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Marking two decades since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.

Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.

Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact for many musicians included, introducing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. 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 Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”

He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Finds a New Audience

Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”

In 2008, the band's debut album was still not available in the US, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence

Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money compared to their records. It sold more than half a million copies upon release, and demand for their songs rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring nine months of practice.

“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and go to war,” says musician the artist.

DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “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 in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar

Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.

Most installments came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.

Games such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, with expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“We thought those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”