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Erin Sadler
Prof. Cambell
UWRT
9 September 2014
Guns N Roses: Appetite for Destruction
Guns N Roses was a 1980s/1990s rock band; specifically, they fall under the
subgenre category of hard rock. The band released a total of six studio albums and is
considered one of the best-selling bands of all-time. Appetite for Destruction was their debut
album, and in my opinion, the best album they produced. The band members for this album
consisted of Axl Rose (lead vocalist and pianist), Slash (lead guitarist), Izzy Stradlin
(guitarist), Duff McKagan (bassist), and Steven Adler (drummer). There have been many
other members of the band before and after Appetite for Destruction was released, however,
this is considered the classic line-up and is probably the most well-known line-up of the
band.
There are several different types of rock, as it has evolved for many years. Hard rock
songs of the 1980s and 1990s would usually include lyrics about sexuality or referring to
women, drugs and alcohol abuse, partying, and fortune and fame. Songs were infamous for
the electric guitar (especially guitar solos), long and drawn out singing, and loud and
aggressive music and lyrics. Hard rock songs that were slow and emotional would usually
start off easy end with a strong finish. This style of music was known for its masculinity,
seeing how most band members were men and listeners were typically men, as well. Physical
characteristics of hard rock band members include: big and long hair, ripped, skinny jeans,
muscle shirts, leather, sunglasses, and bandanas or hats. Even though Guns N Roses was

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considered rawer than the average hard rock bands of its time, they still have all of these
characteristics. Some similar bands of the time include: Skid Row, Mtley Cre, Poison, Bon
Jovi, and Aerosmith.
Typically, most listeners for this kind of music were young adult, working class, white
men. These men probably expect to listen to songs about girls and about partying (or
drugs/alcohol) because of the listeners age and the time period they grew up in. Most
listeners of this type of music either are probably from that era or their parents lived through
that era and still listen to that type of music.
Appetite for Destruction fits into the hard rock genre of the 1980s and 1990s because
of the way the band members dressed, what their songs were about, and the instruments used
in the songs. Most of the band members of Guns N Roses had long and big hair- look at Axl
Rose and Slash. If one looks at pictures of the band members, they will see that the style of
clothing the band members chose to wear were synonymous with the typical 1980s rock band.
Several of the songs from Appetite for Destruction were about or contained many references
to drugs, alcohol, and partying, including: Mr. Brownstone, My Michelle, and Welcome
to the Jungle. Drugs, alcohol, and partying were not just a common topic to sing about in

rock, but also in many genres of the time.

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One can compare and contrast Guns N Roses Appetite for Destruction to Beastie
Boys Licensed to Ill. Both albums were released in the late 1980s. Licensed to Ill also spoke
of drugs, alcohol, partying, and womanizing. On the contraire, the two albums are different
genres. Appetite for Destruction is rock, specifically hard rock, while Licensed to Ill was hip
hop, specifically rap, and can even fit into the category of rap rock. The music video of No
Sleep Till Brooklyn (one of the songs on the album Licensed to Ill) is actually a parody of
glam rock, which is another subgenre that Guns N Roses falls into.
When adapting Appetite for Destruction to match up with Licensed to Ill, the song
topics would not have to change very much. Both include songs about partying, alcohol and
drug abuse, and women. However, the instruments would change. In Licensed to Ill, disc
jockeys and keyboards were far more common than they were in Appetite for Destruction.
The Beastie Boys lyrics are also faster paced and the vocals are almost like talking rather
than actually singing. The style of clothing for hip hop artists was (and still is) a lot different
than that of rock artists. The Beastie Boys would wear jeans rolled up at the bottom, tennis
shoes, hats, sunglasses, chains, and they would keep their hair short. Unlike Guns N Roses
and most other hard rock bands of the time, the Beastie Boys actually had a female member in
their band- the drummer. Another difference between the two bands and their genres is the
amount of members in the bands. A typical rock band of the time included around five
members on average in their band, whereas rappers would typically work in small groups or

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solo.