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It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, providing everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.

Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.

The studio had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a significant influence for many of the artists included, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”

He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”

Timeless Music Finds a New Audience

Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, however when it was featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”

At that time, the band's debut album remained unreleased in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence

Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band more money than any of their records. It sold more than half a million copies upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.

The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring nine months of practice.

“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says musician the artist.

DragonForce had already completed a profitable run before 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 selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to 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”.

The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar

Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.

Most installments were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.

Games such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, with expectations of something from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“We thought those games could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”