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It has been two decades after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.

Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.

Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a significant impact for many of the artists included, introducing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced every song because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game took off, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”

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

Timeless Music Gains a New Audience

Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got included in the game young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”

In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained not available stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence

Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group more money than any of their studio albums. It moved well over half a million units upon release, while sales of their songs rose significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, 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, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says musician the artist.

The band had already wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar

The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.

Most installments were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.

Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, with expectations of something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?

“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”