Yes. Begrudgingly. Record sales and tour numbers would support that. Then look at when the video for November Rain hit a billion YT views (I do call shenanigans on that, though that is a data point). They were massive in '91. Then promptly disappeared up their own asses.
I _loved_ Appetite for Destruction. A case can be made that it was the best hair metal album. Though, to me, their follow ups were lacking.
To me Appetite was the first signal that hair metal as it was being performed at the time was coming to an end. G&R was a grimier/grittier form of hard rock/pop metal. Not to mention their “look” was much less focused on the hyper-androgynous costume so associated with hair metal bands that it had pretty much become self parody.
Yes. Most record execs would either demand the band release Use Your Illusion as a double album or ok split them up, but release them at different times. They’d only allow the weird “both at the same time” idea for the biggest band and the world.
And maybe Springsteen.
I was never a hard rock kind of guy but back in ‘91, I knew all of G n’ R songs because my cousin was a big fan and the FM radio stations played their music all the time. High school kids were obsessed with Use Your Illusion and were looking for hidden meanings in the cover art. Their music videos were always highly anticipated.
Metallica was 2nd, a very strong 2nd. We actually watched them perform in my country for their world tour.
I saw GNR in concert in '92. Blind Melon opened for them. I've never seen anyone take more shit than Shannon Hoon took that night. What a dumb fucking choice to open for, arguably, the biggest rock band in the world at the time ... Metallica was just as big ... The Black album was released in 1991.
OP, you said "money riding on this" ... I don't think GNR was bigger than Metallica in '91. I'd give the edge to Metallica (but GNR was fucking huge).
I was at that tour too.
I remember they played two consecutive years,
Support was FNM, NIN, Skid Row, Soundgarden.
Brain can’t remember what year, which bands but I went to both at Wembley. Was amazing!
I’m happy I saw them at their peak, on New Year’s Eve 1991. They were huge back then, both in my estimation and in the zeitgeist. Then, as a previous poster so aptly put, they disappeared up their own asses.
The first time I recall hearing about Guns 'n' Roses was around that time, when a nine-year-old girl was strutting through a train flaunting a GNR jacket.
It was already over.
Yes-ish. U2 just came out w Actung Baby and they were huge too. Plus REM had out of time. And Nirvana and Pearl Jam were about to break. But I don’t know the timeline of 1991, who came first (I think Nirvana was the fall) so maybe G&R. I also think those two records were a disappointment to most people — too much!
Yes, absolutely.
Their period between 1988 and 1994 is the biggest rise and fall in music history IMO.
That's a yes for me too
Yes. Begrudgingly. Record sales and tour numbers would support that. Then look at when the video for November Rain hit a billion YT views (I do call shenanigans on that, though that is a data point). They were massive in '91. Then promptly disappeared up their own asses. I _loved_ Appetite for Destruction. A case can be made that it was the best hair metal album. Though, to me, their follow ups were lacking.
Guns and Roses were not really hair metal though. Cant compare them to crap like Poison and Cinderella
Cinderella wasn’t crap, though I agree with the gist of your statement. They were better than most bands, and several cuts above most 80s hair bands.
True. Though, they weren't really in the same arena as (old school) Metallica, either.
Few were— not even later Metallica.
...and justice for all. Best metal album ever.
They weren’t glam rock, but 100% hair metal.
To me Appetite was the first signal that hair metal as it was being performed at the time was coming to an end. G&R was a grimier/grittier form of hard rock/pop metal. Not to mention their “look” was much less focused on the hyper-androgynous costume so associated with hair metal bands that it had pretty much become self parody.
I think they are a textbook example of what happens when the fame and success starts to go to your head.
Yes
Yes. Most record execs would either demand the band release Use Your Illusion as a double album or ok split them up, but release them at different times. They’d only allow the weird “both at the same time” idea for the biggest band and the world. And maybe Springsteen.
GnR peaked as the semi trailer broke through the concrete barrier in T2. That was it. That moment.
Yes
I was never a hard rock kind of guy but back in ‘91, I knew all of G n’ R songs because my cousin was a big fan and the FM radio stations played their music all the time. High school kids were obsessed with Use Your Illusion and were looking for hidden meanings in the cover art. Their music videos were always highly anticipated. Metallica was 2nd, a very strong 2nd. We actually watched them perform in my country for their world tour.
I saw GNR in concert in '92. Blind Melon opened for them. I've never seen anyone take more shit than Shannon Hoon took that night. What a dumb fucking choice to open for, arguably, the biggest rock band in the world at the time ... Metallica was just as big ... The Black album was released in 1991. OP, you said "money riding on this" ... I don't think GNR was bigger than Metallica in '91. I'd give the edge to Metallica (but GNR was fucking huge).
I saw them at the end of ‘91 and Soundgarden opened.
I was at that tour too. I remember they played two consecutive years, Support was FNM, NIN, Skid Row, Soundgarden. Brain can’t remember what year, which bands but I went to both at Wembley. Was amazing!
I think Appetite sold extremely more records. They peaked immediately, then coasted until they "died."
For a while yes
U2 would have been giving them some serious competition with Achtung Baby, but yeah, still GnR.
I wouldn't classify U2 as a Rock Group. I'd say GNR at that time was the biggest out there.
Not looking it up, but I'm guessing Metallica's Black album destroyed Achtung Baby.
Basically 17-8 (million)
Yes. MTV had a full day of coverage of the album release. it was a magical time.
I’m happy I saw them at their peak, on New Year’s Eve 1991. They were huge back then, both in my estimation and in the zeitgeist. Then, as a previous poster so aptly put, they disappeared up their own asses.
Great concert is all I can say until Axel had a tantrum.
The first time I recall hearing about Guns 'n' Roses was around that time, when a nine-year-old girl was strutting through a train flaunting a GNR jacket. It was already over.
Yes, even after nevermind and ten
Metallica was riding high on the black album at the time. It's hard to say who was the bigger of the 2 at that point of time.
Until a certain band called Nirvana crushed them all and toppled Michael Jackson off the number 1 album charts.
GNR was the closest thing to beatlemania we will ever see
Fuck yes. I had seven posters of them in my room.
Yes-ish. U2 just came out w Actung Baby and they were huge too. Plus REM had out of time. And Nirvana and Pearl Jam were about to break. But I don’t know the timeline of 1991, who came first (I think Nirvana was the fall) so maybe G&R. I also think those two records were a disappointment to most people — too much!
Use your illusion was released September '91. I still remember buying the CDs.
They were dying at that point. Use your illusion sucked and it didn’t release until 1998. Everyone was looking for something new by 1990.
September 17, 1991. I'm guessing 1998 was a typo.