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Marking two decades after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, providing players everywhere the means to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who has mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.

The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant influence on numerous of the artists included, showcasing classic bands to millions of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.

“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once the game became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”

He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans

Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the title young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided all our music a new life.”

In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still not available in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence

Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band more money compared to their records. It sold well over half a million copies in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took nine months to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician the artist.

DragonForce previously completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar

The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.

Most installments were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.

Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun production on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?

“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”