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Guns n' Roses are one of the most famous and successful bands of the 80s, the golden age of heavy metal and glam rock. In celebration of their current tour, today we will introduce you to their 5 most popular songs, which you should definitely know!
Many metalheads still wish to travel back to the 80s and experience the prime time of rock in person. But since time travel is still not possible, we have to make do with good old memories. And there are plenty of them, because Guns n' Roses have sold more than 100 records since their foundation in 1985 and released some hits that everyone should have at least heard on the radio. Got some guesses yet? Let's get right into it!
1. Sweet Child O' Mine (1987)
Let's start with the most popular album of the band, Appetite For Destruction. We can already reveal that this album doesn't only contain one of the most popular songs of Guns n' Roses. Sweet Child O' Mine was a single that was released in 1988 after the album's release. As soon as the song begins, probably everyone will recognize the characteristic guitar lick. For a long time the rumor circulated that it was a mere warm-up exercise by guitarist Slash, but this is not true, as he explained in an interview. However, there were no high expectations for the song that would later become Guns n' Roses' most famous hit. The lyrics were written for Axl's girlfriend at the time, Erin Everly, who also appears in the music video.
2. Paradise City (1987)
Let's continue with the tracklist of Appetite For Destruction! Axl Rose sings about a heavenly city in the song, so for years there was speculation as to which place was meant. The home of the singer, the US state of Indiana, was considered. But to this day, the mystery has not been solved.
"Take me down to the Paradise City - Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty"
What place would you assign to these lyrics?
3. Welcome To The Jungle (1987)
We are continuing with the first studio album of the hard rock band, which, by the way, is one of the best-selling albums in the world! And Guns n' Roses can actually owe their breakthrough precisely to this song, because the label was not exactly thrilled after the rather poor numbers of the first single "It's So Easy". But with "Welcome To The Jungle" and the accompanying music video, these worries were immediately forgotten. The success story of the band began. In the lyrics as well as in the video, the dark sides of life in the big city, specifically Los Angeles, are pointed out and criticized. Frontman Axl Rose had moved to L.A. with his school friend Izzy Stradlin before the band was formed - so the song can be seen as a direct reflection of his own impression.
4. November Rain (1991)
Let's move on to the album Use Your Illusion with a small jump in time to the 90s. After three rock hits we now have the first ballad on our list. Not only the song "November Rain", but also the music video for it is legendary. Axl Rose was married to Erin Everly for a short time, but the relationship failed. The frontman processes this in the lyrics and the epic video. Many are likely to remember the guitar solo and Slash's performance in front of the white church.
5. Don't Cry (1991)
To wrap up, let's take a look at another ballad, because this one is also a real fan favorite. "Don't Cry" comes from the same album as "November Rain", but was actually written much earlier, in the mid-80s. In this case, it's about an unnamed woman that both rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin and Axl Rose liked. When she turned Axl Rose down, she allegedly said "Don't cry," whereupon the bandmates wrote this song.
Although there were several changes in the lineup of the band in the following years and no album was released between 1993 and 2008, Guns n' Roses are touring together again these days. Founding member Izzy Stradlin left the band in 1991. Slash left Guns n' Roses in 1996, but has been back since 2016, which must have been a very emotional moment for many loyal fans. Supporters of the band can be happy, because Axl Rose never quit Guns n' Roses. Meanwhile, things have calmed down a bit and we can once again indulge in the live performances of the hard rock combo. Here's to many more years!
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