Uploaded October 2009 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
100% Gold Star Expert Vocals performance on Killer Queen by Queen, as it appears in Rock Band 2 for PlayStation 3.
As is customary for my videos, the original vocals by Freddie Mercury are reduced so you can hear what I'm singing.
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I received a bunch of requests for Queen, and this song in particular because it's so difficult. There are strong harmonies all over the place, and Freddie's lead vocals are everywhere, with frequent key shifts.
The only thing that keeps the difficulty manageable is that the song itself is very short.
Hopefully this helps some of you out there who have been struggling with this song.
100% Gold Star Expert Vocals performance on Killer Queen by Queen, as it appears in Rock Band 2 for PlayStation 3.
As is customary for my videos, the original vocals by Freddie Mercury are reduced so you can hear what I'm singing.
---
I received a bunch of requests for Queen, and this song in particular because it's so difficult. There are strong harmonies all over the place, and Freddie's lead vocals are everywhere, with frequent key shifts.
The only thing that keeps the difficulty manageable is that the song itself is very short.
Hopefully this helps some of you out there who have been struggling with this song.
![Shes a Handsome Woman [Rock Band 2] 100% Expert Vocals
This is another of my video entries into the ScoreHero How Good Can You Sound Video Challenge, found here:
http://rockband.scorehero.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11205
100% Gold Star Expert Vocals performance on Shes a Handsome Woman by Panic! At the Disco as it appears in Rock Band 2 for PlayStation 3.
As per the rules of the challenge, the original vocals by Brendon Urie are muted, and my microphone is turned up so the only vocals you hear are my own.
This is a really easy song to sing. The pitch changes are a bit fast, but theres a bunch of sustained notes to help you get your bearings and hang onto your combo even if youve never heard the song before.
Im not a huge fan of this particular P@TD song, but I suppose they couldnt really justify putting a song like I Write Sins Not Tragedies into the game without heavily censoring it and completely missing the point... Shes a Handsome Woman [Rock Band 2] 100% Expert Vocals](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wWwLPfB2rdw/mqdefault.jpg)
![The Kids Arent Alright [Rock Band 2] 100% Expert Vocals
This is another of my video entries into the ScoreHero How Good Can You Sound Video Challenge, found here:
http://rockband.scorehero.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11205
100% Gold Star Expert Vocals performance on The Kids Arent Alright by The Offspring as it appears in Rock Band 2 for PlayStation 3.
As per the rules of the challenge, the original vocals by Dexter Holland are muted, and my microphone is turned up so the only vocals you hear are my own.
A bunch of requests for this song, too many for me to even remember, let alone list here. So for all of you who asked for this song, here you go. :)
Really, really easy song to score but its very easy to hose the lyrics since theyre pretty fast. Also, Dexter Holland bends a lot of these notes, but the chart is almost all flat notes so if youre going for authenticity in your performance, you need to be a little careful that you dont wander too far from the main pitchline or you can break combo that way.
I bought Americana when it first released on CD many years ago, so Im pretty familiar with this song. Im a little miffed that Harmonix didnt chart the chances at 2:03, as that would have at least been mildy challenging. Oh well, I threw it back in with a tiny bit of vocal finesse.
As always, let me know what you think! The Kids Arent Alright [Rock Band 2] 100% Expert Vocals](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wmb83KvRFEg/mqdefault.jpg)
![I Didnt Say I Was Powerful, I Said I Was a Wizard [Rock Band 2] 100% Expert Vocals
100% Gold Star Expert Vocals performance on I Didnt Say I Was Powerful, I Said I Was a Wizard by Chiodos, as it appears in Rock Band 2 for PlayStation 3.
As is typical for my videos, the original vocals by Craig Owens are minimized so you can hear what Im singing.
This is another of my video entries into the ScoreHero How Good Can You Sound Video Challenge, found here:
http://rockband.scorehero.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11205
I dont really have to explain why I did this video, do I?
This song is awesome in so many ways. The title is more epic than epic, the melodies are awesome, and the song is freaking hard to perform (though the scoring is fairly forgiving due to most of the phrases being very long).
On the technical side of things, there are huuuuge pitch jumps and super-fast pitchslides all over the place in this song. Also the bridge at 2:40 is a really weird key - I still havent quite figured out how to sing it properly, despite the good score here. I Didnt Say I Was Powerful, I Said I Was a Wizard [Rock Band 2] 100% Expert Vocals](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xX4m8s0GX0k/mqdefault.jpg)
![Foreplay/Longtime [Rock Band 2] 100% Expert Vocals
This is another of my video entries into the ScoreHero How Good Can You Sound Video Challenge, found here:
http://rockband.scorehero.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11205
100% Gold Star Expert Vocals performance on Foreplay/Longtime by Boston as it appears in Rock Band 2 for PlayStation 3.
