The Iconic Game Turns 20 – The Plastic Guitar That Bridged the Gap Among Rock Fans

It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, offering players everywhere the means to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the screen in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic live show.

The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists included, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded every song because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”

He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans

Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, however once it got featured on the title young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence

Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue than any of their records. It sold more than half a million units upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.

“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

DragonForce had already completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”

Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar

Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.

Most installments were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.

Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?

“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”