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Marking two decades after the legendary game debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.

Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable influence on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved 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 were going up, all artists desired to be in.”

He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”

Timeless Music Gains a New Audience

Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the game young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact

Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved well over half a million units upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.

Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone performed at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took nine months of practice.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.

The band previously wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar

The best marketing, be it for cars, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.

The majority installments came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.

Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene alive, with set to be a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has entered production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”