793%8
11The Devil Went Down to Georgia (Co-op)Steve OuimetteGuitar Hero III DLCLead26.9092%8
12The Devil Went Down to GeorgiaSteve OuimetteGuitar Hero III (Individual Songs)Lead26.8692%8
13Operation Ground and Pound (Co-op)DragonforceGuitar Hero III DLCLead26.8692%8
14Heroes of Our Time (Co-op)DragonforceGuitar Hero III DLCLead26.2191%8
15Chemical WarfareSlayerGuitar Hero - Warriors of RockLead26.1791%8
16Satch BoogieJoe SatrianiGuitar Hero World TourLead25.8391%8
17EruptionVan HalenGuitar Hero Van HalenLead25.5791%8
18Slash Guitar BattleSlashGuitar Hero III DLCLead25.3090%8
19This Day We Fight!MegadethGuitar Hero - Warriors of RockLead24.6790%7
20Sudden Death (Career Version)MegadethGuitar Hero - Warriors of RockLead24.6390%7
21OneMetallicaGuitar Hero III (Individual Songs)Lead23.9689%7
22One (Co-op)MetallicaGuitar Hero III (Individual Songs)Lead23.8989%7
23Spanish FlyVan HalenGuitar Hero Van HalenLead23.5989%7
24If You Want Peace... Prepare for WarChildren of BodomGuitar Hero - Warriors of RockLead23.3988%7
25JordanBucketheadGuitar Hero IILead23.1988%7
26Dueling BanjosSteve OuimetteGuitar Hero World Tour DLCLead23.0588%7
27Scatterbrain (Live)Jeff BeckGuitar Hero 5Lead23.0088%7
28Play With MeExtremeGuitar Hero - Smash HitsLead22.9688%7
29Speeding (Vault Version)Steve VaiGuitar Hero - Warriors of RockLead22.9388%7
30Surfing with the AlienJoe SatrianiGuitar Hero III DLCLead22.8087%7
31BodhisattvaSteely DanRock Band 2Lead22.3087%7
32Slash Guitar Battle (Co-op)SlashGuitar Hero III DLCLead21.9186%7
33Guitar Battle vs. SlashSlashGuitar Hero III (Individual Songs)Rhythm21.9186%7
34Green Grass and High TidesThe Outlaws (WaveGroup)Rock Band 1Lead21.8686%7
35SoothsayerBucketheadGuitar Hero III DLCLead21.5685%7
36Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits ThemeS.U.P.R.A.H.U.M.A.N. - ProtoShredanoidGuitar Hero World Tour DLCLead21.4685%7
37I'm The OneVan HalenGuitar Hero Van HalenLead21.3485%7
38The Judas KissMetallicaGuitar Hero III DLCLead21.3385%7
39The Judas KissMetallicaGuitar Hero - Metallica DLCRhythm21.3385%7
40The Way It EndsPrototypeGuitar Hero III (Individual Songs)Lead20.9584%7
41Holy Wars... The Punishment DueMegadethGuitar Hero - Warriors of RockLead20.9384%7
42All Nightmare LongMetallicaGuitar Hero III DLCLead20.8884%7
43Raining BloodSlayerGuitar Hero III (Individual Songs)Lead20.8784%7
44NemesisArch EnemyGuitar Hero - Warriors of RockLead20.6783%6
45VisionsAbnormalityRock Band 2Lead20.5183%6
46BurnDeep PurpleGuitar Hero - Warriors of RockLead20.4583%6
47Panic AttackDream TheaterRock Band 2Lead20.3483%6
48Raining BloodSlayerGuitar Hero - Smash HitsLead20.2483%6
49PainkillerJudas PriestRock Band 2Lead20.1482%6
50The Day That Never ComesMetallicaGuitar Hero III DLCLead20.0482%6
51The Day That Never ComesMetallicaGuitar Hero - Metallica DLCRhythm20.0482%6
52Bark at the MoonOzzy OsbourneGuitar Hero - Smash HitsLead19.9782%6
53AnythingAn Endless SporadicGuitar Hero World Tour DLCLead19.8381%6
54Hot for TeacherVan HalenGuitar Hero World TourLead19.6681%6
55Free BirdLynyrd SkynyrdGuitar Hero - Smash HitsLead19.6581%6
56Ties That BindAlter BridgeGuitar Hero - Warriors of RockLead19.5881%6
