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It has been two decades after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the means to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.

Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant influence on numerous of the artists included, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”

He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans

Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, but then when it was featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence

Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold well over half a million units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.

The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring nine months of practice.

“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.

DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar

Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.

Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has entered work on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?

“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”