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It has been two decades after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, offering everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine live show.

Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series that had a significant impact for many musicians featured, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.

“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”

He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans

Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, however when it was included in the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”

At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew 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

Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band greater revenue than any of their records. It sold well over half a million copies upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.

The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism 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 – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took months of practice of practice.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

The band previously completed a profitable run when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” 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 from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just 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 in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar

The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.

Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.

Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered production on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following the classic?

“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”