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It has been 20 years since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who has nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.

Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic performance.

The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic bands to millions of younger players.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”

He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Gains a New Audience

Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, but then once it got included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”

At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained not available in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence

Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group greater revenue than any of their records. It moved well over half a million copies in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.

The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone performed at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring nine months to accomplish.

“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller

Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.

Most installments were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.

Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community alive, and there’s set to be something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun production on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?

“We thought those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”