It has been two decades since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that someone who has mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant influence for many musicians featured, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game took off, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group more money compared to their records. It moved well over 500,000 units upon release, while sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging even in expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue for future fans.”
