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It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.

Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine performance.

Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a significant impact for many of the artists included, showcasing classic groups to millions of younger players.

A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”

He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans

Northern Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, however once it got included in the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”

In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence

Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band more money compared to their records. It moved well over half a million copies in its first week, and demand for their songs rose significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.

The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice of practice.

“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

The band had already wrapped up a successful tour when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar

Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.

Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.

Titles like the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”