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It has been 20 years after the legendary game debuted in North America, providing everyday gamers the means to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.

The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a significant impact for many musicians featured, showcasing classic bands to millions of younger players.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.

“We reproduced every song because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game took off, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”

He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans

Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the title young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence

Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group more money than any of their records. It moved well over 500,000 copies upon release, and demand for their songs saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.

DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar

The best promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.

Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.

Games such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community alive, and there’s set to be something from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered production on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?

“Our team believed those games could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”