Appetite for Destruction

This 1987 smash didn't just soar to #1 on the strengths of Axl's wail and the 12 strings of Slash and Izzy Stradlin-it produced a fistful of ferocious rock anthems that have been clogging jukeboxes and airwaves ever since. The greatest hard-rock record of its time features "Sweet Child O' Mine; Welcome to the Jungle; Paradise City; Nightrain; My Michelle; Mr. Brownstone", and more!

A glimpse of the future, and not because of its huge influence and umpteen million sales. The poor-little-rich-boy protest "Out ta Get Me" intimates that Axl Rose's egotism and martyr complex were soon to grow bigger than his head; still, Appetite's night-train wreck of punk and metal sounds and sensibilities make it more than just an emblem of its time. Whether GN'R are dancing with Mr. Brownstone, penning a callow kiss-off letter to some chick named Michelle, or passing out on somebody else's sofa, this was and remains a savage journey to the heart of the American--or at least the Hollywood--dream. --Rickey Wright