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It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, giving everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.

Created by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine live show.

The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant impact for many musicians featured, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

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

“We rerecorded all the music since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was 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: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Finds a New Audience

Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact

Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money compared to their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 units in its first week, and sales of their songs rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.

Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice of practice.

“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.

DragonForce previously completed a profitable run before their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.

Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller

The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.

The majority installments came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.

Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?

“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”