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Guns N' Roses (GN'R) is an American hard rock band that gained fame during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The band's 1987 major label debut, Appetite for Destruction, earned them worldwide popularity; their 1991 effort, the simultaneous releases of Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II, and the subsequent tour solidified those gains. Guns N' Roses have sold an estimated 90 million albums worldwide.

Guns N' Roses helped usher in a new era in the hard rock genre. While glam metal dominated the airwaves in the late 1980s, the band's style of music, onstage presence, and image created a new movement within the then dominant pop-rock and glam-metal scene, as they offered a grittier, more traditionalist take on rock music and won many fans who admired their apparent authenticity. The band achieved worldwide success during the period of 1987-1993, but the clashing personalities of various band members, coupled with heavy alcohol and drug abuse hindered the group's ability to work together. Today, frontman Axl Rose is the only original member in the band's current lineup.

Origins

The band was founded in Los Angeles in March, 1985. Their unique style integrated hard rock, blues and other genres of music into the popular heavy metal music of the time. The band was formed by singer Axl Rose, guitarists Tracii Guns and Izzy Stradlin, bassist Ole Beich (later replaced by Duff McKagan), and drummer Rob Gardner. The name was derived from two bands in which the original members had played: Hollywood Rose and L.A. Guns.

Rise to fame (1985–1989)

When Tracii Guns and Rob Gardner could not appear at one of the first Guns N' Roses shows in Seattle, Rose called guitarist Slash and drummer Steven Adler, whom he had met recently, and asked if they would join the band on stage for the show. They agreed, and in early 1986 joined full-time, thus creating the band's most famous lineup. On the way back to Los Angeles, Axl wrote the lyrics for "Welcome to the Jungle", which eventually became their signature song.

Discovery

Tom Zutaut, a Geffen Records A&R executive, witnessed a Guns n' Roses show at the Troubadour, then falsely warned other scouts that "they suck" so he could have more time and leeway to sign them. Axl Rose demanded and received a $75,000 advance from Zutaut before revealing that he promised an A&R from Chrysalis that the band would sign with her if she walked naked down Sunset Boulevard. For three days, Zutaut nervously watched from his Sunset office window for a naked A&R executive before he could close the deal. Alan Niven was subsequently hired as the band's manager, and the team then set out to record the band's full-length debut album.

Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide

In late 1986, the band released a self-produced EP titled Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide. Designed to gauge public opinion of the band outside of Los Angeles, the record contained covers of Rose Tattoo's "Nice Boys", Aerosmith's "Mama Kin" along with two original compositions: punk anthem "Reckless Life" and the classic rock inspired "Move to the City". Despite having the look and sound of a live album, band members have admitted that the tracks were studio recordings with a live audience overdubbed. Only 10,000 vinyl copies of the album were produced, and even though the tracks were re-issued verbatim two years later as part of the GN'R Lies EP, the original Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide has been a valuable and sought after collector's item among fans since the late 1980s.

Appetite for Destruction

Appetite for Destruction was released on July 21, 1987. In the US, "Welcome to the Jungle" was issued as its first single with an accompanying music video. Initially, the album and single did not perform well, but when Geffen Records founder David Geffen was asked to lend support to the band, he obliged by personally requesting MTV executives to add "Welcome to the Jungle" to their after hours rotation. Even though the video was played at inopportune times like 5am, rock fans took notice and began requesting the video and song en masse.

In England, "It's So Easy" was released prior to the album itself. The band quickly gained popularity through radio airplay and via a rousing performance at London's famed Marquee Club on June 28, 1987. A 12-inch single for "It's So Easy" included Marquee Club performances of "Shadow of Your Love" and "Move to the City".

Countries overseas were often treated to Guns N' Roses material from the Marquee Club show that never saw release in the US market and went unexposed to US fans: The original UK "Welcome to the Jungle" single was backed with the Marquee performance of AC/DC's classic "Whole Lotta Rosie" and a 12-inch single included live renditions of "It's So Easy" and the Bob Dylan classic "Knockin' on Heaven's Door". In Japan, an entire EP entitled Live from the Jungle was issued, which contained the album version of "Sweet Child O' Mine" and most of the Marquee Club recordings. Later European and Asian single releases were also peppered with Slash or Axl Rose interviews, which was common practice in those countries.

