Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, offering players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists featured, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, but then once it got included in the title young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record remained not available in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 copies upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
