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It has been two decades since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, offering players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine live show.

Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a significant influence on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the early 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. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. 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 were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”

He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans

Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, but then when it was included in the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave all our music a new life.”

In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased stateside, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the band during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact

Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals 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 sold well over 500,000 copies upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring nine months to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

The band previously wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.

Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar

The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.

Most installments were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.

Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”