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It has been two decades after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, giving players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.

Created by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine live show.

Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists included, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.

“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”

He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Finds a New Audience

Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, but then when it was included in the game young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog a new life.”

At that time, the band's first record remained unreleased in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence

Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group more money compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 units upon release, while sales of their songs saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention played at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring months of practice of practice.

“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes musician the artist.

DragonForce previously completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to 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 Legacy of a Plastic Guitar

Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.

Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.

Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community active, with set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?

“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”