Appetite for Destruction is the first studio album by American hard rock band Guns N' Roses. It was released on July 21, 1987, through Geffen Records.

When the album as released in 1987, it was not popular. Next year, in 1988, it became very successful after the band had toured and radio stations played the singles "Welcome to the Jungle", "Paradise City" and "Sweet Child o' Mine". It was first on Billboard 200 and became the best-selling debut album of all time, as well as the eleventh best-selling album of all time in the United States. With more than 30 million copies sold worldwide, it is also one of the best-selling records of all time.

Although critics at first had mixed feelings toward the album, Appetite for Destruction is now liked by critics and is considered as one of the greatest albums of all time. In 2018, it was re-released as a remastered box set with critics liking it too.

Background 
Guns N' Roses first recordings were for a planned EP in March 1985, shortly after forming, with "Don't Cry", a cover of "Heartbreak Hotel", "Think About You" and "Anything Goes". However, the EP did not happen, as original guitarist Tracii Guns left the band, being replaced by Slash. Shortly afterward, a new lineup of Axl Rose, Duff McKagan, Slash, Steven Adler and Izzy Stradlin was confirmed. This is the classic lineup for the band.

After playing many shows in Los Angeles clubs, the group signed with Geffen Records in March 1986. In December 1986, the group released the four-song EP Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide, which was made to keep people interested in the band while it started work in the studio. The label also thought the band didn't have enough songs, so they made the EP.

Singer Axl Rose said that many of the songs on the album were written while the band was performing on the Los Angeles club circuit, and a number of songs that would be featured on later Guns N' Roses albums were considered for Appetite for Destruction, such as "Back Off Bitch", "You Could Be Mine", "November Rain" and "Don't Cry". "November Rain" was not put on the album because "Sweet Child O' Mine" is already on it. They only wanted one ballad.

Producer Spencer Proffer was hired to record "Nightrain" and "Sweet Child o' Mine" to test if he could work with the band. They eventually recorded nine songs during these sessions, including "Heartbreak Hotel", "Don't Cry", "Welcome to the Jungle" and "Shadow of Your Love". In mid to late 1986, the band recorded demos with Nazareth guitarist Manny Charlton, which were released in 2018. (See Below for more info)
The band at first considered Paul Stanley of KISS to produce, but he was rejected after he wanted to change Adler's drum set more than Adler wanted. Robert John "Mutt" Lange was also considered, but the label didn't want to spend the extra money on a famous producer. Ultimately, Mike Clink (who had produced several Triumph records) was chosen, and the group recorded "Shadow of Your Love" first with Clink as a test.

In 1999, Rose re-recorded the album with the lineup at the time (Rose, Robin Finck, Tommy Stinson, Paul Tobias, Josh Freese, Dizzy Reed & Chris Pitman) to "spruce up" the album with new recording techniques. The re-recorded version of the album was never released, although an edited clip of "Sweet Child O' Mine" featuring the second half of the song using the re-recorded version was included over the credits of the movie Big Daddy in 1999.

Track listing

Original release

Super deluxe edition 
The "Locked N' Loaded" Edition and the "Super Deluxe Edition" have the same musical contents. Disc one is the original album.

A fifth disc is included; a Blu-ray disc, which has 96 kHz 24-bit 5.1 Surround Sound & Remastered Stereo mixes, mixed by Elliot Scheiner and Frank Filipetti. It includes all of Appetite for Destruction, alongside bonus tracks "Shadow of Your Love", "Patience", "Used to Love Her", "You're Crazy", and "Move to the City (1988 Acoustic version)". In addition, it includes music videos for "Welcome to the Jungle", "Sweet Child O' Mine", "Paradise City", "Patience", and a previously unreleased video of "It's So Easy".

Deluxe edition

Personnel 
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.

Guns N' Roses
 W. Axl Rose – lead vocals, synthesizer on "Paradise City", percussion
 Slash – lead guitar, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, slide guitar, talk box, backing vocals
 Izzy Stradlin – rhythm guitar, lead guitar, backing vocals, percussion
 Duff "Rose" McKagan – bass, backing vocals
 Steven Adler – drums, percussion,

Production
 Mike Clink – production, engineering
 Steve Thompson, mixing
 Michael Barbiero – mixing
 George Marino – LP, cassette mastering
 Barry Diament – CD mastering
 Dave Reitzas – assistant engineer
 Micajah Ryan – assistant engineer
 Andy Udoff – assistant engineer
 Jeff Poe – assistant engineer
 Julian Stoll – assistant engineer
 Victor Deyglio – assistant engineer
 Adriana Smith – background vocals on "Rocket Queen" (uncredited)
 Ted Jensen – Boxed set mastering at Sterling Sound, NYC

Design
 Robert Williams – "Appetite for Destruction" painting
 Michael Hodgson – art direction and design
 Robert John – photography
 Jack Lue – photography
 Greg Freeman – photography
 Marc Canter – photography
 Leonard McCardie – photography
 Bill White Jr. – cross tattoo design
 Andy Engell – cross tattoo redrawing

Charts

Certifications

Related pages

 List of best-selling albums
 List of best-selling albums in the United States
 List of best-selling albums in Argentina

References

Other websites 

 Appetite for Destruction at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed)
 Appetite for Destruction at Acclaimed Music (list of accolades)
 

1987 albums
Guns N' Roses
Hard rock albums
Debut albums