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It has been two decades since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.

The studio had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series that had a remarkable influence for many musicians featured, introducing classic groups to millions of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”

He adds: “One of 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 a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Finds a New Audience

Irish group the Answer had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”

In 2008, the band's first record was still not available in the US, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the band during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence

Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and related stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.

The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says musician the artist.

DragonForce had already completed a successful tour when their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller

The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.

Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.

Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?

“We thought those games could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”