In July of '87, I was a brand new graduate of Long Beach High School. Reagan was still in the White House, Oliver North testified in Iran-Contra, and France severed diplomatic ties with Iran. The Untouchables, Robocop, and Jaws IV were in theaters, and Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream released a new flavor - Cherry Garcia. Also, in July of 1987, Guns N' Roses released their debut album, Appetite for Destruction.
The album entered the Billboard 200 list at #182 and took a year to top the chart. It spawned 5 singles, one of which was showcased in the now classic missive, Rock-tober: Day 20, from 2013. Appetite for Destruction eventually went on to be certified platinum in over half a dozen countries - 18x platinum in the states - and in various circles is viewed as one of the best albums of all time.
"Sweet Child of Mine", one of Appetite's 5 singles, took the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and finished as the #5 song for 1988. The following year it won Best Rock Video at the MTV Music Awards and Favorite Pop/Rock Single at the American Music Awards.
The opening riff and guitar solo are epic and helped solidify Slash's legend, although by his own admission, this is his least favorite song in the G N' R repertoire. One dude wins the Internet for his comments on Slash's riffs.
Dude: "Today is the day I learn to play 'Sweet Child of Mine' on guitar."
Dude: *sees complex sheet music*
Dude: "F#ck it. Leave it to Slash."
No comments:
Post a Comment