It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, giving players everywhere the means to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing someone who's mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a remarkable influence for many musicians featured, introducing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, however once it got featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band greater revenue compared to their records. It sold more than half a million units upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene active, with set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
