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It has been two decades since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.

Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a significant impact for many of the artists included, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”

He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Gains a New Audience

Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got included in the game young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the band's first record was still not available in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence

Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band greater revenue compared to their records. It sold more than half a million copies upon release, while sales of their songs saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring nine months of practice.

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

The band previously completed a successful tour when their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”

Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar

Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.

Most installments came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.

Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival 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 rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”