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It has been two decades since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the screen in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.

Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a significant impact for many musicians featured, introducing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”

He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”

Timeless Music Finds a New Audience

Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers 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 Generally such music was seen as outdated material, but then when it was featured on the game young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”

At that time, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact

Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, and demand for their songs saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.

“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

The band previously wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”

In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller

The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.

The majority installments came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.

Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered work on their first music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?

“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”