As per the rules of the challenge, the original vocals by Brad Delp are muted, and my microphone is turned up so the only vocals you hear are my own.
This is a pretty hard song to sing - definitely one of the most difficult to score 100% from the Rock Band 1 disc. The outtro is really quirky, with fast pitch changes everywhere. Still, everything is on-key, even through all the improvisation so its bearable.
Sadly, I have nothing resembling Brad Delps colorful tenor, so everything is transposed down an octave so I can hit all the notes without using falsetto.
As always, let me know what you think! Foreplay/Longtime [Rock Band 2] 100% Expert Vocals](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xZNCbzgzsho/mqdefault.jpg)
![The Best Day Ever [Rock Band 2] 100% Expert Vocals
This video posted for my subscriber belakisamongthehiden as an apology for missing his birthday last week.
100% Gold Star Expert Vocals performance on The Best Day Ever by Spongebob Squarepants, as it appears in Rock Band 2 for PlayStation 3.
As is typical for my videos, the original vocal track featuring Spongebob Squarepants is muted so you can hear what Im singing (for better or worse this time, hah!).
Im way too old to ever have been exposed to Spongebob, and the original voice actors range is way higher than mine, but I did what I could to match both the original range and (as much as possible) the... unique??... vocal texture.
For the most part this song is pretty straightforward EXCEPT for the weird bridge phrase at 2:12 which is in a completely different key and sung in descant. I still dont know it very well, but I dont think Ill ever do another Spongebob Squarepants song... at least not by choice, heh. The Best Day Ever [Rock Band 2] 100% Expert Vocals](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xhOFWNXUZK0/mqdefault.jpg)
![Basket Case [Green Day: Rock Band] 100% Expert Vocals / 2 part harmony
Ive had a number of people ask me whether I picked up Green Day: Rock Band, and of course the answer is yes.
This is a double 100% Gold Star Expert Vocals performance on Basket Case by Green Day, as it appears in Green Day: Rock Band for PlayStation 3.
Im actually singing both parts in this video. The high harmony is on the higher scoring line, with the score on the upper left. The lower lead vocal line is on the lower scoring line, with the score on the right. If you need help with either one, simply listen to only the left or right audio on this video.
From a difficulty standpoint, there are some strange harmonies in this song, but none of them are particularly difficult. If youre not used to harmony singing though, you may find the harmony parts difficult to perform when someone else is singing the lead part next to you, so you should definitely try to be aware of which part youre singing when playing any song in multiplayer vocals.
Apologies for the somewhat weak external audio. I was a bit too far from the microphone when I set up my recording gear, and so the audio quality on both of my vocal tracks is a little fuzzy. Basket Case [Green Day: Rock Band] 100% Expert Vocals / 2 part harmony](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xrtg80BI45Y/mqdefault.jpg)
![Losing My Religion [Rock Band 2] 100% Expert Vocals
This is another of my video entries into the ScoreHero How Good Can You Sound Video Challenge, found here:
http://rockband.scorehero.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11205
100% Gold Star Expert Vocals performance on Losing My Religion by R.E.M. as it appears in Rock Band 2 for PlayStation 3.
As per the rules of the challenge, the original vocals by Michael Stipe are muted, and my microphone is turned up so the only vocals you hear are my own.
I was so ecstatic when I found out Losing My Religion was coming to Rock Band - and then I got sad when I saw the how lifeless the vocal chart was. Then I got happy again when I realized I could ignore a lot of the charting and sing the song properly and still get a good score.
Songs like Losing My Religion highlight one of the main problems with the way that karaoke games tend to chart vocals. The chart shows totally flat pitches everywhere in this song, and in a lot of cases, Stipe isnt singing anything of the sort.
Lucky for me I bought this album (Out of Time) way back in the day so I know most of what should be in the charts pretty well, so youll see me arcing the pitchline in a lot of places to match Stipes original vocals anywhere I can get away with it.
Other than that, this song is pretty easy to pass for most people since its so incredibly well known.
As always, let me know what you think! Losing My Religion [Rock Band 2] 100% Expert Vocals](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/yNnShjzQvCA/mqdefault.jpg)
![Dont Speak [Rock Band 2] 100% Expert Vocals Performance Mode!
In celebration of my 100th YouTube video, I present a special Performance Mode Rock Band 2 vocals video, dedicated to all my friends and subscribers!
This is another of my entries into the ScoreHero How Good Can You Sound Video Challenge, found here:
http://rockband.scorehero.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11205
100% Gold Star Expert Vocals in PERFORMANCE MODE (no lyrics or pitchline) on Dont Speak by No Doubt as it appears in Rock Band 2 for PlayStation 3.
As per the rules of the challenge, the original vocals by Gwen Stefani are minimized, and my microphone is turned up so the only vocals you hear are mostly my own (its not possible to completely mute the original vocals in Rock Band 2, and Im not singing loudly to drown out Gwen Stefanis voice).
