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It has been two decades since the legendary game debuted in North America, offering everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.

Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic live show.

Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, introducing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”

He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans

Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however once it got featured on the title young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided all our music a new life.”

At that time, the band's first record remained unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact

Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group more money than any of their records. It sold more than 500,000 copies 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.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, 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 of practice.

“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” says musician the artist.

The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller

Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, 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 spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.

Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue for future fans.”