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Marking two decades after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the means to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.

Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant impact for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”

He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”

Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans

Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence

Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band more money compared to their records. It sold well over half a million units upon release, while demand for their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.

Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song 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 it took months of practice of practice.

“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says musician the artist.

DragonForce had already completed a profitable run before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”

Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar

The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.

The majority installments were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.

Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders 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 prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?

“We thought those games could be like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”