The album underwent an artwork change after the original Robert Williams cover design (a surrealist scene in which a robot is vengefully attacking a rapist) spawned complaints from religious groups and caused some record stores to brown bag, obscure, or refuse to sell the album. The revised cover was gleaned from a tattoo that Axl had recently commissioned featuring skeleton faces of the five musicians arranged on a cross. Rose later insisted that the Gold and Platinum plaques issued by the RIAA be set using the original Williams cover. Copies of the LP with its original artwork are now rare collectors items.

"Sweet Child O' Mine" was the album's second US single. Due to the growing grassroots success of the band and the cross-gender appeal of the tune, the song and its accompanying music video received heavy airplay on both radio and MTV, and became a smash hit during the summer of 1988. "Welcome to the Jungle" was then re-issued as a single, with new pressings of records and tapes and new artwork. The UK re-release was backed with an acoustic version of "You're Crazy", recorded much earlier than the one featured on the 1988 EP GN'R Lies.

By the time "Paradise City" and its video reached the airwaves, the band's touring success and fame had catapulted the album to #1 on the Billboard charts. "Welcome to the Jungle", "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Paradise City" were each US top ten singles. To date, Appetite For Destruction has sold over twenty million copies and remains the best-selling debut album of all time.

Touring success and controversy

Guns N' Roses began opening shows for major rock acts, but as their fame began to take hold, a world tour in support of Appetite for Destruction was scheduled. The band traveled across the United States, and in spring of 1988 were invited to the notorious Monsters of Rock Festival at Castle Donington, where they shared the stage with legendary groups like Megadeth, KISS and Iron Maiden. At the start of the Guns N' Roses set, the capacity crowd of over 100,000 began jumping and surging forward. Despite Axl's requests that the crowd move away from the stage, two fans were trampled to death. Without knowledge of the extent of fan injuries, the band continued playing, and was largely blamed by the media for the tragedy. Events such as these during the Appetite for Destruction tour earned the group their title of "world's most dangerous band".

In addition, the behavior of the band was also garnering negative attention from the media. McKagan, Slash and Adler were often seen intoxicated both on and off stage. Members of the crew at the time stated that Slash often had to be carried onstage by a group of people and would sometimes pass out after the concert ended.

GN'R Lies

Guns N' Roses' next release was the EP G N' R Lies in 1988, which reached #2 on the Billboard music charts. The album included the four Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide recordings one side, and four acoustic songs on the other. The song "One in a Million", which included the words "niggers" and "faggots", led to controversy in which critics accused both the band and Axl Rose of racism and homophobia. Rose responded by saying the claims are unfounded, particularly when considering Slash himself is half black and half Jewish. He also went on to explain that the song reflected racial and prejudicial problems of society, rather than promoting them. Rose also cited that he was a fan of homosexual singers like Freddie Mercury and Elton John. The band he played gigs alongside the all-black group Body Count, and lead singer Ice-T said in his book The Ice Opinion that Axl had been "a victim of the press the same way I am".

After Slash and Duff appeared on the nationally televised American Music Awards visibly intoxicated and using profanity, Geffen Records executives asked the band to curtail their behavior. The members took steps to deal with their addictions after Rose threatened to end the band if they continued with their heavy drug abuse. He even spoke up about the situation, specifically the heroin addictions, during an opening set for the Rolling Stones in 1989 at the LA Coliseum.

Use Your Illusion (1990–1993)

In 1990, Guns N' Roses returned to the studio to begin recording their most ambitious undertaking yet. During recording sessions, drummer Steven Adler was unable to perform due to his struggles with cocaine and heroin addiction. Axl said later in an interview that "'Civil War' was recorded a good sixty times because of Adler." Coincidentally, "Civil War" is the only post-GN'R Lies song on which Adler appears, and was featured (along with a cover of the UK Subs punk anthem "Down on the Farm") in a televised excerpt of the band's set at Farm Aid IV on April 7, 1990 which became the last concert appearance of the band with Adler as drummer. He was fired in August 1990, and replaced with former Cult drummer Matt Sorum. About the same time, keyboardist Dizzy Reed joined the band as a full time member. The band's manager, Alan Niven, was fired in May 1991 and was replaced with Doug Goldstein.

