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It has been two decades after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Created by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.

The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a significant impact on numerous musicians included, introducing classic groups to millions of younger players.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.

“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”

He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Finds a New Audience

Northern Irish group the Answer had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the game young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog a new life.”

At that time, the band's debut album remained not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact

Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 copies in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.

The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed 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 similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention played at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took months of practice of practice.

“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and enlist,” notes musician the artist.

The band had already wrapped up a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar

The best promotion, be it for cars, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural urge 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, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.

Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, with set to be something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”