Marking two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that someone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series that had a significant influence for many of the artists included, introducing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, however when it was featured on the title young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group greater revenue compared to their records. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour when their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
