20 Most Important Hard Rock Albums Of All Time

While 1984 may have been the cultural zenith for hair metal, the genre seemed to be on its last legs just 3 years later. Sure, elderstatesmen like Def Leppard and Motley Crue were still pumping out quality records, but the newer bands coming to the forefront seemed to be getting staler and staler with each passing day. As opposed to following the trends of their peers, Guns N Roses emerged onto the scene like rabid dogs ready to pounce.

The band's debut Appetite For Destruction may have been easy for hair metal fans to digest, but the approach was much more ferocious than what you would see out of a band like Warrant. With Slash's classic rock chops and Axl Rose's punk rock attitude, this was the only album coming from the Sunset Strip that actually sounded like it had been ripped off the street. Regardless of the harsh attitude, the band had the song power to back it up, with tracks like "Paradise City" and "Welcome to the Jungle" becoming some of the greatest tunes of the decade.

Though hair metal would be on the way out a few years later, Guns N Roses was the one band who was able to bridge the gap between 80's cheese and modern rock. Appetite for Destruction is more than just one of the best hair metal albums ever made...it might just be the only hair metal album you'll ever need.