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Marking two decades since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that someone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.

Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.

Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”

He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans

Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence

Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue than any of their records. It sold well over half a million units upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.

The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring nine months of practice.

“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.

The band previously completed a successful tour when their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”

Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar

Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.

Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers 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,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”