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Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, offering players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.

The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, showcasing classic groups to millions of younger players.

A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once the game 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 reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans

Northern Irish group one featured act included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the band's debut album remained not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing 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

Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group more money than any of their records. It sold more than half a million units in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.

The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging even in expert mode, let alone played at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring nine months of practice.

“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.

The band had already completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar

The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.

The majority installments were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.

Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?

“Our team believed those games might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”