10 Songs That Saved Rock And Roll
4. Welcome to the Jungle - Guns N Roses
Most of the up and coming bands of the late '80s weren't going to get anywhere unless they had some product in their hair. As much as the hair metal revolution was still in full swing, the amount of people clamoring for acts like Cinderella were starting to get burned out on the party rock angle. We needed something new to shock the people, and that element of danger actually came from the rough side of LA.
Compared to the rest of the glam bands they ran with, Guns N Roses were the real deal in every sense of the word. From the opening strains of Welcome to the Jungle, this was not just some random disposable act that'd be forgotten in the next few years. This is the kind of rock and roll that had a little more dirt under its boots and weren't willing to put on lipstick to get the attention of the people.
They let their music do the talking, with Slash quickly becoming one of the greatest rock and roll guitar players since Joe Perry. Whereas the glam acts structured themselves after bands like Motley Crue, this was a band in the mold of the Rolling Stones and lit a fire under the belly of rock. You could go back and listen to bands like Winger if you wanted, but why the hell would you when this exists?