It may seem surprising, but there was a time when Guns N' Roses lacked full confidence in their potential. They never envisioned reaching the monumental heights of fame they eventually achieved. Reflecting on their journey, Slash shared in an interview with Classic Rock in 2022, “I thought the band was f** great. It would have been a band that I would have listened to had I not been in it. I would have had the T-shirt, right? But I saw it as being a cool cult band. I didn’t have any fantasies of it being anything super-huge.” His skepticism contrasted sharply with Axl Rose’s ambitions, who had always envisioned the band’s success.

Axl Rose, driven by the desire for recognition, understood the struggles of the music industry and aspired for success. Their debut album, Appetite for Destruction, clinched the No. 1 spot in the United States, a milestone achieved through extensive touring and dedicated radio play that required immense effort. Rose articulated this commitment to quality and success to Rolling Stone in 1989, stating, “Everything was directed at trying to achieve the sales without sacrificing the credibility of our music. We worked real hard to sell this many records. The album wasn’t just a fluke. Maybe Appetite will be the only good album we make, but it wasn’t just a fluke.” His words emphasize the balance between commercial success and artistic integrity.

In terms of their live performances, we delved into the extensive data provided by setlist.fm to analyze the most and least frequently performed songs from each Guns N’ Roses album. For this analysis, we focused on original tracks, excluding those that have never been performed live, while also omitting tracks from the band’s 1993 covers album.

Album: Appetite for Destruction (1987)
Most-played: “Welcome to the Jungle”
Least-played: “Think About You”

It’s quite fitting that “Welcome to the Jungle,” the exhilarating opening track of Guns N’ Roses‘ debut album, not only stands as the most-played song from that album but also holds the record for the most performances throughout the band’s illustrious career, with an astounding 989 plays. Notably, “Mr. Brownstone,” “Paradise City,” and “Sweet Child o’ Mine” are not far behind, each boasting over 900 performances. Remarkably, every track from Appetite for Destruction has graced the stage at least once, with “Think About You” being the least performed, totaling only 78 live renditions.

Album: G N’ R Lies (1988)
Most-played: “Patience”
Least-played: “One in a Million”

Every song from G N’ R Lies, released in 1988, has also made its way into live performances, including two cover tracks: “Mama Kin” by Aerosmith and “Nice Boys” by Rose Tattoo. The least played track from this album, “One in a Million,” has only been performed twice, both times before the album’s official release, likely due to its controversial lyrics. In contrast, “Patience” has received significant attention, having started to appear in setlists even before the album hit the shelves.

Album: Use Your Illusion I (1991)
Most-played: “November Rain”
Least-played: Tie Between “Garden of Eden” and “Bad Apples”

When it comes to Use Your Illusion I, while the cover of Paul McCartney and Wings’ “Live and Let Die” has been played 817 times, the original “November Rain” claims the top spot among original tracks with 810 performances. Notably, the live renditions can exceed the studio version’s nine-minute length, with rumors suggesting the song was initially around 25 minutes long. Interestingly, only one song from this album, “Don’t Damn Me,” has never been performed live, while the two least played tracks, “Garden of Eden” and “Bad Apples,” have each only been played twice.

Album: Use Your Illusion II (1991)
Most-played: “You Could Be Mine”
Least-played: “Breakdown”

Similar to its predecessor, the most frequently performed track from Use Your Illusion II is also a cover, this time Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” which has been played 931 times. Following closely is “You Could Be Mine,” which has enjoyed 794 performances since its debut at the 1991 Rock in Rio festival. While several songs from this album have yet to be performed live, “Breakdown” has made a brief appearance in setlists on two occasions, both occurring in December 1991.

Album: “The Spaghetti Incident?” (1993)
Most-played: “Attitude” by Misfits
Least-played: “New Rose” by the Damned

In a departure from previous albums, 1993’s “The Spaghetti Incident?” consists entirely of cover songs. Out of the tracks included, only three have made it to the stage: “Down on the Farm” by U.K. Subs (58 performances), “New Rose” by the Damned (65), and “Attitude” by Misfits (259). Notably, “Attitude” features Duff McKagan on lead vocals, showcasing the band’s versatility.

Album: Chinese Democracy (2008)
Most-played: “Chinese Democracy”
Least-played: “Riad n’ the Bedouins”

Turning to their most recent album, 2008’s Chinese Democracy, which was notorious for its lengthy production process, the band has successfully performed every single track live. The title track holds the record for the most performances with 585, while “Riad N’ the Bedouins” has the fewest, with just six plays. It’s noteworthy that due to the protracted timeline of the album’s completion, both songs began appearing in live sets several years before Chinese Democracy was officially released.