It started with Izzy Stradlin of Hollywood Rose and Tracii Guns of L.A. Guns, who lived together. L.A. Guns needed a new singer, and Stradlin suggested Axl Rose for the job — thereby marking the formation of Guns N’ Roses. The crew also included Rob Gardner on drums and Ole Beich on bass, though Beich was quickly replaced by Duff McKagan, Gardner by Steven Adler, and Guns by guitarist Slash.
The group started rehearsing and recording in anticipation of its first-ever show on March 26, 1985, at the famed Troubadour club in West Hollywood, California. Axl Rose’s aggressive and erratic behavior was both a strength and a liability for the band: it electrified crowds, but also led to fights with bandmates, managers, and public figures.
Yet the band’s presence was undeniable. It became a big deal in Hollywood’s club scene, playing spots like The Roxy and eventually signing on with Geffen Records in March 1986 with a $75,000 advance. It released an EP called Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide as it retreated to the studio to record its debut album. Mike Clink was selected to produce the album, which included tracks like “Sweet Child o’ Mine” and “Nightrain.”
The band’s debut album Appetite for Destruction was released in 1987. Though it took a full year, it reached the number-one spot on the US Billboard 200 chart thanks to the singles “Sweet Child o’ Mine,” “Paradise City,” and “Welcome to the Jungle.” Since then the album has gone on to sell 30 million copies around the world, over half of which were in the United States, which makes Appetite for Destruction the US’ best-selling debut album.
Already known for relentless touring, Guns N’ Roses stepped it up with a 16-month worldwide tour opening for Mötley Crüe, Blue Öyster Cult, Iron Maiden, Aerosmith, and Alice Cooper. Though various members had to miss runs of shows due to broken bones from fistfights, a wedding, and rehab, the tour was successful. By the end of it, Guns N’ Roses was bigger than the headlining acts.
In 1988, it released its second album, G N’ R Lies, which peaked at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart and included the hit “Patience.” This album’s success was mirrored by the band’s subsequent rise in notoriety: It was blasted for offensive lyrics, Axl Rose got into violent fights with security guards backstage, and two fans were crushed to death under a slam-dancing crowd in England. It was then called “the most dangerous band in the world.”
The band’s next release was preceded by the longest tour in rock history, the Use Your Illusion tour, which included nearly 200 dates in 27 countries. The pair of albums, Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II, came out on September 17, 1991, and debuted at the first and second spots on the US Billboard charts. Its video for “November Rain,” a popular ballad nearly nine minutes long, was one of the most expensive music videos ever made.
The next years were full of turmoil and grandiose rock and roll moments. The band released The Spaghetti Incident? and changed its lineup multiple times. By 1998, Rose and Reid were the only original members still in the band.
Guns N’ Roses’ sixth studio album, Chinese Democracy, came out in 2008 after a decade of work. It is the most expensive rock album in history and debuted on the US Billboard 200 chart at number three. After the expansive tour in promotion of the album, both McKagan and Slash returned to the band in 2016 for the Not in This Lifetime… tour, the third-highest-grossing concert tour in history.
Since then, Guns N’ Roses continues to sell out the world’s biggest venues, making history as it tours across the continents. You can catch it on its own or headlining major festivals around the world, and its recent remastered releases of Appetite for Destruction and Use Your Illusion showcase the hard rock roots that always will drive the band forward.
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