Guitar Hero Turns 20 – How a Plastic Axe Connected the Gap Among Music Fans

It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who has nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.

Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine performance.

Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable influence on numerous musicians included, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.

“We rerecorded every song since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”

He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans

Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”

At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact

Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group more money compared to their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 copies upon release, while sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult even in expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.

“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.

The band previously completed a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”

In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller

Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.

Most installments came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.

Titles like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?

“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”