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It has been two decades after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the means to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who's mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.

Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the display in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.

The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a significant influence on numerous musicians featured, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded all the music since the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”

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 thing.”

Classic Rock Finds a New Audience

Northern Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, however when it was included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained not available in the US, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the band during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact

Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 units upon release, and demand for their songs saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.

The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice of practice.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to 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. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar

The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.

Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.

Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, with expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?

“Our team believed those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”