Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists included, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game took off, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered outdated material, but then when it was included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group greater revenue compared to their records. It moved more than half a million copies in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, with set to be something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
