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Marking two decades since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing someone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine live show.

Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced every song since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”

He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”

Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans

Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, however once it got featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”

At that time, the Answer’s first record remained not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence

Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.

Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took months of practice of practice.

“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.

DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.

Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar

Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.

The majority installments came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.

Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community alive, with expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game following the classic?

“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”