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It has been two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, providing everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Not in reality, but try telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.

The studio had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a significant impact for many musicians featured, introducing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.

A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced every song since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”

He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”

Timeless Music Finds a New Audience

Irish group one featured act had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, however once it got included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”

At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still not available in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact

Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group more money than any of their records. It sold well over half a million copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.

The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took nine months to accomplish.

“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and enlist,” says musician the artist.

DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, 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 musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar

Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.

Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following the classic?

“We thought those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”