Guitar Hero at 20 – The Plastic Guitar That Bridged the Gap Between Music Fans

Marking two decades after the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing someone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.

Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the screen in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.

Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.

A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”

He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Finds a New Audience

Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”

In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact

Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 units upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took months of practice of practice.

“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician the artist.

DragonForce previously completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”

In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar

Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.

The majority installments were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.

Games like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, with expectations of a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?

“We thought those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”