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Marking two decades since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, offering players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who's mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.

Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.

The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a significant impact on numerous of the artists featured, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded every song because the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”

He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Gains a New Audience

Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, however once it got included in the game young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”

At that time, the band's first record remained not available stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on a North American 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.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence

Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band greater revenue compared to their records. It moved well over 500,000 copies upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.

The series still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult even in expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring nine months to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” says musician the artist.

DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.

Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller

Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.

Most installments were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.

Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game following the classic?

“We thought those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”