Gun N' Roses name explained and why it couldn't have been anything else

Guns N' Roses, the iconic of '80s rock band, have been rocking the music scene for over 40 years. Despite the band's massive success and the name now being legendary, it was actually born out of a clash. In the early days of 1983, before Guns N' Roses was even a thought, Axl Rose formed Hollywood Rose with fellow musicians Izzy Stradlin and Chris Weber.

They performed live gigs for a couple of years. However, by 1985, the lineup had shifted: Izzy and Chris were replaced by Slash and Steven Adler, while Axl continued as the frontman. Simultaneously in 1983, L.



A. Guns came into existence thanks to Tracii Guns, Rob Gardner, Ole Beich, and Mike Jagosz on vocals. But when Mike departed soon after, roommates Izzy and Tracii hatched a plan: Axl Rose should lead both bands vocally.

Everything seemed fine until a fateful day in March 1985 when Axl and the L.A. Guns' manager locked horns.

Tracii Guns said in a 2019 interview, "Axl got into an argument with our manager and our manager fired Axl.", reports the Irish Star . He added: "But we all lived together so it was all really weird.

That same night [that] he got fired, we started Guns N' Roses and I called Izzy the next day and said 'Hey, we are gonna start this new band called Guns N' Roses, do you want in?'". The band name, which seems so fitting now, wasn't the only one considered. Other options included Heads of Amazon and AIDS.

The original Guns N' Roses lineup featured Axl Rose, Rob Garner, Izzy Stradlin, Tracii Guns, and Ole Beich. However, this configuration didn't last. After their first gig, Ole was let go, and Tracii departed after a disagreement with Axl.

Rob also left shortly thereafter. Their replacements were Slash, Duff McKagan, and Steven Adler, who along with Axl and Izzy, are regarded by fans as the 'classic' Guns N' Roses lineup. This legendary quintet released their debut album, Appetite For Destruction, in 1987.

However, it was their 1991 albums Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II that catapulted them to global fame. These albums featured hard rock anthems like November Rain and You Could Be Mine. Despite numerous changes in personnel, tours, awards, and countless songs - including a 15-year wait for the 2008 album Chinese Democracy - Guns N' Roses have stood the test of time.

They're celebrated for their influence, and their music continues to energize mosh pits worldwide. Although it initially received a lukewarm response, Appetite for Destruction is now hailed as a seminal rock album. Rolling Stone even claimed it "[changed] hard rock's sensibilities at the time".

The band has been hailed for reviving power ballads in heavy metal music. They've shattered numerous world records, had members acknowledged as top musicians in various genres, and inspired a slew of rock bands, including Fall Out Boy, Avenged Sevenfold, Nickelback, and the Strokes. "Guns n' Roses are still an example of how a band can move rock forward", Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry said in Rolling Stone's special 100 Greatest Artists in 2010.

"Sometimes you think, 'How can you top anything by the Yardbirds, or Zeppelin, or the Stones?' And then you hear Guns N' Roses, and it's inspiring. You can think that it's all been written, but it hasn't"..