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Marking two decades after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, offering everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine live show.

Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a significant impact on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.

A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.

“We rerecorded all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”

He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Finds a New Audience

Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the game young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”

At that time, the band's first record was still not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence

Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band more money compared to their records. It sold well over half a million copies in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took nine months to accomplish.

“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and enlist,” says musician the artist.

DragonForce previously completed a successful tour when their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar

The best promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.

Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene active, and there’s expectations of something from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?

“We thought those games could be like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”