🔗 Share this article

It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic live show.

The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a significant impact for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”

He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Finds a New Audience

Northern Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the title young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”

At that time, the band's debut album was still unreleased in the US, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the band during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence

Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over half a million units in its first week, and demand for their songs rose significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.

The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice to accomplish.

“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician the artist.

DragonForce had already completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller

The best marketing, be it for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.

Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed those games might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”