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It has been two decades after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.

Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.

Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable impact on numerous musicians featured, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.

“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”

He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Gains a New Audience

Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, but then once it got included in the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music a new life.”

In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence

Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold well over half a million copies upon release, and demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.

The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took months of practice 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 the artist.

DragonForce previously completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller

Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.

Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed those games might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”