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It has been two decades after the legendary game debuted in North America, providing everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine performance.

Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series which made a remarkable influence on numerous musicians included, introducing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

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

“We rerecorded every song since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”

He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Gains a New Audience

Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the game young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”

At that time, the band's first record was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence

Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved well over half a million units in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – 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, let alone played at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice to accomplish.

“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.

DragonForce previously completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”

In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar

The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.

Most installments came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.

Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?

“We thought those games might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”