It has been two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who's mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the display in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a significant influence on numerous musicians included, introducing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then when it was included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band more money than any of their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention played at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” 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 create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene active, with expectations of something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered work on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“We thought those games might become like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
