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It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, offering everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.

The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a significant impact on numerous of the artists included, showcasing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once 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 parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans

Northern Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, but then when it was included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog a new life.”

In 2008, the band's debut album remained unreleased stateside, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the group during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence

Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It moved well over 500,000 units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.

The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring nine months to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember 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 top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar

The best promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.

Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.

Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, and there’s expectations of a new product 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 the classic?

“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”