Guitar Hero at 20 – How a Plastic Axe Bridged Generations Among Rock Fans

Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.

Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.

The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a remarkable influence on numerous musicians featured, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. 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. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”

He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”

Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans

Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, however when it was featured on the game young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the band's first record remained not available in the US, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact

Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, 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 sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.

The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice to accomplish.

“The game 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,” says musician the artist.

The band had already completed a successful tour when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar

Top-tier promotion, whether it’s 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 we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.

Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.

Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?

“We thought those games could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”