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It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.

Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel 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 Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable influence on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.

“We rerecorded all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”

He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Gains a New Audience

Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the game young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”

At that time, the Answer’s first record was still not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on US 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.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence

Music's heavyweight names soon 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. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band more money than any of their records. It moved more than 500,000 copies upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.

Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took months of practice to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.

The band previously completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar

Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.

Most installments came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.

Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”