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It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.

Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.

Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”

He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”

Timeless Music Gains a New Audience

Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”

At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence

Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold more than half a million copies in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.

The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.

“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.

DragonForce had already completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller

The best promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.

The majority installments came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.

Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, with expectations of something from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?

“We thought those games could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”