It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a significant influence for many of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group more money than any of their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 copies upon release, while demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone performed at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
The band had already completed a successful tour when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
