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Marking two decades since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the tools to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.

Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic performance.

Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a remarkable influence for many of the artists featured, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.

A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.

“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”

He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans

Northern Irish group one featured act included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, but then once it got included in the title young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music a new life.”

In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the group during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact

Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved well over half a million units upon release, while demand for their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.

The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult even in expert mode, let alone performed at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice of practice.

“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller

Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.

The majority installments were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.

Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed those games could be like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”