🔗 Share this article

It has been two decades after the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.

Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant impact on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.

“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game took off, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”

He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”

Timeless Music Finds a New Audience

Northern Irish group one featured act included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, however once it got featured on the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music a new life.”

At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased in the US, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the band during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence

Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group more money than any of their records. It sold more than half a million units upon release, while demand for their songs rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.

The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took nine months to accomplish.

“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

The band previously completed a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller

The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted 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 spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.

Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s expectations of something from the founders in development. A new studio has entered work on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?

“We thought those games might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”