How Guitar Hero made everybody a rock star

“Sharp Dressed Man,” by ZZ Top. Hard on a good day, Medium when my friends were over, Expert once and then never ever again. That was my Guitar Hero sweet spot. And for years, it seemed like everybody had one. The plastic guitar controllers became a staple of living rooms everywhere, and the songs – from big bands, small bands, and bands that didn’t even actually exist – became huge hits. Long before TikTok was the most important thing in music, getting your track on a Guitar Hero setlist could change your life forever.

For this episode of Version History, we go through the whole history of Guitar Hero. The story begins in arcades in Japan, …

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