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It has been two decades after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.

Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.

Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant influence on numerous musicians included, introducing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.

“We rerecorded all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”

He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans

Northern Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, however once it got featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”

At that time, the band's first record remained not available stateside, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Major Band Titles Enduring Influence

Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group more money than any of their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 units upon release, and demand for their songs rose significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.

The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took nine months of practice.

“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.

The band had already completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar

The best promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.

Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.

Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”