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Marking 20 years since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.

Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine live show.

Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a remarkable influence on numerous musicians featured, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”

He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Finds a New Audience

Northern Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered outdated material, but then when it was featured on the game young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”

In 2008, the band's first record remained not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact

Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band greater revenue than any of their records. It moved more than half a million copies upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.

The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone played at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took nine months of practice.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician the artist.

The band had already completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller

The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.

Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s expectations of something from the founders in development. A new studio has entered production on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“We thought those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”