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It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, offering everyday gamers the means to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Developed by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the display in time with a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.

Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant influence for many of the artists featured, introducing classic groups to millions of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”

He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans

Irish group the Answer included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, but then when it was included in the game young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”

At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact

Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band more money than any of their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 copies upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.

The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took nine months to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes musician the artist.

DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”

In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller

The best marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.

The majority installments came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.

Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be something from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?

“We thought those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”