Sitting quietly, humming the latest tune from Duran Duran I'd heard on Top of Pops the night before, I waited for the coach to pick me up for school. I was a 7 year old American kid, living in the Midlands in the early 80's and my musical taste had begun to take shape. It was time for me to move on from my parents worn out cassette tapes and so I branched out: Depeche Mode’s "People Are People" and Duran Duran’s "Girls on Film" were early discoveries. Soon I was tuning into other greats like Siouxsie and The Banshees, The Cure and even Elton John's "I'm Still Standing" (I know all the words). The UK had put its mark on me and it would continue for the rest of my life.

After returning to the USA, I jumped into music, head first, welcoming all sorts of influences. I picked up a few Iron Maiden posters at the mall (“Can I Play with Madness”) and I impressed my friends by knowing a bit more about Oasis and the Stone Roses before they blew up. I then grew to appreciate some of the classics the Brits had to offer, taking on The Clash, The Who, and getting a much bigger appreciation for Queen. I couldn't resist the new round of Britpop either, and Blur, Kula Shaker, Arctic Monkeys, and Kasabian become regulars on my super heavy rotation.

Now I sit quietly at a red light, humming along to the latest Ed Sheeran and Ellie Goulding, as my daughters scream the songs in the back seat. I've been known to scream some One Direction when the kids aren't around. From my early days as a midlands thug to whatever I am now, the Brits have always delivered the goods.

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This week’s Staff Picks from the Rock Band catalog celebrates the crown jewels of England’s rock royalty. British artists have left a lasting impression while shaping the course of rock’n’roll history and we’re excited to share a few gems here with you. From the speaker-rattling guitar solos of Iron Maiden and Muse to the synth wizardry of The Chemical Brothers, we’ve got you covered. Take it from us - these tunes from Great Britain will make a perfect addition to your Rock Band Music Library.

Get your British rock on with these featured tunes:

• Arctic Monkeys - “R U Mine?”
• Billy Idol - “Mony Mony”
• Blur - “There’s No Other Way”
• Bring Me The Horizon - “Throne”
• The Chemical Brothers - “Let Forever Be”
• The Clash - “Rock the Casbah”
• Depeche Mode - “People Are People”
• Duran Duran - “Girls on Film”
• Ed Sheeran - “Sing”
• Ellie Goulding - “On My Mind”
• Elton John - “I’m Still Standing”
• Florence + the Machine - “Dog Days Are Over”
• Iron Maiden - “Can I Play with Madness”
• Judas Priest - “Pain And Pleasure”
• Kaiser Chiefs - “I Predict a Riot”
• Kasabian - “Shoot the Runner”
• Kula Shaker - “Hey Dude”
• Lush - “Sweetness and Light”
• Muse “Hysteria”
• Oasis - “Wonderwall”
• One Direction - “Drag Me Down”
• Paul McCartney & Wings - “Let Me Roll It”
• Queen - “Under Pressure”
• The Stone Roses - “Love Spreads”
• The Who - “Who Are You”

We will be featuring more hand-picked, themed song lists in the Xbox Store in the near future. Stay up to date with the latest news on DLC and content sales on Rock Band’s Twitter and Facebook!