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It has been two decades since the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the means to become a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who has nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.

Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.

The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant influence for many of the artists featured, introducing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”

He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans

Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, however when it was included in the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”

At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Major Band Titles Enduring Influence

Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band more money compared to their records. It moved well over 500,000 units in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult even in expert mode, let alone performed at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring months of practice of practice.

“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.

DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar

The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill 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 their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.

Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?

“We thought those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”