There have been several important dates in the history of The Who: May 23, 1969 – Iconic rock album Tommy is released and rockets to No. 4 on the U.S. charts. May 31, 1976 – The Who’s second concert at Charlton football ground earns them an entry in the Guinness Book of Records as the “world’s loudest rock band.” July 13, 1985 – The Who re-form to perform at Live Aid and whip Wembley Stadium into an absolute frenzy.

Now, July 15, 2008 joins these dates, as a dozen classic songs by The Who get new life as Rock Band™ game levels. MTV Games and Harmonix announced today that many of the legendary group's greatest hits will be added to the Rock Band catalog of downloadable content with the release of “The Best of The Who: Rock Band Edition.”

“We’re really pleased to have our songs featured in Rock Band,” said Roger Daltrey, lead singer of The Who. “It allows our established fan base to interact with our music in a way that’s fresh and exciting, while also exposing our songs to new audiences.”

“I’m a fan of Rock Band,” said Who guitarist Pete Townshend. “I play the game with my son and girlfriend and love the way it brings different generations together through music. I like the idea that people of all ages will be having fun playing our songs.”

“We are very excited to be working so closely with Roger and Pete on this release for Rock Band,” said Paul DeGooyer, SVP Electronic Games and Music, MTV. “The Who is consistently one of our most requested bands, and it is great to be able to bring this exclusive compilation of their music to the Rock Band community.”

The 12 songs were selected by Harmonix and MTV Games in consultation with Townshend and Daltrey. The tracks represent the meaty, beaty, big and bouncy best of The Who, including classics such as “Amazing Journey,” “Baba O'Riley” and “Sea & Sand,” three songs from the classic Live At Leeds album (including a special Rock Band edit of “My Generation”) and more.

The Who 12 Pack includes :

• Amazing Journey
• Baba O'Riley
• Behind Blue Eyes
• Eminence Front
• Going Mobile
• Leaving Here
• My Generation (Live At Leeds) -- "Special edited version"
• Real Good Looking Boy
• Sea & Sand
• Summertime Blues (Live At Leeds)
• Who Are You
• Young Man Blues (Live At Leeds)

The release of The Who’s Greatest Hits through Rock Band coincides with the“VH1 Rock Honors” celebration honoring the legendary rock band. Premiering on Thursday, July 17 at 9pm on VH1, VH1 Classic and MHD, the show will celebrate The Who’s monumental legacy with a two-hour tribute saluting the music and lasting impact of this groundbreaking band. The sweeping influence of The Who will be expressed through spoken tributes, filmed packages and performances by some of today’s premiere rock acts as well as the legends themselves. The night will feature tribute performances by Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, The Flaming Lips, Incubus and Tenacious D as well as an electrifying grand finale performance from The Who.

Release date:

Tuesday, July 15, 2008 (Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Store)

Price:

• $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track
• $19.99 (1600 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for the entire collection of tracks.

Developed by Harmonix, Rock Band is an all-new platform for gamers to experience music, giving players the chance to rock in the shoes of the biggest guitarists, bassists, drummers and singers of all time – as a solo superstar or as part of a hard rocking band.

Rock Band delivers four music games in one – challenging rockers to master lead/bass guitar, drums and vocals or play collectively as a whole band. Built on unprecedented deals with top record labels and music publishers, the music featured in Rock Band spans all genres of rock and includes many master recordings from legendary artists.

Major record labels and leading music publishers have signed on to provide unrivaled access to master recordings and legendary rock artists with hits from the '70s, '80s, '90s and 2000s. Record labels partnering with MTV Games and Harmonix include EMI Music, Hollywood Records, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group's Universal Music Enterprises and Warner Music Group's Rhino Entertainment. Music publishers partnering with MTV Games and Harmonix include EMI Music Publishing and Warner/Chappel Music.

A variety of song packs, albums and individual tracks will be available for download on a weekly basis. And that's just through the end of 2007. Fans can expect more music every week through 2008 with suggested retail pricing varying from $.99 to $2.99 per track (The equivalent of 80 to 240 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360), with the vast majority selling for $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360).

