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Marking 20 years since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try telling that anyone who has nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.

Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series that had a significant influence for many musicians featured, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.

A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.

“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”

He continues: “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 a New Audience

Irish group the Answer had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, however once it got featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the band's debut album remained unreleased in the US, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact

Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 copies upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention played at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took nine months to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.

The band previously completed a profitable run when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”

In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller

The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.

The majority installments were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.

Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, with expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following the classic?

“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”