Guns N’ Roses, formed in March 1985 in Los Angeles through the merger of Hollywood Rose and L.A. Guns, quickly emerged as a force in hard rock. Their signing with Geffen Records in 1986 led to the release of Appetite for Destruction (1987), a landmark album that redefined rock music. Featuring classics such as “Sweet Child o’ Mine,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100, and top 10 hits “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Paradise City,” the album has sold approximately 30 million copies worldwide, including 18 million in the United States. This made it the best-selling debut album in U.S. history and an enduring influence on rock music.
The band’s blend of punk rock, blues rock, and heavy metal was pivotal in shifting mainstream rock away from the glam metal era of the 1980s. They also played a key role in revitalizing power ballads within rock. Their follow-up albums, G N’ R Lies (1988), Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II (1991), and The Spaghetti Incident? (1993), continued their success, while their return with Chinese Democracy (2008) marked a new chapter in their storied career.
Guns N’ Roses currently includes original members Axl Rose (lead vocals), Duff McKagan (bass), and Slash (guitar), along with Dizzy Reed (keyboards), Richard Fortus (guitar), Frank Ferrer (drums), and Melissa Reese (synthesizers). On August 18, 2023, they released the single “Perhaps,” with its B-side “The General” following in December.
The band is now preparing for a monumental global tour from February to August 2025, celebrating their highly anticipated new album, Reckless Life. This tour promises to merge their classic hits with fresh material, marking another epic chapter in their legendary career.
