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Biography
Other usesInfobox album| Name = Appetite for Destruction| Type = studio| Artist = Guns N' Roses | Cover = GunsnRosesAppetiteforDestructionalbumcover.jpg| Released = July 21, 1987| Recorded = Rumbo Studios, Canoga Park; Take One Studio, Burbank; Can Am Studio, Tarzana, California| Genre = Heavy metal music|Heavy metal , hard rock | Length = 53:48| Label = Geffen Records|Geffen | Producer = Mike Clink | Last album = Live ? !*@ Like a Suicide (1986)| This album = Appetite for Destruction (1987)| Next album = '' Guns N' Roses (EP)|Live from the Jungle (1988) | Misc = Singles| Name = Appetite for construction| Type = Studio| Single 1 = It's So Easy | Single 1 date = Start date|1987|6|15| Single 2 = Welcome to the Jungle | Single 2 date = Start date|1987|10|3| Single 3 = Sweet Child o' Mine | Single 3 date = Start date|1988|8|18| Single 4 = Paradise City | Single 4 date = Start date|1988|11|30| Single 5 = Nightrain | Single 5 date = Start date|1989|7|29Album reviews| rev1 = Allmusic |rev1Score = rating|5|5cite web|url= http://allmusic.com/album/appetite-for-destruction-r8759 |title=Review |publisher=Allmusic |date= |accessdate=2011-04-02| rev2 = Sputnikmusic |rev2Score = rating|4.5|5cite web|url= http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/3186/Guns-N-Roses-Appetite-For-Destruction/ |title=Review |publisher=Sputnikmusic |date= |accessdate=2011-04-02| rev3 = Robert Christgau |rev3Score = (B-) cite web|url= http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php? name=guns+n%27+roses/ |title=Review |publisher=Robert Christgau |date= |accessdate=2011-04-02| rev4 = Rolling Stone |rev4Score = rating|5|5cite web|url= http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/guns-n-roses/albumguide |title=Review |publisher=Rolling Stone |date= |accessdate=2011-04-02| rev5 = Ultimate Guitar |rev5Score = (Positive) cite web|url= http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/reviews/compact_discs/guns_n_roses/appetite_for_destruction/index.html |title=Review |publisher=Ultimate Guitar |date= |accessdate=2012-01-06 Appetite for Destruction is the debut studio album by American rock music|rock band Guns N' Roses , released in July 1987 on Geffen Records . It was well-received by critics and topped the American Billboard 200| Billboard 200 chart. As of September 2008, the album has been certified 18 times Platinum by the RIAA ,cite web |url= http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php? resultpage=1& table=SEARCH_RESULTS& action=& title=& artist=Guns%20N%20Roses& format=& debutLP=& category=& sex=& releaseDate=& requestNo=& type=& level=& label=& company=& certificationDate=& awardDescription=& catalogNo=& aSex=& rec_id=& charField=& gold=& platinum=& multiPlat=& level2=& certDate=& album=& id=& after=& before=& startMonth=1& endMonth=1& startYear=1958& endYear=2008& sort=CertificationDate& perPage=50 |title=Search Results |publisher= Recording Industry Association of America |date=December 19, 1990 |accessdate=December 19, 2008 accumulating worldwide sales in excess of 28& nbsp;million as of October 2008.cite news |url= http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Showbiz-News/Guns-N-Roses-To-Release-New-Album---Axl-Rose-Is-The-Only-Original-Remaining-Member/Article/200810415127112 |title=Guns N' Roses To Release New Album - Axl Rose Is The Only Original Remaining Member |date=October 23, 2008 |accessdate=December 19, 2008 |publisher= Sky News The album is featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die .
