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It has been two decades after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.

Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable influence for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced every song because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”

He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Finds a New Audience

Northern Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered outdated material, however when it was included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It provided our catalog a new life.”

In 2008, the band's first record remained unreleased in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact

Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group more money compared to their records. It moved more than half a million units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult even in expert mode, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring nine months of practice.

“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” notes musician the artist.

The band had already completed a profitable run when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar

Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.

Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.

Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, with expectations of something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered production on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“We thought those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”