🔗 Share this article

It has been 20 years after the legendary game hit the market in North America, offering everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.

Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.

The studio had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a significant influence for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.

“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”

He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans

Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”

At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased in the US, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact

Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group more money than any of their records. It moved well over 500,000 units upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took months of practice of practice.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and enlist,” notes musician the artist.

DragonForce had already completed a profitable run before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller

The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.

The majority installments came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.

Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, with expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”