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Marking two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.

Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the display in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.

The studio had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists included, introducing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.

A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.

“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”

He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans

Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, however when it was included in the game young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”

At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased stateside, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the group during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact

Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved well over half a million units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business 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 power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring nine months of practice.

“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.

DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller

The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to 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. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.

Most installments were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.

Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, with set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?

“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”