Not only is the recently released “Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock” making a splash on the video game sales charts this holiday shopping season, it's making a similar splash among digital music downloads. Upon its release in late October, “Guitar Hero III” led to a surge in digital sales for many of the songs featured, according to a report at arstechnica.com. Among the artists that experienced substantial sales growth soon after the game's release were The Strokes, Slipknot and Sonic Youth.

Here is the rundown on four songs that experienced major sales growth from their inclusion in “Guitar Hero III.”

THE SLEEPING, ‘DON'T HOLD BACK'
ORIGINAL RELEASE: 2006
STUDIO ALBUM: Questions and Answers
DIGITAL SALES INCREASE THE WEEK OF ‘GUITAR HERO III' RELEASE: 90 percent (app.)
SIGNATURE LYRIC: “Let me see you work it/just lay down/you've got me right where I need it.”
THE 210 TAKE: Obscure bands like The Sleeping, The Fall of Troy and Dope can thank “Guitar Hero III” for making them relevant ..... well, as much as one's music appearing in a video game equates to musical relevancy.

SLIPKNOT, ‘BEFORE I FORGET'
ORIGINAL RELEASE: 2004
STUDIO ALBUM: Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses
DIGITAL SALES INCREASE THE WEEK OF ‘GUITAR HERO III' RELEASE: 75 percent
SIGNATURE LYRIC: “I'm smeared across the page and doused in gasoline/I wear you like a stain, yet I'm the one who's obscene.”
THE 210 TAKE: With uplifting lyrics like that, does it surprise you to learn that Slipknot's members all wear demented masks that make the band resemble a Michael Myers fan club on Halloween night?

SONIC YOUTH, ‘KOOL THING'
ORIGINAL RELEASE: 1990
STUDIO ALBUM: Goo
DIGITAL SALES INCREASE THE WEEK OF ‘GUITAR HERO III' RELEASE: 150 percent (app.)
SIGNATURE LYRIC: “What are you gonna do for me/I mean, are you gonna liberate us girls/from male white corporate oppression?”
THE 210 TAKE: “Kool Thing” was Sonic Youth's first single under major corporate label Geffen Records, which makes Kim Gordon's aforementioned lyrics just a wee bit ironic.

THE STROKES, ‘REPTILIA'
ORIGINAL RELEASE: 2003
STUDIO ALBUM: Room On Fire
DIGITAL SALES INCREASE THE WEEK OF ‘GUITAR HERO III' RELEASE: 127 percent
SIGNATURE LYRIC: “The wait is over/I'm now taking over/You're no longer laughing/I'm not drowning fast enough.”
THE 210 TAKE: The Strokes' lead singer, Julian Casablancas, grew up the wealthy son of Elite Model Management founder John Casablancas, and yet, Julian's lyrics are typically a real downer. Maybe money can't buy happiness. Or maybe Casablancas is just a yuppie poser.

CLINT HALE | 210SA