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It has been 20 years after the legendary game hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.

Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.

Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant impact for many of the artists featured, introducing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.

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

“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”

He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans

Irish group one featured act included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”

At that time, the band's debut album remained not available in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact

Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold well over half a million copies in its first week, and demand for their songs saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.

The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took months of practice of practice.

“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and enlist,” says musician the artist.

DragonForce previously completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept 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 played a role in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller

The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.

The majority installments came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.

Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, with set to be something from the founders in development. A new studio has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”