57F.C.P.R.E.M.I.X.The Fall of TroyGuitar Hero III (Individual Songs)Lead19.5380%6
58IndiansAnthraxGuitar Hero - Warriors of RockLead19.5080%6
59(You Can Still) Rock in AmericaNight RangerGuitar Hero - Warriors of RockLead19.4880%6
60Halls of ValhallaJudas PriestRock Band 4Lead19.4580%6
61We Three KingsSteve OuimetteGuitar Hero III DLCLead19.3480%6
62PainkillerJudas PriestGuitar Hero Van HalenLead19.2480%6
63BodhisattvaSteely DanGuitar Hero World Tour DLCLead19.0779%6
64Cult of PersonalityLiving ColourGuitar Hero - Smash HitsLead19.0579%6
65Cowboys From HellPanteraGuitar Hero - Smash HitsLead19.0479%6
66Beast and The HarlotAvenged SevenfoldGuitar Hero - Smash HitsLead19.0379%6
67Satch BoogieJoe SatrianiGuitar Hero On Tour - DecadesLead19.0279%6
68Free Bird (Co-op)Lynyrd Skynyrd (WaveGroup)Guitar Hero IILead19.0279%6
69Putting Holes in Happiness (Nick Zinner Remix)Marilyn MansonGuitar Hero III DLCLead18.9879%6
70Play With MeExtreme (WaveGroup)Guitar Hero Encore Rocks the 80sLead18.9879%6
71The Number of the BeastIron MaidenGuitar Hero III (Individual Songs)Lead18.9779%6
72Setting Fire to Sleeping GiantsThe Dillinger Escape PlanGuitar Hero - Warriors of RockLead18.9379%6
73Metropolis—Part I: "The Miracle and the Sleeper"Dream TheaterRock Band 4Lead18.9078%6
74Free BirdLynyrd Skynyrd (WaveGroup)Guitar Hero IILead18.8978%6
75Cult Of PersonalityLiving ColourGuitar Hero III (Individual Songs)Lead18.8978%6
76Beast And the HarlotAvenged Sevenfold (WaveGroup)Guitar Hero IILead18.8478%6
77Tom Morello Guitar BattleTom MorelloGuitar Hero III DLCLead18.8278%6
78Caught in a MoshAnthraxGuitar Hero - Smash HitsLead18.8278%6
79Done With Everything, Die For NothingChildren Of BodomGuitar Hero 5Lead18.8078%6
80CallingStrung OutGuitar Hero - Warriors of RockLead18.7678%6
81Bark At The MoonOzzy Osbourne (WaveGroup)Guitar Hero II DLCLead18.7578%6
82Bark at the MoonOzzy Osbourne (WaveGroup)Guitar HeroLead18.7578%6
83Shoulder to the PlowBreaking WheelRock Band 2Lead18.7478%6
84Hot For TeacherVan HalenGuitar Hero Van HalenLead18.7478%6
85For the Love of GodSteve VaiGuitar Hero III DLCLead18.7078%6
86Peace SellsMegadethRock Band 2Lead18.6077%6
87ShockwaveBlack TideGuitar Hero On Tour - Modern HitsLead18.5777%6
88Hangar 18Megadeth (WaveGroup)Guitar Hero IILead18.5177%6
89Joe Perry Guitar BattleJoe PerryGuitar Hero - AerosmithLead18.5077%6
90Camel's Night OutEric JohnsonGuitar Hero World Tour DLCLead18.5077%6
91The End of the LineMetallicaGuitar Hero III DLCLead18.4977%6
92The End of The LineMetallicaGuitar Hero - Metallica DLCLead18.4877%6
93SixAll That RemainsGuitar Hero IILead18.4777%6
94Rainbow in the DarkDioRock Band 3Lead18.3876%6
95Psychobilly FreakoutThe Reverend Horton HeatGuitar Hero - Smash HitsLead18.2676%6
96The Spirit Of Radio (Live)RushGuitar Hero 5Lead18.2376%6
97Crazy TrainOzzy OsbourneGuitar Hero World TourLead18.1876%6
98BatteryMetallicaRock Band 2Lead18.1575%6
99RavenousAtreyuGuitar Hero - Warriors of RockLead18.1375%6
100DemonDarkest HourGuitar Hero 5Lead18.1375%6

Every source on the site: the games, their DLC and the custom packs

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