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It has been two decades since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, offering players everywhere the means to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.

Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant influence on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.

“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane 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 airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”

He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans

Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, however once it got featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music a new life.”

In 2008, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence

Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band greater revenue compared to their records. It moved more than 500,000 copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.

The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring months of practice of practice.

“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.

DragonForce previously completed a profitable run when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”

In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller

Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.

Most installments came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.

Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, with expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“We thought such titles might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”