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It has been two decades since the legendary game hit the market in North America, providing players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.

Created by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic performance.

Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists featured, introducing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.

“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”

He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”

Timeless Music Gains a New Audience

Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however when it was included in the title and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It provided all our music a new life.”

In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact

Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group more money compared to their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 copies upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.

The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took nine months of practice.

“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

DragonForce previously completed a profitable run when their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow 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 now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar

Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.

The majority installments came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.

Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community active, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”