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Marking two decades since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the means to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic performance.

Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a significant impact on numerous of the artists included, showcasing classic groups to millions of younger players.

A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”

He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Finds a New Audience

Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, but then when it was included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”

In 2008, the band's debut album was still unreleased stateside, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the group during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact

Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold more than half a million copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.

The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging even in expert mode, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring months of practice of practice.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

The band had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar

Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.

The majority installments were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.

Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene active, with set to be a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. 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,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”