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It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try telling that someone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Created by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the display in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine live show.

Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series that had a significant influence for many of the artists included, introducing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded every song since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”

He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Finds a New Audience

Irish group the Answer included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, but then when it was included in the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music a new life.”

At that time, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased in the US, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence

Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band greater revenue compared to their records. It moved more than 500,000 copies in its first week, while sales of their songs rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.

The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took months of practice of practice.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.

DragonForce previously completed a profitable run before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”

In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar

Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation 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 like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.

Titles like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?

“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”