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It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the tools to become a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.

Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable influence for many of the artists included, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.

“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game took off, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”

He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”

Timeless Music Finds a New Audience

Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, but then when it was featured on the title young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”

At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased stateside, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the band during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence

Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on 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 than any of their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 units in its first week, while demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.

The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.

“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.

The band previously wrapped up a successful tour when their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar

The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.

Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.

Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the community active, with set to be a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?

“We thought those games could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”