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It has been 20 years since the legendary game hit the market in North America, providing players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that someone who has mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.

Developed by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the display in time with a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic performance.

The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant influence for many of the artists featured, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.

A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.

“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”

He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Gains a New Audience

Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, however when it was included in the title young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence

Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.

The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult even in expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring nine months of practice.

“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician the artist.

DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”

In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.

Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar

Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.

Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.

Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?

“We thought those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”