Origins
Axl Rose stated in 1988 that many of the songs featured on the album had been written while the band had been performing on the Los Angeles club circuit, and a number of songs that would be featured on later Guns N' Roses albums were considered for Appetite for Destruction , such as " Back Off Bitch ", " You Could Be Mine ", " November Rain " and " Don't Cry ". It is said that the reason for not putting "November Rain" was because they had already agreed to put "Sweet Child 'O Mine" and thus already had a ballad on the album (however, both Use Your Illusion I|Use Your Illusion Use Your Illusion II|albums would contain more than one ballad).cite web|url= http://hem.passagen.se/snoqalf/tr-1988.html |title='& #39;Axl/Slash Interview'& #39;, 1988 |publisher=Hem.passagen.se |date= |accessdate=November 11, 2010
While the songwriting credits are credited to all five band members, many of the songs began as solo tracks that individual band members wrote separate from the band, only to be completed later. These songs include " It's So Easy " ( Duff McKagan ) and " Think About You " ( Izzy Stradlin ). " Rocket Queen " was an unfinished Slash/Adler song that was written from their earlier band Road Crew , whereas "Anything Goes", written by Hollywood Rose and included in their compilation album '' The Roots of Guns N' Roses , was later re-written for Appetite .
Other songs on the album reflect the band's reaction to the debauchery of the L.A. rock and roll underground, such as " Welcome to the Jungle " the lyrics of which Rose wrote after he encountered a man near the highways of Manhattan in 1980 shortly after arriving there from Indiana .cite web| url= http://www.tv.com/entourage/welcome-to-the-jungle/episode/1036057/summary.html |title=Welcome to the Jungle |publisher=TV.com |author=Ellin, Doug |date=July 27, 2007 |accessdate=November 20, 2007 Lyrics to some of the songs focus on the band members' younger years, like "Out ta Get Me", which focuses on lead singer Axl Rose's constant trouble with the law as a youth in Indiana .Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash . New York: Harper Entertainment. p. 109. The band also based song lyrics on their assorted female companions, reflected in the songs " Sweet Child o' Mine ", " My Michelle ", "You're Crazy", and " Rocket Queen ", and "Think About You" .
July 21 of 2012 will mark the 25th anniversary of the release of this album.
Song information
"Welcome to the Jungle"
Main|Welcome to the JungleIt was released as the band's second single on October 3, 1987 and reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number sixty-seven on the UK Singles Chart. In the United Kingdom, " Welcome to the Jungle " was backed with a live cover of AC/DC's " Whole Lotta Rosie ", while in the United States the B-side was " Mr. Brownstone " from Appetite for Destruction . In 2009 it was named the greatest hard rock song of all time by VH1.
"Out ta Get Me"
Its lyrics focus on lead singer Axl Rose's constant trouble with the law as a youth in Indiana . Slash (musician)|Slash describes it as being written even more quickly than "Welcome to the Jungle", which means it was written in under three hours.
"Paradise City"
Main|Paradise CitySlash states in his autobiography that the song was written in the back of a rental van as they were on their way back from playing a gig in San Francisco with the band Rock N Riders. He states that the band was in the back of the van, drinking and playing acoustic guitars when he came up with the intro. Duff McKagan and Izzy Stradlin started playing along. Slash started humming a melody when Axl Rose sang, "Take me down to the Paradise City." Slash chimed in with "Where the girls are fat and have big titties."
"My Michelle"
Main|My MichelleThe song is about a friend of the band, a girl named Michelle Young who is thanked in the 'Appetite For Destruction' cover sleeve. According to Axl, he and Young were in a car together when " Your Song " by Elton John came on the radio and Young 'happened' to mention that she had always wanted someone to write a song about her. The song is brutally honest, which Axl thought she would hate, but she liked the song.
"Sweet Child o' Mine"
Main|Sweet Child o' MineNinth track on the album and third single. Released on August 18, 1988, the song topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming the band's first and only number-one single in the U.S. It reached number six on the UK Singles Chart.
The lyrics of the song are written about Axl's girlfriend (at the time) Erin Everly . The famous guitar lick at the beginning of the song was simply one of Slash's warm-up routines, as he stated in his autobiography. Though he didn't see it as anything special, the other members of the band did. As they jammed to it one night, Axl was upstairs in a bedroom writing lyrics to fit it. Shortly after that night, Rose brought the lyrics to the rest of the band and it was turned into a full song.
"You're Crazy"
It was originally written as an acoustic song, but was revamped for Appetite for Destructioncite web|url= http://gnrsource.com/songinfo/afd/crazy.htm |title=Song info at GNRSource.com (archived copy, current version unavailable as site undergoes reconstruction) |publisher=Web.archive.org |date= |accessdate=November 11, 2010 |archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20071021005816/gnrsource.com/songinfo/afd/crazy.htm |archivedate=October 21, 2007 (this version is one of the fastest songs in the band's catalog). The slower, acoustic version was later recorded for '' G N' R Lies ''; this version has also been performed live with electric guitars (as heard on their Live Era: '87–'93|live album ).
