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Marking 20 years after the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the tools to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.

Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic performance.

Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a significant influence on numerous musicians included, introducing classic groups to millions of younger players.

A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”

He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Gains a New Audience

Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music a new life.”

In 2008, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Major Band Titles Enduring Impact

Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue than any of their records. It sold well over half a million units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.

The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took months of practice to accomplish.

“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

The band previously wrapped up a profitable run when their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller

The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.

Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?

“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”