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Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.

Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a remarkable influence for many of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.

“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”

He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans

Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered outdated material, however when it was included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”

At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact

Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 units upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring nine months of practice.

“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician the artist.

DragonForce had already completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”

In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has risked overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar

The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.

The majority installments were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.

Titles like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene active, with expectations of a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has begun production on their first music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”