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Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.

Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.

The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a significant impact on numerous musicians featured, introducing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.

A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.

“We reproduced every song because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”

He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Gains a New Audience

Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, however once it got included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music a new life.”

At that time, the band's debut album remained unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence

Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units in its first week, and sales of their songs rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.

The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring 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 enlist,” notes musician the artist.

DragonForce previously completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar

The best marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.

The majority installments were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.

Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered work on their first music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?

“We thought those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”