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It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.

Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a significant influence on numerous musicians featured, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced every song because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”

He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans

Northern Irish group one featured act included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the game young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”

In 2008, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence

Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money than any of their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 units upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.

Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

The band had already wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”

In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar

The best promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.

The majority installments came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.

Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following the classic?

“We thought those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”