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It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.

Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.

The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a significant influence for many of the artists included, showcasing classic groups to millions of younger players.

A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.

“We rerecorded all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”

He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”

Timeless Music Gains a New Audience

Northern Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, however when it was included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”

At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased stateside, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence

Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold well over half a million copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took nine months to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

The band had already completed a profitable run when their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller

The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.

Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?

“We thought those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”