Hello Rocksmith fans!

May’s content drop didn’t have anything as big in the drop as the Billy Joel songs nor something as cohesive as the Willie Nelson birthday playlist (though there is still a bit more of that, as we’ll see below), but it still had a number of gems and I’ll do my best to introduce you to them.

Best of Bass

As usual, jazz has some great offerings. I Know You by Medeski, Scofield, Martin and Wood is a fantastic and chill jazz jam, and They Say It’s Wonderful by Tony Bennett is a blast of a jazz bass. Additionally, Olivia Ong’s version of One Note Samba is a fun bossa-nova bassline, simpler than some jazz but just as varied and fun. Dinah Washington’s version of Trouble in Mind and Little Train by George Benson are both worth checking out as well.

In rock, Guajira by Santana is great when it variates, though it gets a little stuck in its riffs. Make It Tonight by the Hellacopters adds itself as another enjoyable experience from the band, and, in Japanese artists, a surprise addition of Hoshigaoyogu by Macaroni Empitsu is quite an enjoyable experience when it’s not just root notes.

In more alternative and indie scenes, Visit by 311 is an exemplar bass experience for the band with multiple strong riffs. World News by Local Natives is also pretty fun, though it does have a noticeable chunk of silence and eight note root note sections.

Going for more classic rock sounds, Golden Blunders by Ringo Starr has a great bass riff in the chorus and Child of the Universe by the Byrds is also an enjoyable addition.

Country still has a little bit of Willie Nelson still trickling in, the basslines for Every Time He Drinks He Thinks of Her and Crazy Arms stand out among them. Space by the Beautiful South is also an enjoyable alt-country bass experience.

For metalheads this time, Do What You Do by Mudvayne is another excellent addition from the band, being made mostly of three fun riffs, none of which overstay their welcome. Meanwhile for folk, Everytime by Bobby McFerrin has great movement both on the fretboard and between strings. And finally in Blues, Going Down Slow by Dee Dee Bridgewater is a single riff, but a great one that is very varied.

Best of Lead

Little Train by George Benson and I Know You by Medeski, Scofield, Martin and Wood are predictably phenomenal jazz lead performances. Exploration by Lonnie Liston Smith is similarly kickass in its jazz fusion parts, but gets stuck in some funk chords for a noticeable chunk. In alt-charts, Tony Bennett’s They Say It’s Wonderful piano alt-chart is a mix of really enjoyable single note riffs and very complex jazz chords, while Birdland by Weather Report alt-charts bass and horns, leading to a fun experience that misses out on a few other things in the song, including Actual Guitar.

In Latin genres, Chavela Vargas’s renditions of Se Me Olvidó Otra Vez and Cruz de Olvido might have abrasive vocals to some, but the lead charts are undeniably a blast. Cambio de Piel by Marc Anthony, meanwhile, is a very enjoyable alt-chart of horns.

Some Willie Nelson just missed the boat on the birthday playlist last patch, and the additions of It Turns Me Inside Out, You’re Not Mine Anymore, and Every Time He Drinks He Thinks of Her, as well as the Highwaymen version of Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way, are all worth checking out if you enjoy rambling country lead.

In rock, It’s Love by King’s X has some great riffs and a fun solo. Different is an enjoyable Joan Jett and the Blackhearts chart, gets stuck in its chord boxes some but throws in some lead to help, and Hoshigaoyogu by Macaroni Empitsu was an enjoyable surprise addition.

In R&B/Funk/Soul, Some Skunk Funk by the Brecker Brothers is great funky guitar that gets a little too stuck in its riffs, while the alt lead for Harlem’s Nocturne by Alicia Keys has a fun, albeit difficult-to-read, alt-charting of the piano.

And in the many flavors of pop rock acts, You Asked Me To by Elvis Presley has a surprisingly enjoyable lead. Meanwhile, Christmas Dreaming (A Little Early This Year) by Frank Sinatra and Songs of Love by Ben Folds Five both have fun alt-charts.

Other Notable Releases and Wildcards

Armor for Sleep got two bass this patch, Car Underwater and My Town. Both are alright second-wave emo experiences.

Country gets some bass additions from some well-known women in the business from very different times, Gonna Get Along Without You Now by Skeeter Davis and Getting Ready by Miranda Lambert.

Better if You Don’t by CHVRCHES got authentic lead and bass this patch. The lead path is an obnoxious custom tuning, but a decent experience.

Glee Cast versions of Lean on Me and Gives You Hell both got bass and the latter got lead this patch. The former’s actually enjoyable enough, the latter is passable on both paths but will probably just make you wish we had the original version.

And our wildcard for this patch is the bossanova version of Losing My Religion by Diana Martinez. Sure! I mean I actually do dig its sound, but only in Rocksmith+, huh?

That’s it for my reccs for this months, though I’m sure there’s future personal favorites I missed for tons of folks. Never be afraid to check out the drops in-game, especially now that we have those queues that allow us to easily access and preview songs released in the update.