With enough music for a double album, the band instead chose to release Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II as two separate albums on September 17 1991. The tactic paid off when the albums debuted as #2 and #1 respectively on the Billboard charts. Prior to the release of both albums, Guns N' Roses embarked on the twenty-eight month long Use Your Illusion World Tour to support them. It would become famous for both its financial success and the many controversial incidents that occurred at the shows.

During a July 2, 1991 concert at the recently built Riverport Arena in St. Louis, Missouri, Axl Rose jumped into the audience and tackled a fan that was recording the show with a video camera. After being pulled from the audience by his security team, Rose subsequently left the stage, ending the show early. The angry crowd began to riot, and dozens of people were injured. Rose was charged with having incited the riot, but police were unable to arrest him until almost a year later, as the band went overseas to continue the tour. Charges were filed against Rose, but a judge ruled that he did not directly incite the riot. In his defense, Rose stated that the Guns N' Roses personal security team had made four separate requests to the venue's security staff to remove the camera, all of which were ignored; that other members of the band had reported being hit by bottles from the audience; and that the venue's security had been lax, allowing weapons into the arena and refusing to enforce a drinking limit.*

During this time, guitarist Izzy Stradlin quit the band due to differences with Rose. He was replaced by Los Angeles based guitarist Gilby Clarke. In late 1991, Rose added a touring ensemble to the band which included a horns section and several background vocalists.

In 1992, the band appeared at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, performing a two song set. Later in the year they went on a mini-tour with American heavy metal band Metallica. During a show in August 1992 at Montreal's Olympic Stadium, Metallica frontman James Hetfield suffered severe burns after stepping too close to a pyrotechnics blast. Metallica was forced to cancel the second hour of the show, but promised to return to the city for another show. After a long delay, during which the audience became increasingly restless, Guns N' Roses took the stage. However, the shortened time between sets did not allow for adequate tuning of stage monitors resulting in musicians not being able to hear themselves. Compounding the situation were Rose's claims that he had problems with his voice which caused the band to leave the stage early. The cancellation led to another riot by audience members, reminiscent of the rioting that had occurred in St. Louis one year earlier. Rioters overturned cars, smashed windows, looted local stores and set random fires. Local authorities were barely able to bring the mob under control.

The Use Your Illusion Tour is notable for the many videos the band released to support it, including "Don't Cry", "November Rain" * and "Estranged" - some of the most expensive videos ever made.

The hit ballad "November Rain" became the most requested video on MTV, eventually winning the 1992 MTV Video Music Award for best cinematography. During the awards show, GN'R performed the song with Elton John accompanying the band on piano.

In May 1993, Gilby Clarke broke his wrist in a motorcycling accident and the band needed a replacement for some dates in Europe. Izzy Stradlin briefly returned for a string of five shows.

The historic tour ended in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on July 17, 1993. The tour set attendance records and lasted for twenty-eight months in which more than 200 shows were played. The last show in Buenos Aires also marked the last time original members Slash and McKagan as well as the newcomers Gilby Clarke and Matt Sorum would play a live show with their frontman.

Decline (1994–1997)

The Spaghetti Incident?

On November 23 1993, Guns N' Roses released a collection of punk covers entitled The Spaghetti Incident?. Despite protests from Rose's bandmates, an unadvertised cover of the Charles Manson song "Look at Your Game Girl" was included on the album at his request. Years later, Rose said he would remove the song from new pressings of the album, citing that critics and the media had misinterpreted his interest in Manson. However, as of 2006, the song is still present on the album. The Spaghetti Incident? did not match the success of the Illusion albums and tensions increased within the band.

Breakup

In 1994, Gilby Clarke was let go from the band as other members felt his songwriting skills were inadequate for their future projects. That same year, a cover version of The Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil" was recorded by the band for the movie Interview with the Vampire. The addition of Axl's childhood friend Paul Tobias in place of Clarke did not sit well with remaining band members. During the recording of "Sympathy for the Devil", Tobias played several solos in addition to solos that Slash had recorded. Slash was infuriated when he heard the song's final mix and that Tobias' solos were used in place of his.

