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It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.

The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists featured, introducing classic groups to millions of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once the game became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”

He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”

Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans

Irish group the Answer had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then once it got featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”

At that time, the band's debut album remained unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact

Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 units in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.

The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging even in expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.

The band had already wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller

Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.

Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.

Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?

“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”