Shows: 1116
Earliest: Mar 26, 1985
Latest: Jul 31, 2025
[
WikiPedia] Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1985 from L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose. After signing with Geffen Records in 1986, the band's "classic" lineup featured vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagan, and drummer Steven Adler. They gained a local following before releasing their debut album Appetite for Destruction (1987), which initially struggled until the breakout success of the "Welcome to the Jungle" music video. The album sold over 30 million copies worldwide, becoming the best-selling debut album in the U.S., and spawned hits like "Paradise City" and "Sweet Child o' Mine".
Their follow-up, G N' R Lies (1988) combined earlier material with new acoustic songs and reached number two on the Billboard 200, sold ten million copies globally, and featured the hit "Patience" and the controversial "One in a Million". In 1990, Adler was replaced by Matt Sorum due to drug issues, and keyboardist Dizzy Reed joined. The band released the twin albums Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II in November 1991, debuting at number two and number one on the Billboard 200 respectively, and selling a combined 35 million copies worldwide. The Illusion albums included the lead single "You Could Be Mine", covers of "Live and Let Die" and "Knockin' on Heaven's Door", and a trilogy of ballads ("Don't Cry", "November Rain", and "Estranged") with notably high-budget music videos. The band then embarked on the record-setting Use Your Illusion Tour (1991-93).
After releasing the punk covers album "The Spaghetti Incident?" (1993), Guns N' Roses entered a turbulent phase amid lineup turmoil. Several members left, leaving only Rose and Reed from the Illusion years by 1998. The band was rebuilt with new recruits, including Robin Finck, Buckethead, Tommy Stinson, Brain and Chris Pitman among others. The various lineups worked on the long-delayed Chinese Democracy (2008), which cost an estimated $14 million, making it the most expensive rock album produced.
In November 2004, Geffen released Greatest Hits (2004), it became one of the longest-charting albums in the history of Billboard. The band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. After years of animosity, Slash and McKagan rejoined the band in 2016 for the quasi-reunion Not in This Lifetime... Tour, which became one of the highest-grossing concert tours of all time, grossing $584 million. The current lineup consists of Rose, Slash, McKagan, rhymth guitarist Richard Fortus, drummer Isaac Carpenter, and keyboardists Reed and Melissa Reese.
Known for their volatile performances, media feuds, and provocative lyrics, Guns N' Roses cultivated a reputation as "The World's Most Dangerous Band". Their fusion of punk, blues, and metal helped shift late-'80s rock away from glam rock. Guns N' Roses has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, including 45 million in the United States, ranking among the best-selling bands.
