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Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine performance.

The studio previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a significant influence for many of the artists included, introducing classic bands to millions of younger players.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.

“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, 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 participate.”

He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”

Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans

Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the title young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still not available in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact

Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold more than half a million copies upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.

The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took months of practice of practice.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.

DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour when their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller

The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.

Most installments were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.

Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community alive, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following the classic?

“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”