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It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, giving everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, but try telling that someone who's nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.

The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a remarkable influence for many of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.

A former executive, 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 cover versions.

“We rerecorded all the music since the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”

He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Finds a New Audience

Northern Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered outdated material, but then once it got featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the band's debut album remained unreleased stateside, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence

Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band greater revenue than any of their records. It moved well over 500,000 units upon release, while demand for their songs saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.

The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.

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

The band previously completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has risked eclipsing everything else 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. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller

Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.

The majority installments came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.

Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene active, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“We thought such titles might become like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”