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It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the means to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.

Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.

The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

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

“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”

He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans

Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, however once it got included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music a new life.”

At that time, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on US 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.

Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact

Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group more money than any of their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies in its first week, and demand for their songs rose significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took months of practice to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.

The band previously completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”

In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller

The best marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.

The majority installments came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.

Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, with set to be something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”