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It has been 20 years after the legendary game first launched in North America, providing players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, but try telling that anyone who has nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.

The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant influence for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded every song since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game took off, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”

He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”

Timeless Music Finds a New Audience

Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, however once it got featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”

In 2008, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the group during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence

Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group more money compared to their records. It sold well over half a million copies in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.

The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging even in expert mode, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took nine months of practice.

“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

The band previously wrapped up a profitable run when their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller

Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.

Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, with set to be something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun production on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?

“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”