Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1985. To date, the band has released six studio albums, selling over 100 million records worldwide, including 45 million in the United States, making them one of the best-selling bands of all time. The original lineup consisted of vocalist Axl Rose, guitarists Tracii Guns and Izzy Stradlin, bassist Ole Beich, and drummer Rob Gardner. The band’s name comes from the merger of two important Hollywood bands, L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose. Their first concert took place on March 26, 1985, at the Troubadour in Hollywood, California.
Appetite for Destruction (1987), produced by Mike Clink, sold over 25 million copies worldwide and reached #1 in the U.S. upon release. Guitarist Tracii Guns was replaced by Slash, and drummer Rob Gardner was replaced by Steven Adler. The band’s classic lineup became Axl Rose, Slash, Duff McKagan, Steven Adler, and Izzy Stradlin.
The group was originally formed in early 1985 by Hollywood Rose members Axl Rose (vocals) and Izzy Stradlin (rhythm guitar), along with L.A. Guns members Tracii Guns (lead guitar), Ole Beich (bass), and Rob Gardner (drums). The band’s name was created by combining the names of the two groups. Shortly afterward, even before Guns N’ Roses played any gigs, Tracii Guns left to reform L.A. Guns. Slash replaced Guns, and Duff McKagan replaced Ole Beich, who had played only one show. Slash had previously played with Rose and Stradlin for a brief period in Hollywood Rose.
The new lineup quickly solidified, but after deciding to tour in Sacramento, California—Duff McKagan’s hometown—drummer Rob Gardner left and was replaced by Slash’s friend Steven Adler. The band continued to use the name Guns N’ Roses even after Tracii Guns’ departure and established their first stable lineup on what became known as the "Hell Tour." In an interview, Slash stated: “That [trip to Seattle] was the thing that cemented the band” and defined their chemistry.
