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It has been 20 years since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing someone who's nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.

The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a significant influence on numerous musicians featured, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles 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 necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”

He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans

Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, 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 That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave all our music a new life.”

At that time, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence

Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band more money than any of their records. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.

The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took months of practice of practice.

“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller

Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.

The majority installments were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.

Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be something from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?

“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”