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Marking two decades after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing someone who's mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.

Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the screen in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.

The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, introducing classic bands to millions of younger players.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”

He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Gains a New Audience

Northern Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, but then when it was included in the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”

At that time, the band's debut album remained unreleased stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact

Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold more than half a million units in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.

The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring nine months to accomplish.

“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.

The band had already completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar

Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.

The majority installments came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.

Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the community alive, and there’s set to be something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“We thought those games might become like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”