Whoever said nothing good comes of video games? With the rise of popular music titles such as Rock Band and Guitar Hero, so has there been a rise in the popularity of classic rock music. Everything from Lynyrd Skynyrd to Journey have seen a resurgence in popularity as a younger generation are exposed to the music for the first time. The developers claim it was all part of the plan.

Kids are listening to Journey, Megadeth and Deep Purple? Well, yes say their parents and single sales. Gary Wedbush says it’s a sort of way to connect with his two sons. “Not to over-simplify, but any time you find common interests with your kids it’s a very cool thing,” Wedbush said. “You get to connect in a way that’s different than the normal parent-child relationship.”

Single sales also back up that kids are into a whole new (old) generation of music. According to SoundScan, sales of Aerosmith’s single “Same Old Song and Dance” jumped 136 percent the week after Guitar Hero III was released, and 400 percent the week after Christmas. This has, of course, generated far more interest among music labels and artists about being included in the next music title. Aerosmith has even signed on to make their own edition of Guitar Hero.

But is this truly creating fans? The Internet is filled with videos and sites discussing 80s crooner Rick Astley, but it would be hard to argue there is a real resurgence in his popularity. Still, developers of both games insist part of their agenda was to expose gamers to new types of music. Harmonix, developers of Guitar Hero I & II and Rock Band, particularly has keen insight on the phenomenon. Co-founder Alex Rigopulos said, “It’s a big part of our secret agenda. [The games] are about connecting people with music in a deeper way.”