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It has been two decades since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who's nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the display in time with the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine performance.

Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a significant influence for many of the artists included, introducing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”

He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”

Timeless Music Finds a New Audience

Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, however once it got featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the band's debut album was still not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence

Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band greater revenue than any of their records. It moved well over 500,000 copies in its first week, and sales of their songs rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took months of practice to accomplish.

“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.

DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.

Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar

The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.

Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.

Games like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, with expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?

“We thought those games might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”