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It has been two decades after the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the means to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.

Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.

Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a significant impact for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced every song since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”

He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Gains a New Audience

Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then when it was featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the band during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence

Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band more money compared to their records. It sold well over half a million copies in its first week, and demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.

The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring nine months of practice.

“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” says musician the artist.

The band had already completed a successful tour before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” 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 from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar

The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.

Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, with expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?

“We thought those games could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”