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Marking 20 years since the legendary game debuted in North America, giving players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.

Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.

Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant impact for many of the artists featured, introducing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.

A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”

He adds: “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 a multigenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans

Northern Irish group the Answer included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the band's debut album remained unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact

Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold more than half a million copies upon release, while demand for their songs rose significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.

The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took nine months to accomplish.

“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.

The band previously completed a successful tour before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar

The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.

Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, with set to be something from the founders in development. A new studio has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”