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Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, offering players everywhere the means to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.

Developed by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine live show.

The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant influence for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”

He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Finds a New Audience

Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, but then once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the outdated label. It provided our catalog a new life.”

In 2008, the band's debut album was still unreleased in the US, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the band during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact

Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week, and demand for their songs rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.

The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took nine months of practice.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” says musician the artist.

DragonForce previously completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. 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,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar

The best promotion, be it for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.

Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.

Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, and there’s expectations of something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed those games could be like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”