10 Phenomenal Bands Whose Very First Songs Blew Us Away

By Christopher Jennings /

10. Guns N' Roses - Welcome To The Jungle

From the album: Appetite For Destruction (1987) Guns N' Roses tore a hole straight through the heart of the L.A Glam-Metal scene when Appetite For Destruction hit like a freight train in 1987 and opening track "Welcome to the Jungle" beckoned listeners to join them in the sordid Hollywood underbelly they called home. This wasn't Glam-Metal it was filth and squalor and more importantly it was the most organic, honest and thrilling experience that Heavy Metal and Hard Rock lovers had had for years. On "Welcome to the Jungle" a whole generation instantly knew that Guns N' Roses were the real deal; young men full of spit and bile and an unlimited supply of drugs, hell-bent on bringing their music to the masses via any means necessary. They were impossible to ignore and "Welcome to the Jungle" was the perfect way to herald their arrival. From Slash's iconic riff at the very start of the song to Axl's sneering, punk-esque '...it's gonna bring you down!' at the end, "Welcome to the Jungle" is the quintessential song about life in 1980's seedy Los Angeles and one helluva way to kick-start a debut album.