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It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing someone who has mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Created by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the screen in time with the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.

Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a significant influence on numerous of the artists included, introducing classic groups to millions of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.

“We rerecorded all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game took off, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”

He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Gains a New Audience

Irish group the Answer had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, but then once it got included in the game young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog a new life.”

In 2008, the band's first record remained unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact

Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 units in its first week, and demand for their songs rose significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.

DragonForce had already completed a profitable run when their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller

The best promotion, be it for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.

Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene alive, with set to be something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?

“We thought those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “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.”