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Marking 20 years after the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who's mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.

Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.

The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.

A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.

“We rerecorded every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”

He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Finds a New Audience

Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”

At that time, the band's debut album was still not available in the US, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the group during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact

Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group more money than any of their records. It sold more than 500,000 units in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.

The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring months of practice of practice.

“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.

The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller

The best promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.

Most installments were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.

Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered work on their first music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following the classic?

“We thought such titles might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue for future fans.”