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Marking 20 years after the legendary game first launched in North America, offering players everywhere the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Created by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine performance.

The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable impact for many of the artists included, introducing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.

“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”

He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”

Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans

Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the title young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided all our music a new life.”

At that time, the band's first record was still not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence

Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 units in its first week, and demand for their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed 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 Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took months of practice of practice.

“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

DragonForce previously completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label 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.”

In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller

The best promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.

Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following the classic?

“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”