Slash then drifted in and out of the band for the next year or so, beginning a side project called Slash's Snakepit before finally quitting in late 1996, citing musical differences with Rose. He was replaced by Robin Finck. The next year, drummer Sorum was fired from the group following a verbal dispute with Rose regarding negative comments Paul Tobias had made about Slash. In early 1998, McKagan opted out of his contract. This left Rose as the sole original member of the group.

Chinese Democracy (1998—)

Rumors circulated in 1997 that Axl Rose had returned to the studio to begin work on a new album. The album's producer was supposedly Mike Clink. Nothing came out of the rumors in 1997, and GN'R remained in hiatus. In 1998, Axl formally returned to the studio accompanied by drummer Josh Freese (of The Vandals), bassist Tommy Stinson (formerly of The Replacements), guitarist Robin Finck (formerly of Nine Inch Nails), rhythm guitarist Paul Tobias (aka Paul Huge), effects man Chris Pitman, and keyboardist Dizzy Reed.

In 1999, the band released one new song, "Oh My God", which was included on the soundtrack of End of Days. The song's release was intended to be a prelude to their new album, now officially titled Chinese Democracy. Geffen also released '87-'93, a collection of live performances from various concerts during the Appetite for Destruction and Use Your Illusion tours.

In 2000, avant-garde guitar virtuoso Buckethead joined Guns N' Roses to complement Robin Finck, and drummer Josh Freese was replaced with Brian Mantia (formerly of Primus). The revised lineup debuted on stage in January 2001 with two well-received concerts, one in Las Vegas and one at the Rock in Rio Festival in Rio de Janeiro. The band played a mixture of old hits as well as new songs from their forthcoming album. During their Rock in Rio set, Rose made the following comment regarding former members of the band:

"I know that many of you are disappointed that some of the people that you came to know and love could not be with us here today. Regardless of what you have heard or read, people worked very hard (meaning my former friends) to do everything they could so that I could not be here today. I say fuck that. I am as hurt and disappointed as you that, unlike Oasis, we could not find a way to all get along."*

The new lineup played another two shows in Las Vegas at the end of 2001. In 2002, rhythm guitarist Paul Tobias left the band because of his frustrations with delays in the album's recording. He was replaced by Richard Fortus, formerly of the bands The Psychedelic Furs and Love Spit Love. The band then played several shows in August of 2002, headlining festivals and concerts throughout Asia and Europe. They made their way to New York for a surprise appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards in September.

The band's first North American tour since 1993 was organized in the autumn of 2002 to support Chinese Democracy. However, the opening show in Vancouver was canceled by the venue when Rose failed to show up in a timely manner and a riot ensued. This tour was met with mixed results. Some concerts in smaller markets did not sell well, while shows in larger markets such as New York sold out in minutes. Due to a second absence by Axl Rose in Philadelphia and the resulting riot by fans, promoter Clear Channel canceled the remainder of the tour.

The band went into hiatus until they were scheduled to play at Rock in Rio 4 in May 2004. However, Buckethead left the band in March of that year, causing the band to cancel their appearance.

Also in March 2004, Geffen released Guns N' Roses' Greatest Hits, since Rose had failed to deliver a new studio album in more than ten years. Rose expressed his displeasure with this album as its track listing was established without his consent and went as far as trying to block its release by suing Geffen Records.

In September 2005, an internet rumour surfaced that Axl met fans in Malibu and told them the album would be out by early 2006 and a song would be featured on the soundtrack for the Tom Hanks/Ron Howard movie The Da Vinci Code. Although this rumor was never verified, GN'R manager Merck refused to say if it was true or false. Also, as of December 2005, there are unconfirmed rumors that Sanctuary Music Publishing was beginning to take the early steps of release for the album and was planning on spreading news to reintroduce the band to the world. Most recently, former Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash said of Chinese Democracy in a radio interview that "it definitely sounds like it's coming out in March." Some tracks from Chinese Democracy have leaked onto the internet, and by 2006, an enhanced version of "I.R.S". was on the internet as well as a song called "Better". Axl has recently played these songs in New York in addition to "T.W.A.T" (there was a time), "Chinese Democracy", "Madagascar" and many others.

On January 13th, 2006 (Black Friday), Axl Rose was photographed for the first time in over three years at a KoRn launch party. He is currently sporting a beard and still has braids.

