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It has been two decades after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.

Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.

Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians featured, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced every song since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”

He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Gains a New Audience

Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, but then when it was included in the game young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the band's first record remained not available in the US, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact

Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and related stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold more than half a million copies upon release, while sales of their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.

The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

The band had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.

Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller

Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.

Most installments came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.

Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”