🔗 Share this article

Marking 20 years after the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing someone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.

Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine live show.

Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable impact for many of the artists included, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”

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

Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans

Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, but then once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog a new life.”

At that time, the band's debut album was still unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence

Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved well over half a million units upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and go to war,” notes musician the artist.

DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run before their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller

The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.

Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.

Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?

“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”