🔗 Share this article

It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the means to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic live show.

Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a significant influence for many of the artists included, introducing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.

“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”

He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”

Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans

Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered outdated material, but then when it was featured on the title young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”

At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased stateside, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the band during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact

Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band greater revenue than any of their records. It sold well over half a million units upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring nine months to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.

The band previously completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller

Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.

Most installments came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.

Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”