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It has been 20 years since the legendary game debuted in North America, giving players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Created by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.

The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists included, introducing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.

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

“We rerecorded all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”

He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”

Timeless Music Finds a New Audience

Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the title young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”

At that time, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact

Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band more money than any of their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 copies in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem 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 challenging enough on expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring nine months of practice.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.

DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar

Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.

The majority installments were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.

Titles like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community active, with set to be something from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”