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It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, offering everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.

Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a remarkable influence for many musicians featured, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.

“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”

He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Gains a New Audience

Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, but then when it was included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the band's first record remained not available in the US, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the group during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence

Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 units upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay 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. They claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.

DragonForce had already completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar

Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.

Titles like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be something from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?

“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”