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It has been 20 years after the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic performance.

The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a significant impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.

“We reproduced 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 bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”

He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Gains a New Audience

Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however when it was featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”

At that time, the band's first record was still unreleased in the US, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the group during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence

Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their records. It moved well over half a million units in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.

The series still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring nine months of practice.

“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.

The band previously completed a successful tour when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”

Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar

The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.

Most installments were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.

Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?

“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”