6. Guitar Hero - Rock Music Appreciation 101
Though the more recent Guitar Hero games admittedly branched out into newer "indie" music to try and maximise their fanbase, the first few games were fantastic in terms of introducing an entire generation of teenagers to classic rock music from the 1970s and 1980s in particular. In terms of teaching them about rock music history, few games have better engaged with such a superbly-picked collection of songs, running the gamut from classic rock stars like Jimi Hendrix and Ted Nugent to more contemporary rock like Muse. What's key is that Harmonix managed to hook players with a great peripheral and addictive gameplay system, and with this, were able to move from solid cover versions of classic songs to actually featuring the original article in the game. It might not be useful in the most academic sense, but it's damn sure useful if you want a good taste in music, or want to know what's playing at your local rock club.