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Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, offering everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.

Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable influence for many musicians featured, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game took off, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”

He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans

Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, but then when it was 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 This validated it, and got rid of the outdated label.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 renewed popularity.”

At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence

Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 units in its first week, while sales of their songs rose significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.

The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone played at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.

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

DragonForce had already completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”

In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar

The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.

Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.

Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, and there’s expectations of something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?

“We thought those games could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”