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Marking two decades since the legendary game hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who has nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.

Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a significant impact for many of the artists included, introducing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.

A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced every song because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”

He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers 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

Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”

At that time, the band's debut album was still unreleased stateside, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact

Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money than any of their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 units upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took months of practice of practice.

“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician the artist.

DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run when their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar

The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.

Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.

Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?

“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”