A working title for the song was "Fucking Crazy".
"Anything Goes"
It was one of the earliest-written songs by the band, having been written in 1981 and had been performed in an earlier incarnation with Hollywood Rose . It was originally named "My Way, Your Way".harv|Davis|2008|p=166, " Crash into "Anything Goes," originally titled "My Way Your Way" by Hollywood Rose, written by Izzy and Chris Webber. "
Packaging
The album's original cover art , based on the Robert Williams (artist)|Robert Williams ' painting "Appetite for Destruction", depicted a robotic rapist about to be punished by a metal avenger. After several music retailers refused to stock the album, the label compromised and put the history of controversial album art|controversial cover art inside, replacing it with an image depicting a cross and skulls of the five band members (designed by Billy White Jr., originally as a tattoo), each skull representing one member of the band: Izzy Stradlin, top skull; Steven Adler , left skull; Axl Rose, center skull; Duff McKagan, right skull; and Slash, bottom skull. The photographs used for the back of the album and liner notes were taken by Robert John (photographer)|Robert John , Marc Canter and Jack Lue. The original cover was supposed to be on the 2008 re-pressing of the vinyl, though the record label replaced it with the "Skulls" art at the last minute.cite web|url= http://www.musicstack.com/articles/historic-controversial-album-covers-part-two |title=Album cover info at |publisher=Musicstack.com |date=February 9, 2009 |accessdate=November 11, 2010 The re-pressing of the vinyl, though, is the first Guns N' Roses release to have the Parental Advisory label printed on the artwork; previously, like on the CD, this was a sticker on the cellophane wrap and later (on the CD and cassette releases) on the case itself.
In albums which were issued on double sided media (i.e., vinyl records and audio cassettes) the two sides were not conventionally labeled "A" and "B", but "G" and "R". Tracks 1-6 which comprise side "G" all deal with drugs and hard life in the big city ("Guns" side). The remaining tracks, which comprise side "R", all deal with love, sex and relationships ("Roses" side).
Legacy and achievements
Appetite for Destruction debuted at position 182 on the Billboard 200 on August 29, 1987.cite web |title=Billboard 200: Week of August 29, 1987 Biggest Jump |url= http://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200? chartDate=1987-08-29& order=gainer#/charts/billboard-200? chartDate=1987-08-29& order=gainer The album reached number one on the chart on September 24, 1988, 50 weeks after its first appearance.cite journal |title=WEA's Greatest Hits |last=Bronson |first=Fred |journal=Billboard |date=1996-08-31 |page=38 |publisher=Nielsen Business Media It spent four weeks at the top of the chart,Slash (2008), p.257 and a total of 147 weeks on the Billboard 200.
In 1989 Rolling Stone ranked Appetite for Destruction as the 27th best album of the 1980s. http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/rstone.html
The same magazine later ranked it at sixty-one on their list of the The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|500 Greatest Albums of All Time .cite web|
url= http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6597908/61_appetite_for_destruction |title= Appetite for Destruction - ''Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time |publisher=Rolling Stone |date=November 3, 2003 |accessdate=November 20, 2007
In 2001, Q (magazine)| Q magazine named Appetite for Destruction as one of the 50 Heaviest Albums of All Time.cite web|url= http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/qlistspage2.html#50%20Heaviest |title=In our Lifetime #2|publisher=Q magazine |date=October 1, 2001 |accessdate=November 20, 2007
In 2004, Q magazine also named Appetite for Destruction as one of the greatest Classic rock Albums Ever.cite web|url= http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/q_mojo_se.htm#Classic%20Rock |title=Rocklist.net...Q & Mojo Magazine Special Editions Vol.1 |publisher=Rocklistmusic.co.uk |date= |accessdate=November 11, 2010
