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Marking 20 years after the legendary game debuted in North America, offering players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.

Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the screen in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic live show.

The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant impact for many musicians featured, introducing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”

He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Gains a New Audience

Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the game young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”

At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence

Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band more money compared to their records. It sold more than half a million units in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.

The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and go to war,” notes musician the artist.

DragonForce had already completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar

The best marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.

Most installments were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.

Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, and there’s set to be something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?

“We thought those games could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”