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Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that someone who has mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.

Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.

Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.

“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game took off, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”

He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Finds a New Audience

Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”

At that time, the band's debut album was still unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence

Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.

The series still motivates nimble-fingered 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 power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.

DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller

The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.

Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, with set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”