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It has been two decades since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, offering players everywhere the tools to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.

Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”

He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans

Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, however when it was included in the title young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”

In 2008, the band's debut album was still not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact

Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band more money than any of their studio albums. It moved well over half a million units in its first week, and demand for their songs rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took months of practice of practice.

“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.

DragonForce previously completed a profitable run before their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller

Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.

Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.

Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene alive, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered production on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?

“We thought those games could be like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”