In 2003, VH1 named Appetite for Destruction the 42nd Greatest Album of All Time.cite news| url= http://babellist.xnet2.com/0101/msg00062.html |title=VH1 Ranks 100 Best Rock Albums |agency=Associated Press |date=January 4, 2001 |accessdate=November 20, 2007
In 2002, Pitchfork Media ranked Appetite for Destruction 59th on their Top 100 Albums of the 1980s .cite web|url= http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/36736 |title=Top 100 Albums of the 1980s |publisher=Pitchforkmedia.com |date=November 20, 2002 |accessdate=November 11, 2010
It was ranked 18 in Spin (magazine)| Spin magazine's "100 Greatest Albums, 1985-2005".cite web| url= http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/07/03/052023.php |title=Spin magazine's 100 Greatest Albums 1985-2005|publisher=Blog Critics magazine |author=Barger, Al |date=July 3, 2005 |accessdate=November 20, 2007
In 2006, Kerrang! ranked the album #1 on the list of best rock albums.cite web|url= http://www.heretodaygonetohell.com/news/shownews.php? newsid=964 |title=Guns N' Roses news: |publisher=Here Today Gone to Hell |date=March 4, 2004 |accessdate=November 20, 2007
The album was ranked 32 on Rock Hall of Fame's 'definitive 200' album list, developed by the NARM, the National Association of Recording Merchandisers. http://www.rockhall.com/pressroom/definitive-200 dead link|date=November 2010
In 2006, Q magazine| Q magazine placed the album at #10 in its list of "40 Best Albums of the '80s". Q August 2006, Issue 241
In 2006, the album was placed No. 2 on Guitar World magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Albums of All Time.cite web|url= http://rateyourmusic.com/lists/list_view? list_id=66329& show=25& start=75 |title=Guitar World's 100 Greatest Guitar Albums Of All Time |publisher=Rate Your Music |date= |accessdate=November 11, 2010
Music critic Piero Scaruffi includes Appetite for Destruction at number 4, just after Kyuss ' Blues for the Red Sun and before Jane's Addiction 's '' Nothing's Shocking , in his classification of the best metal albums of all times.cite web|last=Scaruffi|first=Piero|title=Best heavy-metal albums of all time|url= http://www.scaruffi.com/music/metal.html|accessdate=March 7, 2011
In 2011, Australian radio station Triple M listed Appetite For Destruction #1 in their list of the 250 most life changing albums.
Track listing
All songs credited to Guns N' Roses; "It's So Easy" co-credited to West Arkeen and "Anything Goes" co-credited to Chris Weber . Actual writers and composers listed. tracklist| lyrics_credits = yes | music_credits = yes | title1 = Welcome to the Jungle | lyrics1 = Axl Rose | music1 = Slash (musician)|Slash , Rose | length1 = 4:34 | title2 = It's So Easy | lyrics2 = Duff McKagan , West Arkeen | music2 = McKagan, Arkeen | length2 = 3:23 | title3 = Nightrain | lyrics3 = Rose, | music3 = Izzy Stradlin , Slash, McKagan | length3 = 4:29 | title4 = Out ta Get Me | lyrics4 = Rose | music4 = Stradlin, Slash | length4 = 4:25 | title5 = Mr. Brownstone | lyrics5 = Stradlin, Slashlash's AutobiographyReckless Roads by Mark CanterThe W. Axl Rose Biography by Mick Wall | music5 = Stradlin, Slash | length5 = 3:49 | title6 = Paradise City | lyrics6 = Rose | music6 = Slash, Rose, Stradlin, McKagan | length6 = 6:46 | title7 = My Michelle | lyrics7 = Rose | music7 = Stradlin, Rose | length7 = 3:40 | title8 = Think About You | lyrics8 = Stradlin | music8 = Stradlin | length8 = 3:52 | title9 = Sweet Child o' Mine | lyrics9 = Rose | music9 = Slash, Rose, Stradlin | length9 = 5:55 | title10 = You're Crazy | lyrics10 = Rose, Stradlin | music10 = Stradlin, Slash | length10 = 3:17 | title11 = Anything Goes | lyrics11 = Rose, Stradlin | music11 = Stradlin, Chris Weber | length11 = 3:26 | title12 = Rocket Queen | lyrics12 = Rose | music12 = Slash, Rose, McKagan | length12 = 6:13 |total_length = 53:48
