🔗 Share this article

Marking two decades since the legendary game first launched in North America, offering everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.

Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable influence for many musicians featured, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.

“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”

He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Gains a New Audience

Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, however when it was featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music a new life.”

In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence

Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money compared to their records. It sold more than 500,000 units in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

DragonForce previously completed a successful tour before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar

The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.

Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, with set to be a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?

“We thought those games could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”