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Marking two decades since the legendary game hit the market in North America, offering players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.

Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the display in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine performance.

The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a significant impact for many musicians included, showcasing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.

“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”

He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Gains a New Audience

Irish group the Answer had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered outdated material, but then once it got featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased in the US, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the band during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence

Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units in its first week, and demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring nine months of practice.

“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

The band previously completed a successful tour when their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept 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”.

Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller

Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.

Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.

Games such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene active, with set to be something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”