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Marking two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, providing players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic performance.

Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, introducing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded all the music because the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”

He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans

Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, however when it was featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact

Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group more money than any of their studio albums. It moved well over half a million units upon release, and sales of their songs rose significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.

The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult even in expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring months of practice of practice.

“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.

DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run when their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.

Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar

The best promotion, be it for cars, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.

Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?

“Our team believed those games could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”