Guns N' Roses

Formation (1985–1986)

In 1983, guitarist Tracii Guns introduced Chris Weber to Izzy Stradlin, who soon formed a band with Stradlin's childhood friend, Axl Rose. After several lineup changes, the group became Hollywood Rose. Guitarist Slash replaced Weber in mid-1984, and the group dissolved that August. Rose later joined Guns's band L.A. Guns on Stradlin's recommendation. Rose made his debut with L.A. Guns at the Troubadour on October 5, 1984, on a bill with London, Stradlin's band at the time, and left within weeks. On New Year's Eve 1984, Rose and Stradlin briefly reunited as Hollywood Rose for a one-off show, which included the first live performance of "Don't Cry".

Early recording sessions

A new Guns N' Roses album had reportedly been in the works since 1994, with Rose the only original member still in the band. Several producers, including Youth, Moby, Mike Clink, Eric Caudieux & Sean Beavan worked with the band during the late 1990s, incorporating new electronic and industrial elements to the music. Rolling Stone stated that the label planned for the album to be released in late 1999. By August 1999, the band had recorded over 30 songs for the album, which was tentatively entitled 2000 Intentions.

Legacy, style and influence

Guns N' Roses signed with a major record label within eight months of the band's inception, and topped national sales charts weeks after garnering late-night airplay on MTV. Appetite for Destruction is the highest-selling debut album of all time in the United States. Apple Music said "Despite only releasing four album's worth of original material in their original incarnation, GNR had burned so brightly in such a short time that their legend remains stubbornly intact". Appetite for Destruction is credited with "(changing) hard rock's sensibilities at the time", and bringing a "danger, attitude and legitimacy" to rock, leading to a decline in the late-'80s glam metal craze. The band has been credited with helping re-popularize power ballads...

Paradise City

"Paradise City" is a song by the American rock band Guns N' Roses, featured on their debut album, Appetite for Destruction (1987). Released as a single in November 1988, it is the only song on the album to feature a synthesizer.

The song peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100—becoming the band's third single to reach the top 10—and number six on the UK Singles Chart. It also topped the Irish Singles Chart, their first of three singles to do so.

Background

Guns N' Roses' lead guitarist, Slash, states that the song was written in the back of a rental van as they were on their way back from playing a gig in San Francisco with the band Rock N Riders. He says that the band was drinking and playing acoustic guitars, when he came up with the intro. Duff McKagan and Izzy Stradlin started playing along. Slash started humming a melody when Axl Rose sang, "Take me down to the Paradise City." Slash chimed in with "Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty." Rose sang the first line again, where Slash shouted out "Where the girls are fat and they've got big titties." Rose finished with "Take ... me ... home!" Slash preferred his second line but the rest of the band felt differently. He was...

Legacy

The song ranked number 21 on VH1's 40 Greatest Metal Songs of All Time. It ranked number 459 on Rolling Stone's 2010 list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time." Some publications, such as Ultimate Classic Rock and Spin, have identified the song as one of the band's worst. The latter designating it as the most overrated in their catalogue, writing "'Paradise City' runs out of ideas halfway through its triumphant first refrain and yet still lasts for six more minutes." In 2017, Paste ranked the song number 11 on their list of the 15 greatest Guns N' Roses songs, and in 2020, Kerrang ranked the song number two on their list of the 20 greatest Guns N' Roses songs. The 2008 video game Burnout Paradise is set in a fictional location, known as...

Sweet Child O' Mine

"Sweet Child o' Mine" is a song by American rock band Guns N' Roses, released on their debut studio album, Appetite for Destruction (1987). In the United States, the song was released in June 1988, topping the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and becoming the band's only US number-one single.

In the United Kingdom, the song was released in August 1988, reaching number 24 on the UK Singles Chart the same month. In May 1989, it was re-released there in a slightly remixed form and peaked at number six.

Background and composition

During a jam session at the band's house in Sunset Strip, drummer Steven Adler and Slash were warming up and Slash began to play a "circus" melody while making faces at Adler. Rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin asked Slash to play it again. Stradlin came up with some chords, Duff McKagan created a bassline and Adler planned a beat. In his autobiography, Slash said "within an hour my guitar exercise had become something else." Lead singer Axl Rose was listening to the musicians upstairs in his room and was inspired to write lyrics, which he completed by the following afternoon. He based it on his girlfriend Erin Everly (daughter of Don Everly, of the Everly Brothers, and Venetia Stevenson), and declared that Lynyrd Skynyrd served as an...

Music video

A music video (directed by Nigel Dick) was made for the song in 1987. The music video depicts the band rehearsing in Mendiola's Ballroom at Huntington Park, California, surrounded by crew members. All of the band members' girlfriends at the time were shown in the clip: Rose's girlfriend Erin Everly; McKagan's girlfriend Mandy Brix, from the all-female rock band the Lame Flames; Stradlin's girlfriend Angela Nicoletti; Adler's girlfriend Cheryl Swiderski; and Slash's girlfriend Sally McLaughlin. Stradlin's dog was also shown. The video was successful on MTV, and helped launch the song to mainstream success.

Reception

"Sweet Child o' Mine" placed number 37 on Guitar World's list of the "100 Greatest Guitar Solos." It also came in at number three on Blender's 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born, and at number 196 on Rolling Stone's The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004 and 88th in the 2021 list.

Welcome To The Jungle

"Welcome to the Jungle" is a song by American rock band Guns N' Roses, featured as the opening track on their debut album, Appetite for Destruction (1987). It was released as the album's second single initially in the UK in September 1987 then again in October 1988 this time including the US, where it reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 24 on the UK Singles Chart.

Background and composition

Axl Rose wrote the lyrics while visiting a friend in Seattle: "It's a big city, but at the same time, it's still a small city compared to L.A. and the things that you're gonna learn. It seemed a lot more rural up there. I just wrote how it looked to me. If someone comes to town and they want to find something, they can find whatever they want." Guitarist Izzy Stradlin summarizes the song as "about Hollywood streets; true to life".

Reception

"Welcome to the Jungle" was ranked number 19 in Martin Popoff's book The Top 500 Heavy Metal Songs of All Time. It was also named the second greatest metal song by VH1 in 2008. In 2006, VH1 also placed the song at number 26 on its list of the "100 Greatest Songs of the 80s" and, in 2009, the channel ranked it the greatest hard rock song of all time. It was ranked number 467 in Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list in 2004, number 473 in 2010, and number 491 in 2021. (Rolling Stone readers named it "the greatest sports anthem" in 2009) and number 764 in Q's "1001 Best Songs Ever". Paste and Kerrang both named it Guns N' Roses' greatest song. It was named the "greatest song about Los Angeles" in a 2006 Blender poll.

Music video

Geffen Records was having a hard time selling the video to MTV. David Geffen made a deal with the network, and the video was aired only one time around 5:00AM on a Sunday morning. As soon as the video was aired, the networks received numerous calls from people wanting to see the video again.