Guitar Hero at 20 – How a Plastic Axe Bridged the Gap Between Music Generations

Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that someone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.

Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a remarkable influence for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.

A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced every song because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”

He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans

Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the outdated label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”

At that time, the band's debut album was still unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence

Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group greater revenue than any of their records. It moved more than half a million copies in its first week, and demand for their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says musician the artist.

The band had already completed a successful tour when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”

Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar

The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.

Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered production on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“We thought those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”