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It has been 20 years after the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.

Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.

“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”

He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Finds a New Audience

Northern Irish group one featured act had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, but then once it got featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence

Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band more money compared to their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 copies in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.

Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult even in expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took months of practice to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.

The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller

Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.

The majority installments came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.

Titles like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community active, with set to be something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”