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Marking 20 years after the legendary game first launched in North America, offering players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Created by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.

Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.

A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.

“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”

He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Gains a New Audience

Northern Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the band's debut album remained unreleased in the US, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Major Band Titles Enduring Influence

Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group more money compared to their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 units upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.

The band previously completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller

The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.

The majority installments came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.

Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game following the classic?

“We thought those games might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”