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It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that someone who has mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.

Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine live show.

The studio previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a significant impact for many of the artists included, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.

“We rerecorded every song since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”

He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans

Northern Irish group one featured act had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”

At that time, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the band during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence

Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue compared to their records. It sold more than half a million copies in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took nine months of practice.

“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician the artist.

The band had already wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”

Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar

The best promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.

Most installments came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.

Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, with set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?

“We thought those games could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”