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It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, offering players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine live show.

Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.

A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.

“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”

He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans

Irish group the Answer had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”

At that time, the band's first record remained not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence

Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band more money compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 copies upon release, and sales of their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.

The series still motivates 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 Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.

The band previously wrapped up a successful tour when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”

In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller

The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.

The majority installments were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.

Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, with set to be something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?

“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”