Guns N' Roses

Guns N' Roses is one of the first names everobody associate with rock. This legendary band has gone through everything, from great success and worldwide popularity to numerous line-up changes and controversy. Guns N' Roses have sold 90 million albums worldwide, while their debut record, entitled Appetite For Destruction, has sold 27 million copies, and their last album has been the most anticipated record for fifteen years.

The band was formed in March of 1985 by the members of two bands – Axl Rose's Hollywood Rose and  L.A. Guns. Shortly after, Guns N' Roses were joined by Slash, who had known Rose during a short stint in his previous band. The band started to play in clubs, and one of their gigs was visited by Geffen Records label executive. He was so excited by Guns N' Roses he warned other scouts that "Guns N' Roses suck", so he could have more time to sign them. After short bargaining Guns N' Roses agreed. At first they released four song-single Live ?!*@ Like A Suicide in December 1986, which was followed by Appetite For Destruction album in July 1987. The band's producers convinced MTV to play Welcome To The Jungle "only one time" - and it was enough to make song a huge hit and attract wide attention to Guns N' Roses. While glam metal was the leading genre in record sales, Guns N' Roses offered a grittier, more traditional take on rock music, which became the band's trade mark.

The band's next release was G N' R Lies in 1988. The song One In A Million contained exclipt lyrics and started controversy around the band – critics accused Axl Rose in racism and homophobia. However, the band's frontman explained that the words were those of a protagonist and not a personal statement. In 1990, Guns N' Roses returned to the studio and, according to Axl's words, they were "hungry for music", so they had enough songs for two albums. Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II were released simultaneously in September 1991, debuting first and second in Billboard chart setting a record as Guns N' Roses became the first and only group to achieve this feat. But there were conflicts inside the band – for example, Rose forced the dismissal of the band’s manager Alan Niven against the wishes of some of his bandmates. In November 1993, Guns N' Roses released a collection of punk and glam rock covers entitled The Spaghetti Incident?, and again it was connected with inner conflict – despite protests from Rose's bandmates, a cover of the Charles Manson's song Look At Your Game Girl was included on the album at his request.

So it is no wonder constant conflicts and line-up changes broke up. Soon Slash and all orginal members, with the exception of Axl, left the band. Rose has began the work on the new album, officialy titled Chinese Democracy in 1999. The revised lineup of Guns N' Roses made a public appearance in January 2001. In 2008 Axl promised that Chinese Democracy will be released until 2009.

Guns N' Roses’s long-delayed studio album Chinese Democracy finally arrived in November, 2008 after fourteen years in the making. Aside from Axl Rose it featured none of the original members of the band. Chinese Democracy appeared to be audacious and uncompromising hard-rock record of 14 original songs about persecution, ruthless tyranny, defiance, loneliness and paranoia. It included the title track, epic If the World, sad, melodramatic song This I Love, melodic single Better, power ballad Madagascar featuring numerous film quotes.