"We're working on 32 songs, and 26 are nearly done," he said at the party in an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine. 13 of these will be included on the 1st album, and the rest on two subsequent "sequels." According to Rolling Stone, Rose's favorites so far are "Better," "There Was a Time" and "The Blues."

"People will hear music this year," he said. "It's a very complex record, I'm trying to do something different. Some of the arrangements are kind of like Queen. Some people are going to say, 'It doesn't sound like Axl Rose, it doesn't sound like Guns N' Roses.' But you'll like at least a few songs on there."*

In February 2006, demos of the songs "Better", "Catcher In The Rye", "I.R.S.", and "There Was a Time" were leaked on the Internet through a Guns N' Roses fan site. The band's management requested that all links to the MP3 files and all lyrics to the songs be removed from forums and websites. That same month, it was announced that the band would launch a European tour starting in May, headlining both Download Festival and Rock In Rio-Lisboa. Four warm-up shows preceded the tour at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. These were the band's first live dates since a December 5, 2002 concert at Madison Square Garden.

Axl Rose appeared on Friday Night Rocks with Eddie Trunk during an interview with Sebastian Bach on May 5, 2006 and revealed that the album would be released in Fall 2006 with an accompanying North American tour. Axl has said that "it will come out this year (2006)."

On May 12, 2006, Bumblefoot, a virtuoso fusion guitarist and composer, debuted as new lead guitarist for the band, taking over the position Buckethead vacated in 2004.

Many fans and critics are touting the European tour of summer 2006 to be a major comeback for, a noticeably slimmer Axl Rose, with many of the gigs already taken place being viewed as some of the best Rose has performed since the early days of the band. Many of the gigs have been sold out and well received by critics.

Chinese Democracy has been in production for more than ten years at a cost of over thirteen million dollars, making it the most expensive album ever recorded.

The Guns N' Roses sound

The music of Guns N' Roses is a complex fusion of blues, punk, metal and classic rock 'n' roll, presented in a layered fashion that provides a clean and uncluttered feel, yet still showcases the underlying detail provided by the rhythm section's underpinnings. Basslines are fairly complex but almost always remain in the background, which lends value to repeated listening. The drumming is usually simple but always driving, often with a sharp snare and soft bass. The rhythm guitar covers the lower ranges and provides a steady canvas for the band's wildly pitched centerpiece, which alternates between the unique vocals of W. Axl Rose and the stylistic lead guitar. In the 1990s, Rose integrated keyed instruments (played by either himself or Dizzy Reed) into the band, and for roughly half of the Use Your Illusion tour, added a horn section to the band's live performances. While Reed's keyboard and Rose's piano remain in some of the Chinese Democracy demos and in concert, the aborted 2002 tour and the 2006 tour (to date) have not included winded instruments, though they were marked by a third guitarist and a host of guest performers.

Creatively, the band's influence comes from a variety of sources, ranging from Elvis and Jimi Hendrix to The Sex Pistols to Aerosmith and Queen. Most of the lyrics in the Guns N' Roses catalog were written by Rose and Izzy Stradlin, while musically the band seems to have a system where each musician is required to write their own contributions to each song for their particular instrument, which is then peer reviewed by the band and approved by the producer.

Legacy

Guns N' Roses are considered to be the last rock and roll band to achieve legendary status before the tastes of American youth culture shifted to alternative rock, electronica, and then hip-hop throughout the course of the 1990s. They are also recognized as a band that changed rock and metal music in the late 1980s. While most bands during that period produced simple songs and were dependent on their looks rather than the messages of their music (see hair metal), Guns N' Roses ushered in an era where facial make-up and spandex pants were no longer seen as popular. Nirvana then came along and established a sharp distinction between Guns N' Roses-type 80's metal and the punk-edged hard rock of the 90's.

Their peers in the music industry spoke highly of the band. Ozzy Osbourne and Joe Perry called GN'R "the next Rolling Stones." In 2002, Q magazine named Guns N' Roses in their list of the "50 Bands To See Before You Die". Also, the television network VH1 ranked Guns N' Roses ninth in its "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock" special. Appetite for Destruction appeared in Rolling Stone Magazine's special issue "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time".

