The Iconic Game Turns 20 – The Plastic Guitar That Bridged Generations Among Rock Fans

Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, giving players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.

Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a remarkable influence for many musicians featured, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”

He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Gains a New Audience

Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, but then once it got featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”

In 2008, the band's first record was still not available in the US, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact

Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold more than half a million units upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring nine months of practice.

“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.

The band previously completed a profitable run when their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar

The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.

The majority installments came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.

Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”