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Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.

Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.

The studio had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a significant influence on numerous of the artists included, introducing classic groups to millions of younger players.

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

“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”

He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans

Northern Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music a new life.”

At that time, the band's debut album was still unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact

Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band more money compared to their records. It sold well over half a million copies in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.

The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.

“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.

DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar

The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.

The majority installments were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.

Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community active, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?

“We thought such titles might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”