10 Best American Classic Rock Bands Of All Time
5. Guns N Roses
Coming into the late 80's, rock was in grave danger of becoming a caricature of itself. There may have still been great acts permeating the scene, but most of the bands getting traction were harboring weak songs and seemed to be concerned more about their looks than their guitar riffs.
When Guns N Roses hit the scene, it felt like the entire rock scene got woken up. Here were guys that were in the thick of the glam scene, but had the riffs and attitude to carry them over the top. Whereas other bands were making pop songs with a rock twist, GNR took the down and dirty rock that bands like Led Zeppelin had cultivated and took it that one step further.
From a musical standpoint, Slash is probably one of the most fluid guitarists in the rock world, as he took the sounds of people like Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page and added a healthy dose of soulfulness. He would have made any band great, but combined with Axl Rose's ferocious delivery and Duff McKagan's street rat style songwriting, the band went from being great to being in talks as the greatest of all time. Rock and roll may have been in a dire place, but Guns N Roses were the group that injected new life into rock's heart.