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Marking 20 years since the legendary game debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with 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 prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians featured, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.

“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”

He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Finds a New Audience

Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the game young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”

At that time, the Answer’s first record remained not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact

Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group more money compared to their studio albums. It sold more than half a million units upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.

The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.

DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”

In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar

Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere 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, except for a short-lived revival several years later.

Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene alive, with expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”