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It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, providing players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.

Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.

The studio had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded every song since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game took off, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”

He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Finds a New Audience

Northern Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered outdated material, however once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music a new life.”

In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact

Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money compared to their studio albums. It moved well over half a million units upon release, while sales of their songs rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring nine months to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.

The band 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 widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar

Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.

Most installments came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.

Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community alive, with set to be a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”