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It has been two decades after the legendary game hit the market in North America, giving players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.

Developed by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.

Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable influence for many of the artists included, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”

He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans

Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”

At that time, the band's first record was still not available stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence

Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and related stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money compared to their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.

The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring nine months of practice.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.

DragonForce had already completed a successful tour before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it risked overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar

Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.

Most installments were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.

Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, with set to be something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?

“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”