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Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, giving players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.

Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic performance.

Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.

“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”

He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Gains a New Audience

Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog a new life.”

In 2008, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Major Band Titles Enduring Impact

Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band more money than any of their records. It sold well over half a million copies upon release, while demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging even in expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” says musician the artist.

DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run before their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.

Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller

Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.

The majority installments came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.

Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community alive, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?

“We thought such titles could be like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”