However, the band has not been free of criticism by the media. The well-known alcohol and drug abuse by some members of the group, particularly Slash and McKagan, and Axl's fondness of Charles Manson T-shirts, were used by the media to portray GN'R as a bad example to their young fans. The long periods of time that the band took to release albums were also a source of heavy criticism.

Frontman Axl Rose has become a source of both controversy and criticism since the other founding members left the group. His constant elusiveness, such as the fact that he has not held a press conference since 1994, has led to several stories claiming he is suffering from bipolar disorder. Music critics have blamed Rose for the break-up of the original group, and have criticized him for continuing the band after the original members had departed. They also cite his neurotic behavior and sense of perfectionism as a cause of personal conflict and the long delays between albums. However, he still has fans who view him as a sort of musical anti-hero.

The band will be eligible for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame beginning in 2012. Critics and fans alike view this as an opportunity for the bands' original lineup to reunite. On the VH1 special, Behind the Music, Slash was questioned about a reunion and stated that "No matter how much money they throw in our faces, there's no reason for us to get together...unless there's a mutual respect or understanding...and we're way far from that."

Members

! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | (1985-1990) ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | (1990-1991) ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | (1991-1994) ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | (1994-1996) ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | (1997-1998) ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | (1998-2000) ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | (2000-2002) ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | (2002-2004) ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | (2004-2006) ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | (2006-present)
'''Guns N' Roses lineup history
(Hollywood Rose - 1985)

Current members

Former members

Touring members

  • Tracey Amos - backing vocals (1991-1993)
  • Teddy Andreadis - harmonica, keyboards, backing vocals (1991-1993)
  • Roberta Freeman - backing vocals (1991-1993)
  • Diane Jones - backing vocals (1991-1993)
  • Anne King - horns (1991-1993)
  • Lisa Maxwell - horns (1991-1993)
  • Cece Worrall - horns (1991-1993)

Touring substitutes

  • Fred Coury - drums (1987-1988 - eight performances)
  • Stephen Harris - bass (1988 - one performance)
  • Don Henley - drums (1989 - one performance)
  • Izzy Stradlin - rhythm guitar (1993 - five performances)
  • Frank Ferrer - drums (2006 - six performances)

Touring guests

  • Vince Neil - vocals (1988 - one performance)
  • Matt McKagan - horns (1989 - four performances)
  • Shannon Hoon - bongos, vocals (1991-1993 - nine performances)
  • Sebastian Bach - vocals (1991, 2006 - fifteen performances)
  • Lenny Kravitz - guitar, vocals (1992 - one performance)
  • Steven Tyler - vocals (1992 - one performance)
  • Joe Perry - guitar (1992 - one performance)
  • Brian May - guitar (1992-1993 - two performances)
  • Elton John - piano, vocals (1992 - two performances)
  • Ronnie Wood - guitar (1993 - two performances)
  • Tom Doyle - bongos (1993 - four performances)
  • Michael Monroe - vocals (1993 - one performance)
  • Blake Stanton - vocals (1993 - one performance)
  • Izzy Stradlin - guitar (2006 - eight performances)
  • Kid Rock - vocals (2006 - one performance)

Discography

Albums

Year Album US UK US Sales RIAA Certification
1986 Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide (EP) - - 10,000 -
1987 Appetite for Destruction 1 5 18,000,000 15x Platinum
1988 G N' R Lies (EP) 2 22 5,000,000 5x Platinum
1991 Use Your Illusion I 2 2 5,355,985 1991 Use Your Illusion II 1 1 5,435,447 7x Platinum
1993 The Spaghetti Incident? 4 2 1,290,849 Platinum
1998 Use Your Illusion - - 430,912 -
1999 '87-'93 45 45 729,371 Gold
2004 Greatest Hits 3 1 3,132,000 3x Platinum

All sales reflect US numbers only; worldwide sales are estimated at more than ninety million.

RIAA certifications are based on storewide shipments only. Some albums have yet to be re-certified again, thus making their current certification outdated.

Both Use Your Illusion albums are certified by the RIAA as 7x platinum, with SoundScan sales of 5,355,985 and 5,435,447. This is because they were released, sold, and charted in 1991, 1992 and 1993. At that time, SoundScan only tracked 40-50% of actual sales. Therefore, both Use Your Illusion albums have sold near or over that 7 million shipment figure.

