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It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, providing everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who's nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.

Created by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the screen in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine performance.

The studio had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a remarkable impact for many of the artists included, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.

“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”

He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Finds a New Audience

Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the title young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”

At that time, the band's first record was still not available in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Major Band Titles Enduring Impact

Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue than any of their records. It moved well over half a million units in its first week, and demand for their songs saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult even in expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice of practice.

“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes musician the artist.

The band had already wrapped up a profitable run before their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar

The best marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel 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,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.

Most installments were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. 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 active, with expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”