I have this friend who swears that Bon Jovi was the best hard-rock (or as my friend Dave used to say, “cock-rock”) band of the ‘80s. Obviously she’s nuts. That title belongs to Axl and my boys: Guns ‘N Roses. It’s not even arguable. For a brief (perhaps all-too-brief) time, Guns ‘N Roses simply ruled the world. And today, we give them credit.
THE TOP TEN GUNS ‘N ROSES SONGS
#10 14 Years – A very underrated song from “Use Your Illusion Volume 2,” it shows the boys in a more reflective state. (Barely beat out Live and Let Die)
#9 Patience – If only to hear Axl whistle
#8 Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door- Yes, a remake, but Axl and gang gave it a great rendition, 684784956 times better than that idiot girl did earlier this year.
#7 You Could be Mine – From the TERMINATOR 2 soundtrack. One of the more underrated movie songs of all time.
#6 Welcome to the Jungle – I know most would put this higher, but it’s only because the others are better that Jungle slips to 6. A great song, though, with trademark Axl caterwauling and rocking guitar.
#5 Civil War – the best song that never got released as a single. Again from “Use of Your Illusion Volume 2.” It starts with a great quote from COOL HAND LUKE and just gets better. I’m always amazed that this anti-war song isn’t played more often by current groups opposing military action.
#4
#3 Don’t Cry – Somewhat forgotten later on, Don’t Cry was actually Part 1 of a three-video series into the mystery. What mystery, you might ask? Who knows? Anyway, the video is creepy, especially when Axl is in that grave and keeps trying to get out. The song is the essence of a Hair-Rock power ballad.
#2 Sweet Child of Mine – The song that brought Guns ‘N Roses to national prominence. All the elements that made them great are right here. The manic upshifts, the heavy guitars, and Axl going freaking nuts. By the way, you should hear me imitate Axl on the end of Sweet Child. You’ll swear I’m the emaciated one himself.
And the number one Guns ‘N Roses song is….
#1 November Rain – As much as I love Sweet Child, this is a no brainer. If you have any doubt whatsoever, the video should tip the scales. With apologies to Vincent Price, one-armed drummers (and Pizazz), November Rain is the greatest music video of all time. It was Part 2 in the mystery, and I have to confess it drove me freaking nuts. How on earth did Axl’s wife (Stephanie Seymour) die? At the end of the video there was a credit saying the video was based on a short story by Del James. I spent weeks in the library trying to find it. (It took me 12 years). That’s a long story, one that I will tell another time. But back to November Rain. It’s hard to separate the song from the video. That elaborate wedding. Slash in the desert. The reception, and all the rain. The spilled wine. The funeral. Guns ‘N Roses in concert and Slash standing up on the piano to play while Axl pounded on the keys. I could go on and on. But without a doubt November Rain is the best Guns ‘N Roses song of all time (and some day I’ll tell you the story of the ordeal of figuring out what the heck happened to his wife).
