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It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, giving players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic 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 a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.

The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists featured, introducing classic groups to millions of younger players.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.

“We reproduced all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game took off, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”

He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Finds a New Audience

Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”

In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still not available stateside, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the group during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence

Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band more money than any of their records. It moved well over half a million units in its first week, while sales of their songs rose significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.

“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.

DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”

Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.

Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller

Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.

Most installments came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.

Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”