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Marking two decades since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who's nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.

Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.

Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a significant impact for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”

He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Finds a New Audience

Northern Irish group the Answer had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then once it got featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”

In 2008, the band's debut album was still unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact

Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over half a million units in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.

Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.

“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

The band had already completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”

Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar

The best promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.

Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?

“We thought such titles might become like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”