Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1985 from L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose. After signing with Geffen Records in 1986, the band's "classic" lineup featured vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagan, and drummer Steven Adler.
Guns N' Roses gained a local following before releasing their debut album Appetite for Destruction, which initially struggled until the breakout success of the "Welcome to the Jungle" music video. The album sold over 30 million copies worldwide, becoming the best-selling debut album in the U.S., and spawned hits like "Paradise City" and "Sweet Child o' Mine". Their follow-up, G N' R Lies combined earlier material with new acoustic songs and reached number two on the Billboard 200, sold ten million copies globally, and featured the hit "Patience" and the controversial "One in a Million". In 1990, Adler was replaced by Matt Sorum due to drug issues, and keyboardist Dizzy Reed joined. Their 1991 twin albums Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II debuted at numbers two and one on the Billboard 200 and sold a combined 35 million copies worldwide. The Illusion albums contained successful singles like "You Could Be Mine", "Don't Cry", and "November Rain", as well as a series of high-budget music videos.
After finishing the record-setting Use Your Illusion Tour, Guns N' Roses released the punk covers album "The Spaghetti Incident?", which debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 and sold over 1 million copies in the United States. They then entered a turbulent phase amid lineup turmoil; several members left, leaving only Rose and Reed from the Illusion years by 1998. The band was rebuilt with new recruits, including Robin Finck, Buckethead, Tommy Stinson, Brain and Chris Pitman, among others. The various lineups worked on the long-delayed industrial and electronic-influenced Chinese Democracy, which cost an estimated $14 million, making it the most expensive rock album produced. Gaining notoriety for its protracted development, the album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and sold 2.6 million copies worldwide. In November 2004, Geffen released Greatest Hits, which has sold over 6 million copies in the United States. It became one of the longest-charting albums in the history of the Billboard 200. After years of animosity, Slash and McKagan rejoined the band in 2016 for the quasi-reunion Not in This Lifetime... Tour, which became one of the highest-grossing concert tours of all time. The current lineup consists of Rose, Slash, McKagan, rhythm guitarist Richard Fortus, drummer Isaac Carpenter, and keyboardists Reed and Melissa Reese.
Guns N' Roses is one of the best-selling musical acts of all time, with estimated worldwide sales of over 100 million records. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. Known for their volatile performances, media feuds, and provocative lyrics, Guns N' Roses cultivated a reputation as "The World's Most Dangerous Band". Their fusion of punk, blues, and metal helped shift late-'80s rock away from glam rock. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of their era, with Appetite for Destruction frequently ranked among the greatest albums of all time. Songs such as "Sweet Child o’ Mine" and "Welcome to the Jungle" are considered classics of the genre, and the band has been included in lists of the greatest artists of all time by publications like Rolling Stone and VH1.
History
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 the group before the band dissolved in 1984. Rose later joined Guns's band L.A. Guns, recommended by Stradlin, who was living with Guns at the time. On January 1, 1985, Rose and Stradlin briefly reunited as Hollywood Rose for a one-off show with bassist Steve Darrow, Tracii Guns, and drummer Rob Gardner.Guns N' Roses was formed in March 1985 by Rose, Stradlin, Guns, Gardner, and bassist Ole Beich. Guns recalled the formation of the band in a 2019 interview, stating: "Axl got into an argument with our manager and our manager fired Axl... So, that same night we started Guns N' Roses... I called Izzy the next day and said, 'Hey, we are gonna start this new band called Guns N' Roses, do you want in?'". The name combined their previous bands names and was initially intended for a record label. Rejected names included "Heads of Amazon" and "AIDS".
After two rehearsals, Beich was replaced by Duff McKagan. Their first rehearsal with McKagan was recorded, and three songs - "Don't Cry", "Think About You" and "Anything Goes"- were aired during their first radio interview, two days before their debut show at the Troubadour on March 26, 1985. Plans for an EP featuring those songs and a cover of "Heartbreak Hotel" were abandoned after Guns left the band following an argument with Rose. He was replaced by Slash, and Gardner soon departed, with Steven Adler taking over on drums.
The "classic" lineup - Rose, Stradlin, Slash, McKagan, and Adler - was finalized on June 4, 1985. After two rehearsals, they played their first show on June 6. Two days later, they embarked on a chaotic West Coast tour from Sacramento to McKagan's hometown of Seattle, Washington. When both vans broke down en route, the band hitchhiked with only their guitars. McKagan later called the "Hell Tour" a defining moment for the group. They soon moved into a shared house and rehearsal space dubbed "The Hell House".
