Top 5 Thursday: Guns N' Roses songs
(Ross Halfin)
It seemed like such a good idea at the time. The new Guns N' Roses album "Chinese Democracy" drops this Sunday, Nov. 23 (although we won't believe until three days after the CD jewel case breaks), so why not use Top 5 Thursday to count down the best GN'R songs of all time?
Bad idea. Way too many to decide. But after careful analysis, hours of brain-wracking and some consulting, Pet Rock is proud to put forth its thoughts on the five best GN'R songs. Understand that we only have five slots to fill, hence Top 5 Thursday, so while you may suggest another song, ask yourself this: what song would I replace?
5) Paradise City
An all-time classic. An instant arena rocker. Works for any place you want it to work.
4) You Could Be Mine
Just about as hardcore as you'll get with GN'R. Sure it's from the "Terminator 2" soundtrack
3) Patience
Every hair band needs a monster ballad. This one just edged out November Rain, even if that video had Stephanie Seymour.
2) Welcome to the Jungle
According to the book "Watch You Bleed" by Stephen Davis, the most famous Axl squeal in history -- "You know where you are? You're in the jungle, baby!" -- came about from a trip he took to New York (when he was just Bill Bailey) with a friend and wound up two country bumpkins walking around the South Bronx in the late 1970s. Years later, it became a narrative for the L.A. music scene on the Sunset Strip . . . and entrance music for too many teams and athletes. Still, tremendous song.
1) Sweet Child o' Mine
The most recognizable intro to a song in the last 30 years. A top 10 rock song of all time. A top 10 metal song of all time (although it's technically not a metal song, as reader SexyMike pointed out below, but since GN'R was always grouped into with metal groups when it came to awards and such, I decided to include it in this grouping, too). A top 10 song of all time. Seriously, has a song (non-slow jam) that better describes how a man could feel about that special woman in his life ever been written?
Honorable mention: Yesterdays, November Rain, Used to Love Her, Don't Cry.
And before you get mad at my selections, let me appease you with Guns N' Roses then and now photos.
E-mail
Facebook
Digg
Delicious
Comments (20)
I think hell is about to freezer over. 14 years after their last album release, and countless band member changes, GNR will debut their next album in 3 days. I think I am going to cry.
EB,
you can listen to it now at myspace.com/gunsnroses. it's pretty good so far from what i've heard.
Umm, "Sweet Child 'o Mine" isn't metal. It's rock. Do you guys know what metal is?
No Mr. Brownstone, even as an honorable mention?!? You should lose your blogging rights, LaMonica!!
Appetite for Destruction truely was one of the best albums ever made. An honorable mention for Mr. Brownstone would be in order too.
The new album is 1/2 awsome and 1/2 not so good. Overall I say its a good album but it is nothing I have come to expect from a Guns N Roses album.
Wow, you pick 5 of the most popular GNR songs, what a fan you are! My Michelle and Rocket Queen blow all those songs away.
What a disgrace of a journalist/blogger you are.
Here's a Top 5 list for you:
The Top 5 letters of the alphabet that become before the letter F:
1.C
2.E
3.A
4.B
5.D
rocket queen isn't that good of a song. mr. brownstone, however, should have been at least an honorable mention.
Appreciate all the comments, even the ones that hammer me.
Mr. Brownstone was on my original honorable mention list, but for some reason, it got whacked at the end. wish i could remember why. strong song.
Bruce, i was never a big fan of my michelle and rocket queen. good songs, sure, but not as strong as the other five. as for them being the most popular, thats partially true. also, they happen to be very good songs.
btw, Bruce, your top 5 letters that come before F was really funny. seriously. a great shot at me. well played.
SexyMike, Sweet Child isn't a metal song, but GN'R was always grouped into the metal scene when it came to award shows and such, which is why i included that. perhaps i should be more clear about that. will update it now.
As someone who remembers the L'Amour, Ritz, and Limelight shows in 1987/1988, the Appetite and Live Like a Suicide cuts were amazing and still define a special time in rock.
While the Illusion I & II releases were uneven, Pretty Tied Up, Yesterdays, and Civil War are still favorites of mine.
