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It has been 20 years after the legendary game hit the market in North America, providing players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who has mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.

Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.

Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.

“We reproduced every song because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”

He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans

Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, however once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”

In 2008, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact

Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group more money than any of their records. It sold well over half a million units in its first week, and demand for their songs saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.

The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took nine months of practice.

“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

DragonForce had already completed a profitable run before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar

The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.

Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, with expectations of a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?

“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”