Guns N' Roses: 25 Years Of Metal

Guns N' Roses' 1987 line-up

Celebrating 25 years since its debut, Guns N' Roses released Appetite for Destruction on July 21st, 1987.  Yes, the iconic album is now 25, with their biggest singles, and some of the biggest songs in all of rock, 'Sweet Child O' Mine', 'Welcome to the Jungle', and 'Paradise City'.  Those three tracks have not only defined metal, influenced grunge to kill metal, but have changed and shaped rock 'n' roll forever.

With the original 1987 line up composed of lead singer Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Steven Adler, and has since then changed with Axl Rose being the only original member to still be in the line up.  Appetite for Destruction was Guns N' Roses first and most famous album, proving nothing could replace the four members Axl lost.  On every song, you can recognise Rose's notorious nasal voice, and Slash's crisp and intricate guitar solos.  Back in 1987, the album got a whopping 5 stars from Rolling Stone magazine (and I'll let you on a little secret: us music journalists can't give any album 5 stars, unless its deemed to be album of the decade. Its stupid, I know). On July 21st 2012, the album was played the whole way through on Seattle's KISW radio, which is a unbelievably ironic for Seattle, being the home of Grunge, and Grunge hating everything about Metal.

Appetite for Destruction album cover

The California based band were signed to Geffen Records (DGC) in 1986, exactly 12 months after forming, and 17 months before their debut.  They released five singles off the album; 'It's So Easy' (also the title of Duff McKagan's autobiography), 'Welcome to the Jungle,' ' Sweet Child O' Mine,' 'Paradise City,' and 'Nightrain.'  Although the famous line up are no longer together, Guns N' Roses still continue, but as ex-guitarist Slash confirmed, the original line-up will never reform due to the undesired antics of frontman Axl Rose.

Appetite for Destruction is 'one of those' albums, where music was redefined and classics were made.  It was later replaced by Nirvana's Nevermind, which GnR hated due to a bitter rivalry between Rose and Kurt Cobain.  Take a listen to 'Sweet Child O' Mine' below: I'm certain you know the lyrics - who doesn't?