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It has been two decades since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, offering players everywhere the means to become a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.

Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a significant impact for many of the artists included, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.

A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game took off, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”

He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Finds a New Audience

Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then when it was included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”

At that time, the band's first record was still not available stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence

Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band greater revenue compared to their records. It sold more than 500,000 copies upon release, and sales of their songs rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.

Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention played at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice of practice.

“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.

The band previously wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller

The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.

Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.

Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, with set to be something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun production on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?

“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”