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Marking 20 years since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing someone who's nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.

The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant impact for many of the artists included, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced all the music because the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”

He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Gains a New Audience

Irish group one featured act included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, but then once it got included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”

At that time, the Answer’s first record remained not available in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact

Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band greater revenue than any of their records. It sold well over 500,000 copies in its first week, while sales of their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took nine months of practice.

“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

DragonForce previously completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar

Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.

Most installments came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.

Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, with expectations of something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”