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It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing someone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the display in time with a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine performance.

The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant influence for many musicians included, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.

“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”

He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Gains a New Audience

Northern Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered outdated material, however once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog a new life.”

At that time, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence

Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group more money than any of their studio albums. It sold well over half a million units upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.

The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.

“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller

The best promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.

Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.

Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, with expectations of something from the founders in development. A new studio has begun production on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”