Guitar Hero Celebrates 20 Years – The Plastic Guitar That United the Gap Among Rock Generations

It has been two decades after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Developed by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.

Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a significant influence for many musicians featured, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.

“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”

He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Gains a New Audience

Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still not available stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the band during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence

Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue than any of their records. It sold well over 500,000 copies upon release, while sales of their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice of practice.

“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician the artist.

The band had already completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar

Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.

The majority installments were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.

Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?

“We thought such titles could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”