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It has been two decades after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.

Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine performance.

The studio previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series which made a remarkable influence for many of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”

He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans

Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, but then once it got included in the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”

At that time, the band's first record remained unreleased in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence

Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group more money compared to their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 units upon release, and demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.

The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring nine months of practice.

“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.

DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”

Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.

Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller

Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement 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 they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.

Most installments came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.

Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered production on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?

“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”