Which Top 40-themed spin-off features Taylor Swift as an avatar?

Band Hero is the Top 40-themed Guitar Hero spin-off that features Taylor Swift as a playable avatar.

Released in 2009, Band Hero was designed around mainstream pop and pop-rock rather than the heavier rock emphasis associated with many earlier Guitar Hero titles. Its 65-song console soundtrack included artists such as Taylor Swift, Maroon 5, No Doubt, and the Spice Girls, giving the game a broader radio-friendly identity.

Swift appears as a playable virtual avatar, alongside Adam Levine and the members of No Doubt. The game supports full-band play with guitar, bass, drums, and vocals, and artists performed motion-capture work for their in-game representations. Swift’s songs in the setlist include “Love Story,” “Picture to Burn,” and “You Belong with Me.”

Band Hero is sometimes confused with Guitar Hero 5 because the two games share much of their structure and can use related instruments. The key distinction is its pop-oriented soundtrack and presentation, while DJ Hero uses a turntable and Guitar Hero Live is a later mainline redesign.