 Guitar Hero 5 , the fifth main entry in the series , was confirmed in December 2008 . It was released on September 1 , 2009 , and includes 85 songs from 83 different artists . The game includes new game modes and features , including its ' Party Mode , ' which gives players the ability to drop @-@ in and out and change difficulties in the middle of a song . Artists including Johnny Cash , Matt Bellamy , Carlos Santana , Kurt Cobain and Shirley Manson appear as playable characters in the game . 