Stephanie Seymour wasn't in the Patience video...
you picked the top 5 gnr songs and you don't even know the band....
TOP 5:
1) Jungle
2) Paradise City
3) Sweet Child
4) November Rain
5) Mr. Brownstone
Honorable Mentions:
1) Rocket Queen
2) Estranged
3) You Could Be Mine
4) Patience
5) My Michelle
Close Calls:
1) It's So Easy
2) Live N' Let Die
3) Coma
4) Civil War
5) Madagascar (too soon to put this on?
Patience??? Eh...no. Should have been My Michelle.
Thanks for your response! It shows true class that you can take a beating and write a response like that.
It is all a matter of opinion and preferences of course. I would even put Estranged in my list
My Michelle
Rocket Queen
Estranged
Welcome to the Jungle
You Could Be Mine
Well at least we agree on 2 of them!
Bill, Seymour was in November Rain video, as I wrote. Re-read the line.
Bruce, I throw props when necessary. You earned it.
As for Sweet Child, here's my reasoning for No. 1: opening riff is the most recognizable of any song of our generation. while some may construe that as too "pop" or mainstream, i look at it as genius guitar work.
and the lyrics are brilliant. when that song first struck a nerve with us, we were either with a girl that at the time we thought was the best the world had to offer (we were 12, what did we know?) or there was a girl in our school that we absolutely adored. Sweet Child encapsulates that moment.
Even now, when you really listen to the lyrics, it still hits a nerve. To me, that's a powerful song.
that's the crazy thing about GNR. They had 4 great albums and then that whole spaghetti thing. It's so hard to narrow down five, but those are the rules? who the hell would ever read Top 11 Thursday?
While the lyrics to SCOM are great, personally I find the song boring. It is one of those songs that if I never heard again, it wouldn't bother me. I am a huge Nirvana fan, but if I never heard Teen Spirit again I wouldn't shed a tear. It is in that same vein, that's why it wouldn't even make my Top 11.
btw, the anonymous post above is me
And such is the beauty of open dialogue.
I hear you on song overload, though. i can respect that.
not a very good list!
estranged destroys WTTJ and Patience. give november rain its due!
top 5
5 Patience
4 Paradise City
3 Estranged
2 November Rain
1 Sweet Child O Mine
Honorbales
Dont Cry, Civil War, Rocket Queen
ALRIGHT SETTLE DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!
CHILL THIS IS THE _=REAL_= List MMMK
1]}) Sweet child O mine, hate to say it but it's true!!!!!!
2]}) Welcome to The Jungle, No Doubt about it it's a proven fact!!!
3]}) November Rain, it's real it's rock and it's # 3 !!!
4]}) Patience, this song is great!!! so shut up
5]}) Rocket Queen,
I've been a Gun's n Roses fan since their first album i've heard every song i kno the good ones
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Estranged
Nightrain
You could be mine
Don't cry
civil war
Dont cry about that because that's the real deal!!!!!!!!!
ALRIGHT SETTLE DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!
CHILL THIS IS THE _=REAL_= List MMMK
1]}) Sweet child O mine, hate to say it but it's true!!!!!!
2]}) Welcome to The Jungle, No Doubt about it it's a proven fact!!!
3]}) November Rain, it's real it's rock and it's # 3 !!!
4]}) Patience, this song is great!!! so shut up
5]}) Rocket Queen,
I've been a Gun's n Roses fan since their first album i've heard every song i kno the good ones
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Estranged
Nightrain
You could be mine
Don't cry
civil war
Dont cry about that because that's the real deal!!!!!!!!!
ALRIGHT SETTLE DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!
CHILL THIS IS THE _=REAL_= List MMMK
1]}) Sweet child O mine, hate to say it but it's true!!!!!!
2]}) Welcome to The Jungle, No Doubt about it it's a proven fact!!!
3]}) November Rain, it's real it's rock and it's # 3 !!!
4]}) Patience, this song is great!!! so shut up
5]}) Rocket Queen,
I've been a Gun's n Roses fan since their first album i've heard every song i kno the good ones
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Estranged
Nightrain
You could be mine
Don't cry
civil war
Dont cry about that because that's the real deal!!!!!!!!!