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Marking 20 years since the legendary game debuted in North America, providing everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine live show.

The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a significant influence for many of the artists included, introducing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”

He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans

Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, however when it was included in the title young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”

At that time, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Major Band Titles Enduring Impact

Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 copies in its first week, and demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention played at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took months of practice of practice.

“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.

DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”

In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar

The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.

The majority installments came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, 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.

Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community alive, with set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?

“We thought such titles could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue for future fans.”