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Marking two decades since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the means to become rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that someone who has nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine performance.

The studio previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”

He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans

Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, however once it got included in the game young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music a new life.”

In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained not available stateside, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the group during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence

Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and related lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 copies upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.

The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took months of practice of practice.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

The band had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”

Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar

Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.

Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.

Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene active, and there’s expectations of something from the founders in development. A new studio has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?

“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”