Singles

Year Title US Hot 100 US Mainstream Rock UK singles Album
1987 It's So Easy - - - Appetite for Destruction
1987 Welcome to the Jungle - - 67 Appetite for Destruction
1988 Sweet Child O' Mine 1 7 24 Appetite for Destruction
1988 Welcome to the Jungle (re-issue) 7 37 24 Appetite for Destruction
1989 Paradise City 5 14 6 Appetite for Destruction
1989 Sweet Child O' Mine (re-mix) - - 6 Appetite for Destruction
1989 Patience 4 7 10 G N' R Lies
1989 Nightrain (re-issue) 93 26 17 Appetite for Destruction
1990 Civil War - 4 11 Use Your Illusion II
1991 You Could Be Mine 29 - 3 Use Your Illusion II
1991 Don't Cry 10 3 8 Use Your Illusion I
1991 Live and Let Die 33 20 5 Use Your Illusion I
1992 November Rain 3 15 4 Use Your Illusion I
1992 Pretty Tied Up - 35 - Use Your Illusion II
1992 Knockin' on Heaven's Door - 18 2 Use Your Illusion II
1992 Yesterdays 72 13 8 Use Your Illusion II
1993 Ain't It Fun - 8 9 The Spaghetti Incident?
1994 Hair of the Dog - 11 - The Spaghetti Incident?
1994 Estranged - 16 - Use Your Illusion II
1994 Since I Don't Have You 69 - 10 The Spaghetti Incident?
1994 Sympathy for the Devil 55 10 9 Interview with the Vampire
1999 Oh My God - 26 - End of Days

Videos

Year Title Director Album
1987 It's So Easy Nigel Dick Appetite for Destruction
1987 Welcome to the Jungle Nigel Dick Appetite for Destruction
1988 Sweet Child O' Mine Nigel Dick Appetite for Destruction
1988 Sweet Child O' Mine (Alternate Version) Nigel Dick Appetite for Destruction
1989 Paradise City Nigel Dick Appetite for Destruction
1989 Patience Nigel Dick G N' R Lies
1991 You Could Be Mine Andy Morahan Use Your Illusion II
1991 Don't Cry Andy Morahan Use Your Illusion I
1991 Don't Cry (Alternate Lyrics) Andy Morahan Use Your Illusion II
1991 Live and Let Die Josh Richman Use Your Illusion I
1992 November Rain Andy Morahan Use Your Illusion I
1992 Knockin' on Heaven's Door Andy Morahan Use Your Illusion II
1992 Yesterdays Andy Morahan Use Your Illusion II
1992 The Garden Del James Use Your Illusion I
1993 Civil War - Use Your Illusion II
1993 Dead Horse Louis Marciano Use Your Illusion I
1993 Garden of Eden Andy Morahan Use Your Illusion I
1994 Estranged Andy Morahan Use Your Illusion II
1994 Since I Don't Have You Sante D'Orazio The Spaghetti Incident?
1999 Welcome to the Jungle - '87-'93
2000 It's So Easy - '87-'93

All but eight of these music videos can be seen on the DVD compilation Welcome to the Videos, a re-release of a 1998 VHS title of the same name. "It's So Easy" was never publicly released. An alternate version of "Sweet Child O' Mine" was edited consisting solely of the "grainy" black-and-white footage that is seen interspersed between the normal color shots of the original video. "Don't Cry (Alternate Lyrics)" has aired on television in the past, and is basically just a rough cut of the "Don't Cry" video with an alternate audio track. "Civil War" was taken from the band's 1992 Tokyo show and is available on the Use Your Illusion I DVD release. "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" was taken from the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert and could not be included for legal reasons. "You Could Be Mine" features footage from the movie Judgment Day and could not be included for legal reasons. The two videos from '87-'93 aren't included because they were produced in 1999.

Accomplishments

Awards

Televised performances

Scheduled 2006 tour dates

Previous shows

Future shows

References

Footnotes

Books

See also

External link

1980s music groups | 1990s music groups | 2000s music groups | American musical groups | Guns N' Roses | Rock music groups | Sleaze Rock | California musical groups | Los Angeles musical groups | Musical instrument destruction

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