Guns N’ Roses

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Formed March 1985.

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Duff McKagan - Interview with Shaun Keaveny

Duff McKagan joins Shaun to talk about his time in Guns N' Roses and his autobiography, 'It's So Easy (And Other Lies)'.

Featured on BBC MUSIC SHOWCASE

Biography

Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band who formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The classic lineup as signed to Geffen Records in 1986, consisted of vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Steven Adler. Today, Axl Rose is the only remaining original member, in a lineup that comprises Use Your Illusion–era keyboardist Dizzy Reed, lead guitarists DJ Ashba and Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, lead and rhythm guitarist Richard Fortus, bassist Tommy Stinson, drummer Frank Ferrer and keyboardist Chris Pitman. The band released six studio albums, accumulating sales of more than 100 million records worldwide, including shipments of 45 million in the United States, making them one of the world’s best-selling bands of all time.

A year after its release, Guns N' Roses' debut album Appetite for Destruction (1987) reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200, on the strength of the hit "Sweet Child o' Mine", their only single to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album has sold in excess of 28 million copies worldwide, including 18 million units sold in the United States, making it the best-selling debut album of all time in the U.S. The success of their debut was followed by the eight-song album G N' R Lies (1988). The twin albums Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II (1991) debuted at No. 2 and No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and have sold a combined 35 million copies worldwide, including 14 million units sold in the United States alone. The cover album "The Spaghetti Incident?" (1993) was the band's last studio album to feature Slash and McKagan. After more than a decade of work and many lineup changes, Guns N' Roses released the long-awaited album Chinese Democracy (2008) which, at an estimated fourteen million dollars in production costs, made it the most expensive album to ever be produced in music history. It debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 but underwhelmed industry expectations, despite mostly...

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Links & Information

Latest News Stories

News from the BBC

  1. Arrest over Axl jewellery theft

    Thu 7 Jun 2012 10:13

    Woman arrested after rocker had jewellery taken
  2. Axl Rose has jewellery stolen

    Wed 6 Jun 2012 14:20

    The front man had three gold and diamond necklaces taken at a private party in Paris.
  3. Rose declines Hall of Fame honour

    Thu 12 Apr 2012 07:53

    Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose declines his entry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...

Latest Blog Posts

Blogs from the BBC

  1. Newsnight Review, Friday, 21 November, 2008

    Fri 21 Nov 2008 15:32 Here's Kirsty with a look ahead to tonight's Newsnight Review: At 11pm I'll be joining... Sarah McDermott
  2. Guns 'n' Roses - 'Chinese Democracy'

    Mon 10 Nov 2008 11:36 I know that you young pups need absolutely no help whatsoever with who this band are... Fraser McAlpine

BBC Reviews

  1. Chinese Democracy 2008

    Review of Chinese Democracy

    Reviewed by Dennis O'Dell

    It's still a huge triumph in the face of overwhelming odds.
  2. Greatest Hits 2004

    Review of Greatest Hits

    Reviewed by Chris Jones

    No one ever changed the world with a bottle of Jack Daniels and an inability to say...
  3. Appetite for Destruction 1987

    Review of Appetite for Destruction

    Reviewed by Dennis O'Dell

    The LA band's fiery debut will probably always be their crowning glory.

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