2012
Green Day
Guns N’ Roses combined a reverence for classic rock titans (Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Aerosmith and Queen, to name a few) with metal’s abrasive snarls and punk’s sneering anti-authoritarianism. With instantly iconic tunes, the personality-rich quintet ruled both the airwaves and arenas, rising from ‘80s Sunset Strip squalor to the heights of global arena-rock stardom. Against the odds, GNR not only survived the ride, they thrived into the 21st century.
Induction
Impact
Signature Sound
Guns N’ Roses rocketed out of L.A. with 1987 masterpiece Appetite for Destruction, adding punk edge to raw, aggressive, tuneful rock. In the ‘90s, with Use Your Illusion I & II, they evolved, incorporating piano, strings and ballads like “November Rain.” Into the 2000s, their sound matured, fusing industrial grit with grandeur and emotional depth.
The first track on GNR’s debut album, this metal gem introduced many to the L.A. quintet who brought heavy rock back to the mainstream.
From the Museum
Hats OffTo Slash
Slash got his iconic top hat just before a gig at the Whisky a Go Go in 1985. He spotted it at Melrose boutique Retail Slut and found the concho belt in nearby Leathers & Treasures.
“I cut it up and put it around the hat and wore it that night for the first time,” Slash recalls. He also liked the way its brim shielded him from “looking in the eyes of the audience.”
From the Museum
Hats OffTo Slash
Slash got his iconic top hat just before a gig at the Whisky a Go Go in 1985. He spotted it at Melrose boutique Retail Slut and found the concho belt in nearby Leathers & Treasures.
“I cut it up and put it around the hat and wore it that night for the first time,” Slash recalls. He also liked the way its brim shielded him from “looking in the eyes of the audience.”
"What set them apart was guts, heart, and soul. Most importantly, they told the truth and painted a picture of the mad world they lived in."
Billie Joe Armstrong
Green Day
2012 hall of fame essay
"It was as if Guns N ’ Roses understood and accepted the high price of extreme rock life from the start."
– David Fricke
Influence
Guns N’ Roses
Buckcherry
Avenged Sevenfold
The Darkness
Wolfmother
Greta Van Fleet
The Pretty Reckless
My Chemical Romance
The Strokes
sealed with a signature
This is the signature that appears on the inductee’s plaque at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to officially commemorate their induction.
More from
the Hall
