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It has been two decades since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, offering players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing someone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.

Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, introducing classic bands to millions of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”

He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Gains a New Audience

Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”

At that time, the band's debut album remained not available in the US, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence

Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group more money compared to their records. It sold well over half a million copies in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult even in expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.

“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and enlist,” says musician the artist.

The band had already completed a profitable run before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar

Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.

Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.

Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”