10 Biggest Rock Songs From Every Year Of The 1980s
2. 1988: Sweet Child O’ Mine - Guns N’ Roses
When it comes to debut hard rock albums, they don’t come much bigger or better than Appetite for Destruction, the opening salvo from Guns N’ Roses.
Released in 1987, Appetite unleashed a series of incredible songs into the world, including Welcome to the Jungle, Paradise City, and the scourge of guitar teachers everywhere, Sweet Child O’ Mine.
The song that initially began as Slash mucking about in rehearsals became a platinum-seller in multiple countries from Australia to Italy, Denmark to Spain, and it is still the only GNR song to ever reach number one in the US. It’s also a fan favourite amongst Brits, who sent it to number six in their own charts.
In a year where music was dominated by releases from George Michael, Madonna, and Michael Jackson, Appetite for Destruction stands head and shoulders above everything else the rock world had to offer, with this song leading the charge. It finished above songs by Whitney Houston, Belinda Carlisle, and Billy Ocean in the overall sales charts for 1988, and set the band on the path to superstardom.
Now that really is sweet.