It has been 20 years after the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the means to become a rock star. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, introducing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased in the US, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band more money than any of their records. It sold more than half a million units upon release, while sales of their songs saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most installments came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, with set to be a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has entered work on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
