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Marking 20 years after the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.

Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine performance.

The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.

A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”

He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”

Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans

Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact

Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It moved more than half a million copies in its first week, while demand for their songs rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.

Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism 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 similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult even in expert mode, let alone performed at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.

“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” notes musician the artist.

DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”

Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar

Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.

The majority installments were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.

Games like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community alive, with set to be something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game following the classic?

“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”