It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists included, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, but then when it was included in the game young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group more money compared to their studio albums. It sold well over half a million copies upon release, and sales of their songs rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to 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 Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most installments came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
