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Marking two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic live show.

Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a remarkable influence for many musicians included, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.

A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game took off, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”

He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Finds a New Audience

Irish group the Answer included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, however when it was featured on the title young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave all our music a new life.”

At that time, the band's debut album was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence

Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their records. It moved more than half a million units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.

The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed 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 similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took months of practice of practice.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller

Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.

The majority installments were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.

Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”