Guns N' Roses

Guns N' Roses

Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock group from Los Angeles, active since 1985. It forms from members of L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose and becomes closely associated with the Los Angeles rock scene before emerging as one of the major hard rock acts of the late 1980s and 1990s.

Line-up and formation

The band’s classic line-up includes vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagan, and drummer Steven Adler. Its later history includes Matt Sorum on drums and keyboardist Dizzy Reed, who joins in 1990. The group also goes through extensive line-up changes in the mid-1990s and early 2000s, with musicians including Robin Finck, Buckethead, Tommy Stinson, Bryan “Brain” Mantia, Chris Pitman, Richard Fortus, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, Frank Ferrer, DJ Ashba, Melissa Reese, Josh Freese, Paul Huge, Gilby Clarke, Ole Beich, and Rob Gardner appearing in the band’s history. Slash and McKagan return for the Not in This Lifetime... Tour in 2016.

Recordings and commercial success

The band signs to Geffen Records in 1986 and later releases its debut album, Appetite for Destruction (1987), which initially receives limited attention before the success of the video for “Welcome to the Jungle.” The album sells more than 30 million copies worldwide and becomes the best-selling debut album in the United States. It also produces “Paradise City” and “Sweet Child o’ Mine.”

G N' R Lies follows in 1988, combining new acoustic material with earlier recordings. It reaches number two on the Billboard 200, sells around ten million copies worldwide, and includes “Patience” and “One in a Million.” In 1991 the band releases Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II simultaneously; they debut at number two and number one on the Billboard 200 and sell a combined total of about 35 million copies worldwide. These albums include “You Could Be Mine,” “Don’t Cry,” and “November Rain.”

After the Use Your Illusion Tour, the band releases the punk covers album The Spaghetti Incident? in 1993. Chinese Democracy follows in 2008 after a long period of work and changing personnel. Geffen also releases the compilation Greatest Hits in 2004, which remains on the Billboard 200 for an extended period.

Style, recognition and legacy

Guns N' Roses is known for energetic live performances and media controversy. Its music combines punk, blues and metal elements, and it contributes to a shift in late-1980s rock away from glam rock. The band sells more than 100 million records worldwide and ranks among the best-selling musical acts. It is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012.

Labels and classification

The group is associated with GN'R Records, and its sound is described through genres including aor, arena rock, art rock, glam metal, hard rock and heavy metal.