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It has been 20 years since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing someone who's nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.

Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant impact on numerous musicians featured, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.

A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”

He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Finds a New Audience

Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact

Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band greater revenue compared to their records. It moved well over half a million units upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.

The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took nine months to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.

The band had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”

Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller

The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.

The majority installments were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.

Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community active, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“We thought those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”