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It has been two decades since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.

Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians featured, introducing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced every song since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”

He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans

Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, however once it got included in the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It provided all our music a new life.”

At that time, the band's first record was still not available stateside, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Major Band Titles Enduring Impact

Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band more money compared to their records. It sold more than half a million copies upon release, and demand for their songs rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.

“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.

The band had already completed a successful tour when their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”

In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller

Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.

Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be something from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?

“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”