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Marking two decades since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.

Developed by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.

Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact for many musicians included, showcasing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.

“We rerecorded all the music because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”

He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Gains a New Audience

Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, but then when it was included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the outdated label. It provided our catalog a new life.”

In 2008, the band's first record remained unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence

Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 units in its first week, while sales of their songs rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took months of practice of practice.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

DragonForce previously completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”

Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar

Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.

Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“We thought those games could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”