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Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.

Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.

The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series that had a significant impact on numerous of the artists included, introducing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded all the music since the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”

He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans

Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, however once it got featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”

At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact

Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group more money than any of their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.

The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring nine months of practice.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

DragonForce had already completed a successful tour before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, 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 threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller

Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.

Most installments came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.

Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases 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 both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?

“Our team believed those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”