This song isnt that hard to sing when you have the notechart available, but (as you can imagine) its very difficult without the pitchline or lyrics.
Like my Performance Mode video for I Get By, this is captured off my digital camera, and the room is totally dark so Im doing all the singing, including lyrics, from memory. I used no hints or other tricks to perform the song, aside from the background music. Also, as with I Get By, I chose not to do the handful of tambourines since they dont really belong in the song, dont count toward an FC, and contribute minimal score. Dont Speak [Rock Band 2] 100% Expert Vocals Performance Mode!](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/yZoXtBrjsY8/mqdefault.jpg)
![Its My Life [Rock Band 2] 100% Expert Vocals
This is another of my video entries into the ScoreHero How Good Can You Sound Video Challenge, found here:
http://rockband.scorehero.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11205
100% Gold Star Expert Vocals performance on Its My Life by No Doubt as it appears in Rock Band 2 for PlayStation 3.
As per the rules of the challenge, the original vocals by Gwen Stefani are muted, and my microphone is turned up so the only vocals you hear are my own.
Not really a great song for my voice, but I really like the song. Actually, I like the original version by Talk Talk better than this weepier version from No Doubt, but Ill take this great song any way I can get it. :p
I tried singing this song this way (in its original pitch) and down 1 octave (which is more comfortable for me), but this one sounded somewhat better, so I went with it. I dont really like how flimsy and flat my vocal tone is in falsetto, though. :/ Its My Life [Rock Band 2] 100% Expert Vocals](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/z3wI0r6toyk/mqdefault.jpg)

![Battery [Rock Band 2] 100% Expert Vocals (vocal squeezing tutorial)
This video posted by request from YouTube user ANOTHERFAN.
100% Gold Star Expert Vocals performance on Battery by Metallica, as it appears in Rock Band 2 for PlayStation 3.
This song is dead simple to sing - I seriously doubt anyone needs much help on actually scoring the pitches in this song (but if you do, here they are).
What I find interesting about Battery (and the reason I agreed to do this video) is that its one of the very few songs that showcases all three types of vocal overdrive squeezing (explained below). If youre interested in climbing the leaderboards on vocals in Rock Band, these three tricks are the reason why other people have higher scores than you do, even though youre using overdrive in all the right places and scoring 100%. Follow along as I explain how to score the most possible points on this song - and the techniques used to make that happen.
SQUEEZING:
A lot of people dont understand what squeezing is - its the art of getting the most points possible in a rhythm game. For vocals in Rock Band, the way to get more points is to use the make the best possible use of your available Overdrive (which doubles your points while its active).
There are three tricks to squeezing, and the best (optimal) overdrive path for Battery just so happens to use all three, presented in exactly the right order for teaching.
Normal squeeze:
The gold activation window can be activated pretty much at any time while the scoring line is inside the window (aside from some pesky songs where the window is mysteriously unresponsive toward the end), so a normal squeeze activation is simply to activate overdrive as late as possible so that your overdrive lasts just a split second longer. Of course you want to sing accurately as your overdrive is running out so that you accumulate as many bonus points as possible. The first and fourth activations in Battery are normal squeezes.
Activation squeeze (abbreviated AS):
An activation squeeze is like a normal squeeze - you still activate as late as possible, but its even more important to activate late without missing the window. In some cases, you can make the overdrive last long enough so that you can complete another overdrive phrase right before it stops - this is called an activation squeeze. Activation squeezes allow you to extend the overdrive activation (the extra overdrive is added to your bar and continues your overdrive burn), and is often a desirable result when your overdrive is otherwise going to end in a section with lots of lyrics. The second activation in Battery is an activation squeeze.
Reverse squeeze (abbreviated as RS or FRS):
Also called a Finesse Reverse Squeeze - the two terms mean the same thing. A reverse squeeze does the exact opposite of what an activation squeeze does. You want to activate EARLY so that you AVOID picking up an extra overdrive bar. This is the rarest type of overdrive trick, but its used when youve got overdrive bars at the end of sections of lyrics where theres few to no lyrics behind. This lets you save that overdrive you just avoided for another section later where it can yield more points. The third overdrive activation in Battery is a reverse squeeze.
I will add some annotations to this video after its posted to help illustrate how all three of these squeezing methods function.
NOTE: This is not a video where Im trying to sound especially good. Ive degraded the audio quality on instrumental sections to avoid having YouTube cough up a hairball on the upload. This is strictly a teaching tutorial, and if youre going to post something asinine about how I dont sound like James Hetfield or how the audio quality sucks, please dont bother. Battery [Rock Band 2] 100% Expert Vocals (vocal squeezing tutorial)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zSC49Q-Lb8g/mqdefault.jpg)