In addition to the 58 songs available on the game disc, Harmonix and MTV Games are offering a robust calendar of new downloadable content including packs, full albums and individual tracks to satiate the desire for constantly refreshed Rock Band content, including:

Rock Band Unlockables :

• Acro-brats "Day Late Dollar Short"
• Anarchy Club "Blood Doll"
• Bang Camaro "Pleasure (Pleasure)"
• Crooked X " Nightmare"
• Death of the Cool "Can't Let Go"
• Flyleaf "I'm So Sick"
• Freezepop "Brainpower"
• Honest Bob "I Get By"
• The Konks "29 Fingers"
• The Mother Hips "Time We Had"
• Timmy & The Lords of the Underworld "Timmy & The Lords of the Underworld"
• Tribe "Outside"
• VAGIANT "Seven"

Rock Band Set List:

In addition to the 45 tracks listed below, Rock Band will also feature 13 songs ranging from a variety of established bands to up-and-coming independent artists that can be unlocked as you play through the game.

1960s

Rolling Stones "Gimme Shelter"

1970s

Aerosmith "Train Kept a Rollin'"*
The Who "Won't Get Fooled Again"
Boston "Foreplay/Long Time"
Mountain "Mississippi Queen"*
The Police "Next to You"
David Bowie "Suffragette City"
Black Sabbath "Paranoid"*
Blue Oyster Cult "Don't Fear the Reaper"
The Ramones "Blitzkrieg Bop"
Deep Purple "Highway Star"
KISS "Detroit Rock City"
Molly Hatchet "Flirtin' With Disaster"
The Outlaws "Green Grass & High Tides"*
Sweet "Ballroom Blitz"*

1980s

Rush "Tom Sawyer"*
Bon Jovi "Wanted Dead or Alive"
The Clash "Should I Stay or Should I Go"
Faith No More "Epic"
R.E.M. "Orange Crush"
Iron Maiden "Run to the Hills"*

1990s

Foo Fighters "Learn to Fly"
Metallica "Enter Sandman"
Nirvana "In Bloom"
Stone Temple Pilots "Vasoline"
Weezer "Say It Ain't So"
Smashing Pumpkins "Cherub Rock"
Radiohead "Creep"
Beastie Boys "Sabotage"
Hole "Celebrity Skin"
Garbage "I Think I'm Paranoid"
Soundgarden "Black Hole Sun"

2000s

The Hives "Main Offender"
Queens of the Stone Age "Go With the Flow"
The Strokes "Reptilia"
Jet "Are You Gonna Be My Girl"
OK Go "Here It Goes Again"
Nine Inch Nails "The Hand That Feeds"
Pixies "Wave of Mutilation"
Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Maps"
Red Hot Chili Peppers "Dani California"
Coheed & Cambria "Welcome Home"
Fallout Boy "Dead on Arrival"
The Killers "When You Were Young"
New Pornographers "Electric Version"

* Indicates a cover song, all others songs are original master recordings

Key Features

Unrivaled song library! Major record labels and leading music publishers have signed on to provide unrivaled access to master recordings and legendary rock artists – from punk, metal and alternative to classic and southern rock.

Rock ‘n' Roll Never Dies! Full support for downloadable content delivers never-ending challenges.

Play together in your living room or across the world! Rock Band™ offers deep online functionality, allowing players to rock together whether they're in Rhode Island or Reykjavik.

Create your own rock avatar! Mold a unique rocker using Rock Band's character creator. Chose from gender, body shape, face, hair, clothes, tattoos and signature moves. Don't forget to pick your specialized rockin' instrument. Drumming in the spotlight! Showcase a real drum solo with Rock Band's freestyle drum fill windows featured in each song. Break out your own rhythm and style as anything goes!

Call out the crowd! Vocalists can bring the crowd to their feet during Rock Band's freestyle vocal fill windows. Ad-lib your own words or shout to the crowd to raise the rock intensity of the performance.

Save your mates! Band mates can fail out of a song for poor performance, but the band still plays on. Rescue your failing mate by busting out signature moves and blistering solos to wow the crowd with showmanship.

Boost your bonus! Earn bonus points for your band during Rock Band's Unison Phrase opportunities if everyone plays perfectly. A single mistake blows the phrase for everyone.

Rockband, rated T for Teen, is currently available in North America for $169 on PS3/X360 and Wii, while PS2 gamers can rock out for $159.99. Rock Band is also slated for release in Europe in Q1 2008.