June 17 2:22 P.M.

At the recent 2009 Download Festival in the U.K., 440 headbangers picked up imaginary instruments and simultaneously strummed along with Motorhead's classic rocker "Ace of Spades," setting an official Guinness World Record for - what else - the Most People Simultaneously Performing Air Guitar. The previous record? A measly 318.

The raddest jam

But it wasn't just a spontaneous act of group rocking. The moment was orchestrated by game maker EA as a way to promote its upcoming heavy metal action game, Brutal Legend (which also explains why all 440 rockers were wearing the exact same shirt).

Kerrang FM's Christian Stevenson, who MC'ed the ridiculous record-breaking attempt, was unsurprisingly overcome with emotion.

"That was one of the raddest jams I've ever been involved with," he said. "The crowd played their air guitars better than Eddie Van Halen! Then they destroyed 'em good and proper. Who cares, right? They can go to the air guitar shop and get another one. Sick to the infinity of sickness! I want a crowd like that at every gig I'm at. Awesometacular – air guitar world records rule!"

Made-up words aside, it probably was a sight to behold. But 440 people playing air guitar at once doesn't seem that impressive. Heck, any decent touring band could smash that by simply asking everyone at a show to air-guitar to one of their songs, although they'll apparently need to put a Guinness World Record worker bee on the guest list if they want to make it official.