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10 Best Guns N’ Roses Songs
Geffen
'Nightrain'
From: 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987)
You know you want to knock one back right now at
the mere mention of Guns N' Roses' 'Nightrain.' Slash and Izzy get
credit for the amazing riffs that drive this song, though Christopher
Walken might be very happy with the amount of cowbell
Steven Adler uses in the track. Slash said in his autobiography, “That
song has a rhythm to it in the verses that from the start always made me
go crazy … When we had our huge stage later on, I'd run the length of
it, jump off the amplifiers, and lose it every single time we played
it.”
'Civil War'
From: 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)
What is it with Axl Rose and whistling? We're not
sure, but every time he puckers up, it rocks us to the core. On 'Civil
War,' though, there's so much more to the track that makes it one of our
10 Best Guns N' Roses Songs. Perhaps it's the inclusion of the 'Cool
Hand Luke' speech at the beginning. Maybe it's the darkly melodic and
touching Slash guitar riffs. Or it could just be that Rose hit on
something deeply moving discussing the battle for civil rights, military
conflicts, and politically motivated assassinations. Whatever the draw,
'Civil War' simply rocks.
'Used to Love Her'
From: 'Lies' (1988)
'Used to Love Her' may not have been quite as
controversial as 'One in a Million,' but this catchy acoustic track from
the 'Lies' EP garnered a lot of negative attention for its lyric, 'I
used to love her / But I had to kill her / She b—-ed so much / She drove
me nuts.” However, the song is reportedly about Axl Rose's dog, not a
woman. Controversial content aside, the tune offered up an unforgettable
groove and is the perfect sing-along song when drowning your sorrows
following a breakup.
'Mr. Brownstone'
From: 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987)
“I used to do a little but a little wouldn't do
it / So the little got more and more” said it all. The song addressed
drug abuse and addiction, and was an ode, of sorts, to a drug dealer who
supplied the magic potions. Slash and Izzy Stradlin pounded out bluesy,
unusual riffs and Rose's refusal to avoid a taboo lyrical topic once
again produced a song that stuck in our skulls because of its melodic
maelstrom and the band's overall desire to be in your face. That's what made them so dangerous.
'Estranged'
From: 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)
Epic doesn't even begin to describe Guns N'
Roses' 'Estranged.' By 1991, the band had some pretty grandiose plans
for their 'Use Your Illusion' discs and 'Estranged' definitely landed on
the more experimental side of things. The track had no discernable
chorus and featured several style shifts, yet it was pure genius. From
Slash's memorable guitar riffing to Matt Sorum's taps-style drumming,
'Estranged' took Axl Rose's melancholy musings and turned them into a
triumph.
'Paradise City'
From: 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987)
This fiery anthem certainly had us wanting to
pack our bags and move to the place where “the grass is green and the
girls are pretty.” Rose sang with a fury that's nearly unmatched and
Slash ripped through definitive riffs that are strategically placed in
the beginning, middle and end of the song. Ultimately, GN'R created a
track with the kind of escalating tension you just can't fake. By the
time it reaches the crescendo, you can barely keep up. It moves at such a
quickened pace that it scrambles the brains inside your head. A
flawlessly executed rock song.
'November Rain'
From: 'Use Your Illusion 1' (1991)
'November Rain' is one of the most epic,
expansive, lush, rich and complex power ballads ever penned by a rock
band, so that's why it's one of the 10 Best Guns N' Roses songs. Rose
plays piano and lays his emotional cards face up on the table from the
get-go, giving us almost 10 minutes of unrestricted access to his
not-often-seen vulnerable side. The song is full of ebbs and flows,
peaks and valleys, and by the time we get to the “Don't ya think that
you need somebody” crescendo, we're overjoyed, exhausted and lying in a
heap from the intensity. That's the power of good music. Essentially,
it's GN'R's 'Stairway to Heaven.'
'Welcome to the Jungle'
From: 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987)
You're in the jungle, baby. You're gonna
DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!! 'Welcome to the Jungle' was GN'R's take-no-prisoners
opening salvo and was most rock fans first experience with the band. It
came out of the gates kicking, screaming and demanding to be heard with
its airhorn guitar opening, reminding all the fathers out there of
everything they feared about rockers and their daughters. Musically, it
meshes punk rock and metal, a Molotov cocktail of youth, skill, rage,
hormones and the desire to come face-to-face with the unknown. It'll
bring to your sh-na-na-na-na-knees.
'Patience'
From: 'Lies' (1988)
A true ballad in every sense of the word,
'Patience' is the most stripped down and uncomplicated we've ever seen
or heard GN'R and Axl Rose be. The nerves are exposed from the very
beginning, as the song opens with a lilting whistle. It sees Axl
switching between a low, clean vocal, which carries him through the
first two-thirds of the song, to the bewitching and haunting ending,
where he admits 'I've been walking the streets at night / Just trying to
get it right' and 'I ain't got time for the game / Cuz I need you.” It
demonstrates the redemptive power of song and the catharsis that is
possible via rock music.
'Sweet Child O' Mine'
From: 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987)
The swirling riff that opens the song is Slash's
most definitive GN'R moment. It was the song that made mothers and
sisters like GN'R, as it showed the softer side of rock's most dangerous
band. But as stated previously, the band never blunted or dulled its
edge. In fact, these more sensitive moments only served to prove just
how dangerous and rock 'n' roll GN'R really were. 'Sweet Child O' Mine'
is not only among 10 Best Guns N' Roses songs, it's one of the best rock
songs ever put to tape.
