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It has been two decades since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the means to become rock legends. Not in reality, but try telling that someone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.

Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic performance.

Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a significant impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”

He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Gains a New Audience

Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, however when it was included in the game young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”

At that time, the band's debut album was still unreleased in the US, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Major Band Titles Enduring Impact

Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and related stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band more money than any of their records. It sold more than half a million copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.

The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.

“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and go to war,” notes musician the artist.

The band previously completed a profitable run when their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar

The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.

Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun work on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?

“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue for future fans.”