iTunes essentials: Guitar Hero

Activision has announced that a series of compilations featuring music from the Guitar Hero franchise will be available for purchase and download on the iTunes Store.

The tracks will be featured in iTunes Essentials for Guitar Hero, Guitar Hero II, Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s and Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.

The original versions of nearly every song to appear in the Guitar Hero franchise have been gathered, with a newly-recorded version of the Sex Pistols' "Anarchy in the U.K." available as a separate track. The Sex Pistols song will appear in the upcoming Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock game.

"Guitar Hero fans have been clamoring for increased accessibility to their favorite songs from the set lists," said Dusty Welch, head of publishing for Activision/RedOctane.

"Where there's music, there's Guitar Hero, and with iTunes, we are able to provide fans with a central location for downloading their favorite rock anthems."

The series also includes Artist and Genre Essentials custom-created especially for guitar fans. Titles include Shredders, Live Guitar Heroics, Killer Guitar Solos and Guitar Anthems of the '80s with tracks from Aerosmith, Guns 'N' Roses, Rage Against the Machine, Metallica, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and Pearl Jam.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, published by RedOctane and developed by Neversoft, will be released on October 28.