It has been two decades since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a significant influence on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, however once it got featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained not available in the US, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the group during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies in its first week, and sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun work on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
