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Marking two decades after the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the means to become rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing someone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.

Created by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the screen in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.

Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians featured, introducing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”

He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans

Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided all our music a new life.”

In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence

Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group more money than any of their studio albums. It sold well over half a million units upon release, while sales of 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 fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring nine months to accomplish.

“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.

The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music 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, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.

Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“We thought those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”