It has been 20 years since the legendary game debuted in North America, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who has mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a significant influence on numerous musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still not available in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band more money compared to their records. It sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week, and demand for their songs rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously completed a successful tour before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun production on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
