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Marking two decades after the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.

Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.

Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant influence on numerous musicians featured, showcasing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

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

“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”

He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans

Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, however when it was included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”

At that time, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the band during their US 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 Titles Enduring Impact

Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved well over half a million copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.

The series still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention played at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring nine months to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

The band previously completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.

Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller

Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.

Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?

“We thought those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”