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It has been 20 years since the legendary game debuted in North America, providing everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the display in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.

Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable influence on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.

“We reproduced every song because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”

He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans

Irish group one featured act had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, however when it was included in the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”

At that time, the band's first record was still not available in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence

Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 copies in its first week, while demand for their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.

The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician the artist.

The band had already completed a profitable run when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar

The best promotion, be it for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.

Most installments were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.

Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, with set to be something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game following the classic?

“We thought those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”