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It has been 20 years after the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the means to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Developed by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the display in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine live show.

Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a remarkable influence on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic groups to millions of younger players.

A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.

“We rerecorded all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”

He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”

Timeless Music Gains a New Audience

Northern Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated label. It provided our catalog a new life.”

In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact

Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band greater revenue compared to their records. It moved well over 500,000 units upon release, while demand for their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.

The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention played at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring months of practice of practice.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

DragonForce previously completed a successful tour before their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar

The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.

The majority installments came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.

Games like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?

“We thought those games 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. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”