🔗 Share this article

It has been two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.

Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a significant impact for many of the artists featured, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.

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

“We rerecorded every song since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once the game became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”

He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Gains a New Audience

Northern Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided all our music a new life.”

At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact

Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money compared to their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took nine months of practice.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.

The band previously completed a profitable run when their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”

In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.

Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar

Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.

Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?

“We thought such titles could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”