Guitar Hero Turns 20 – The Plastic Guitar That United the Gap Among Music Fans

It has been two decades after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, offering everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.

The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded every song since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game took off, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”

He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Finds a New Audience

Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered outdated material, however once it got featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog a new life.”

In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence

Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group more money than any of their records. It moved well over half a million units in its first week, and demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.

The series still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game 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 every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” says musician the artist.

DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar

The best promotion, be it for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.

Most installments came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.

Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?

“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”