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Marking two decades since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the means to become rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who's nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.

The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a significant impact for many of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.

“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”

He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans

Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered outdated material, however once it got featured on the game young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”

In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the band during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence

Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band more money than any of their records. It moved more than 500,000 units in its first week, and sales of their songs rose significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.

Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.

The band previously wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller

Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.

The majority installments were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.

Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community alive, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”