Personnel
col-begincol-3;Guns N' Roses
Axl Rose|W. Axl Rose – Lead vocalist|lead vocals , Percussion instrument|percussion on "Welcome to the Jungle", synthesizer and whistle on "Paradise City"
Izzy Stradlin – rhythm guitar , Backing vocalist|backing vocals , lead guitar on "Nightrain" and "Think About You", percussion on "Paradise City"
Slash (musician)|Slash – lead guitar, rhythm guitar on "Nightrain" and "Think About You", talkbox on "Anything Goes"
cite web>title=Artist Chart History - Guns N' Roses - Singles
1988
"Sweet Child O' Mine"
Billboard Hot 100
1
Mainstream Rock Tracks
6
"Welcome to the Jungle"
Billboard Hot 100
7
Mainstream Rock Tracks
24
"Nightrain"
Billboard Hot 100
93
1989
Mainstream Rock Tracks
13
"Paradise City"
Billboard Hot 100
5
Mainstream Rock Tracks
2
Certifications
Certification Table TopCertification Table Entry|region=Argentina|type=album|title=Appetite For D|artist=Guns|award=Platinum|number=3|type=album|autocat=yes|relyear=1987Certification Table Entry|region=Austria|title=Appetite For Destruction|artist=Guns N' Roses|type=album|award=Platinum|type=album|autocat=yes|relyear=1987Certification Table Entry|region=Brazil|title=Appetite For Destruction|artist=Guns N' Roses|award=Gold|type=album|autocat=yes|relyear=1987Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|title=Appetite For Destruction|artist=Guns 'N Roses|type=album|award=Diamond|certyear=1999|type=album|autocat=yes|relyear=1987Certification Table Entry|region=Finland|title=Appetite For Destruction|artist=Guns N'Roses|award=Gold|certyear=1993|type=album|autocat=yes|relyear=1987|salesamount=25,000Certification Table Entry|region=France|title=Appetite For Destruction|artist=Guns N' Roses|type=album|award=Gold|number=2|type=album|autocat=yes|relyear=1987|certyear=1997Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|title=Appetite For Destruction|artist=Guns N' Roses|type=album|award=Platinum|relyear=1992|type=album|autocat=yes|relyear=1987Certification Table Entry|region=Mexico|title=Appettite For Destruccion|artist=Guns N'roses|type=album|award=Gold|type=album|autocat=yes|relyear=1987Certification Table Entry|region=Sweden|title=Appetite For Destruction|artist=Guns N' Roses|type=album|award=Gold|type=album|autocat=yes|relyear=1987|certyear=1989Certification Table Entry|region=Switzerland|title=Appetite For Destruction|artist=Guns N' Roses|type=album|award=Platinum|type=album|autocat=yes|relyear=1987Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|title=Appetite For Destruction|artist=Guns N' Roses|type=album|award=Platinum|number=2|certyear=1989|relyear=1987Certification Table Entry|region=United States|title=Appetite For Destruction|artist=Guns N' Roses|award=Platinum||number=18|type=album|autocat=yes|relyear=1987Certification Table Bottom
See also
List of best-selling albums worldwide
List of best-selling albums in the United States
List of best-selling albums in Argentina
Notes
reflist|2
References
Cite book |last=Buckley |first=Peter |title=The Rough Guide to Rock |publisher=Rough Guides |year=2003 |location=London |isbn=1-85828-201-2|ref=harvid|Buckley|2003
Cite book |last=Davis |first=Stephen |title=Watch You Bleed: The Saga of Guns N' Roses |publisher=Gotham Books|year=2008|isbn=978-1-592-40377-6|ref=harvid|Davis|2008
Allmusic|class=album|id=r8759|pure_url=yes Appetite for Destruction at Allmusic
s-startsuccession box| before = Hysteria (Def Leppard album)|Hysteria by Def Leppard Hysteria by Def Leppard | title = Billboard 200| Billboard 200 Number-one albums of 1988 (USA)|number-one album | years = 6-12 August 1988 24 September - 14 October 1988 | after = Hysteria by Def Leppard New Jersey (album)|New Jersey by Bon Jovi s-end Guns N' Roses DEFAULTSORT:Appetite For Destruction Category:1987 debut albums Category:Albums produced by Mike Clink Category:English-language albums Category:Geffen Records albums Category:Guns N' Roses albums Category:Recording Industry Association of America Diamond Award albums
