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Marking two decades after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.

Created by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.

Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, showcasing classic groups to millions of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”

He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Finds a New Audience

Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, but then once it got featured on the game young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music a new life.”

In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero 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 on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Major Band Titles Enduring Influence

Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved well over half a million copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller

The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.

Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?

“We thought such titles might become like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”