Guns N' Roses gained traction on the Hollywood club circuit, performing at venues like The Troubadour and The Roxy. In March 1986, they signed with Geffen Records, turning down a more lucrative offer from Chrysalis, which had sought to alter their image. Geffen offered full creative control and a $75,000 advance.
File:Guns-N-Roses-1987.jpg|thumb|Guns N' Roses classic lineup, from left to right, Izzy Stradlin, Steven Adler, Axl Rose, Duff McKagan, & Slash
In December 1986, the band released the EP Live Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide to maintain momentum while they retreated from the club scene to focus on studio work. The EP included covers of Rose Tattoo's "Nice Boys" and Aerosmith's "Mama Kin", along with two originals: "Reckless Life" and "Move to the City". Though marketed as live recordings, the tracks were studio demos overdubbed with crowd noise. Released on Geffen's Uzi Suicide imprint, only 10,000 vinyl copies were pressed.
To test producers for their debut album, the band recorded "Nightrain" and "Sweet Child o' Mine" with Spencer Proffer. Nine songs were tracked during these sessions, including "Heartbreak Hotel", "Don't Cry", "Welcome to the Jungle" and "Shadow of Your Love". They also recorded demos with Nazareth guitarist Manny Charlton. Paul Stanley of KISS was considered but rejected after proposing changes to Adler's drum setup. Mutt Lange and Tom Werman were also approached, but Geffen declined due to cost.
Ultimately, Mike Clink was selected, having previously worked with Triumph. The band recorded "Shadow of Your Love" with Clink as a test. After rehearsals, they entered Rumbo Recorders in January 1987. Basic tracks were completed in two weeks, followed by a month of overdubs. Drums were finished in six days, but Rose's vocals took significantly longer, as he insisted on recording one line at a time.
Breakthrough and mass popularity (1987–1989)
''Appetite for Destruction''
Appetite for Destruction, Guns N’ Roses’ debut album, was released on July 21, 1987. The album’s original cover art, painted by Robert Williams and depicting a surreal scene of a monster attacking a rapist robot, was deemed too controversial by retailers. The band described the artwork as “a symbolic social statement, with the robot representing the industrial system that’s raping and polluting our environment.” A revised cover, created by Andy Engell from a design by tattoo artist Bill White Jr., featured skull caricatures of the five band members arranged on a cross.The band’s first single, "It's So Easy", was released exclusively in the UK on June 15, 1987, reaching number 84 on the UK Singles Chart. In the United States, “Welcome to the Jungle” served as the lead single in October, accompanied by a music video.
For nearly a year, the album and its singles struggled commercially. That changed when Geffen Records founder David Geffen personally urged MTV to air the “Welcome to the Jungle” video during late-night rotation. Although initially played only once at 4 a.m. on a Sunday, viewer demand quickly surged. The song, written in Seattle but inspired by Rose’s experiences in Los Angeles, was partly based on an encounter with a homeless man in New York who shouted, “You know where you are? You’re in the jungle, baby; you’re gonna die!”. The track later appeared in the 1988 film The Dead Pool, in which the band made a cameo.
“Sweet Child o' Mine”, the album’s second U.S. single, originated as a poem Rose wrote for his then‑girlfriend Erin Everly. Its broad appeal and heavy rotation on radio and MTV propelled it to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 — the band’s only chart‑topper. Slash later remarked, “I hated that song with a huge passion for the longest time, and it turned out to be our hugest hit.” In Japan, the track appeared on the EP Live from the Jungle, which also included live recordings from the band’s June 1987 shows at London’s Marquee Club — their first performances outside the U.S.
Following the success of “Sweet Child o' Mine,” “Welcome to the Jungle” was reissued and reached number 7 in the U.S. “Paradise City” peaked at number 5, and Appetite for Destruction eventually reached number 1 on the Billboard 200. The album has since sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, including 18 million in the United States, making it the best‑selling debut album in U.S. history and the eleventh best-selling album overall.
Guns N’ Roses supported the album with the 16‑month Appetite for Destruction Tour. Alongside headlining dates in the U.S. and Europe, the band opened for the Cult, Mötley Crüe, and Alice Cooper in 1987. During the tour, drummer Steven Adler broke his hand in a fight and was temporarily replaced by Cinderella's Fred Coury for eight shows. Bassist Duff McKagan missed several dates in May 1988 for his wedding, with Kid "Haggis" Chaos of the Cult filling in. Don Henley of the Eagles played drums for the band at the 1989 American Music Awards while Adler was in rehab. The band continued touring across the United States, Australia, and Japan, and opened North American shows for Iron Maiden and Aerosmith. Aerosmith manager Tim Collins later recalled, “By the end of the tour, Guns N’ Roses were huge... Suddenly, the opening act was bigger than we were.”