It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, giving everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the display in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant influence for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, with 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 to have made the band greater revenue compared to their records. It moved more than 500,000 units in its first week, and sales of their songs rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, and there’s set to be something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
