🔗 Share this article

Marking 20 years since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the means to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.

Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.

The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable influence for many of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”

He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”

Timeless Music Gains a New Audience

Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the band's first record was still unreleased in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Major Band Titles Enduring Impact

Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band greater revenue compared to their records. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.

The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took nine months of practice.

“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.

DragonForce had already completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller

The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.

Most installments were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.

Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, with set to be something from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered work on their first music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?

“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”