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Marking 20 years since the legendary game first launched in North America, giving players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.

Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.

Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a remarkable influence for many musicians included, introducing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”

He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Finds a New Audience

Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered outdated material, but then when it was featured on the title young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided all our music a new life.”

In 2008, the band's debut album was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence

Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money than any of their records. It sold well over 500,000 units upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.

The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring nine months to accomplish.

“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says musician the artist.

DragonForce previously completed a successful tour when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar

Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.

Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, with expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”