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Marking two decades since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, giving players everywhere the means to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.

Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.

Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant influence on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.

A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.

“We rerecorded all the music since the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”

He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Gains a New Audience

Irish group the Answer had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence

Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold well over half a million units upon release, while sales of their songs rose significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.

“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.

The band had already completed a profitable run when their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”

In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller

Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.

Most installments were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.

Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”