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Marking 20 years since the legendary game debuted in North America, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.

Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, introducing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”

He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans

Northern Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been 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 That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave all our music a new life.”

At that time, the band's first record was still not available in the US, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the group during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence

Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band more money compared to their records. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, and demand for their songs rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months of practice.

“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

The band had already completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar

The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.

Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.

Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community active, and there’s set to be something from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?

“We thought those games might become like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”