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Marking two decades since the legendary game first launched in North America, giving players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who's mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.

Created by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine performance.

Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a significant impact for many of the artists featured, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game took off, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”

He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans

Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered outdated material, but then when it was included in the game young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music a new life.”

In 2008, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact

Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band more money than any of their studio albums. It moved well over half a million units 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 continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone played at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took nine months of practice.

“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller

Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.

The majority installments came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.

Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, with expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun work on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”