Discover the Most and Least-Played Live Tracks from Each Guns N’ Roses Album

It may seem surprising, but there was a period when the members of Guns N’ Roses doubted their own potential. They couldn’t fully grasp the monumental success that awaited them in the music industry.

Reflecting on the band’s journey, Slash shared in a 2022 interview with Classic Rock, “I thought the band was f** great. It’s a band I would have loved even if I wasn’t part of it; I would have proudly worn the T-shirt. Initially, I envisioned it as a cool cult band, without any grand expectations of achieving overwhelming fame.”

Contrastingly, Axl Rose harbored more ambitious aspirations. Having experienced hardship, he was determined to reach the pinnacle of success. The debut album, Appetite for Destruction, skyrocketed to No. 1 in the U.S. after relentless touring and extensive radio play, a testament to their dedication and hard work.

Rose articulated to Rolling Stone in 1989, “Our efforts were entirely focused on achieving significant sales while maintaining the integrity of our music. We toiled tirelessly to sell these records. This album was no mere accident. Perhaps Appetite will be the only great album we ever produce, but it was not just a stroke of luck.”

Now, diving into the numbers, we have analyzed data from setlist.fm to uncover The Most and Least-Played Songs Live from Every Guns N' Roses Album. This analysis excludes tracks that have never graced a live performance and focuses on original songs, excluding the band’s 1993 covers album.

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

It is only appropriate that “Welcome to the Jungle,” the opening track of Guns N’ Roses‘ debut album, stands as not only the most performed song from that record but also the most-played track throughout the band’s entire live performances, boasting an impressive 989 plays. Notably, “Mr. Brownstone,” “Paradise City,” and “Sweet Child o’ Mine” follow closely behind, each accumulating over 900 performances. Remarkably, every track from Appetite for Destruction has made its way into live shows at some point, with “Think About You” being the least-played, having only graced the stage 78 times.

READ MORE: Explore All 24 Musicians Who Have Contributed to Guns N’ Roses

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

Every track from the 1988 album G N’ R Lies has been performed live, including its two covers: “Mama Kin” by Aerosmith and “Nice Boys” by Rose Tattoo. However, “One in a Million” holds the title of least-played song with only two live performances, both happening prior to the album’s release, which may be a blessing given its contentious lyrics. In contrast, “Patience” tops the list, having been included in setlists even before G N’ R Lies hit the shelves, and it continues to be a fan-favorite during live shows.

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

When it comes to live performances, Guns N’ Roses’ rendition of Paul McCartney and Wings’ “Live and Let Die” takes the crown as the most-played track from Use Your Illusion I, with an impressive 817 performances. However, if we strictly discuss original compositions, “November Rain” emerges as the most-played, ringing in at 810 performances. Despite the studio version’s length of approximately nine minutes, live renditions often exceed this duration, especially considering the folklore that the song was initially around 25 minutes long. Notably, only one track 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 only been showcased twice.

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

In a similar vein as Use Your Illusion I, the top track from Use Your Illusion II is also a cover, specifically Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” with a staggering 931 performances. Following closely is “You Could Be Mine,” which has seen 794 live performances and made its debut at the renowned 1991 Rock in Rio festival. While a few tracks from this album have never graced the stage, “Breakdown” has made the cut, albeit only twice in December 1991.

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

Shifting focus back to covers, “The Spaghetti Incident?” released in 1993, features a collection of cover songs. Of these, only three have been performed live: “Down on the Farm” by U.K. Subs (58 performances), “New Rose” by the Damned (65 performances), and “Attitude” by Misfits, which has been played 259 times. Notably, “Attitude” features Duff McKagan taking the lead vocals, adding a unique flair to the performance.

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

Lastly, we arrive at Guns N’ Roses‘ most recent album, 2008’s Chinese Democracy, which took years of dedication to complete. Impressively, the band has performed each song from this album live. The title track, “Chinese Democracy,” has been played 585 times, while “Riad N’ the Bedouins” has only seen the stage six times. Given the lengthy process of the album’s creation, both tracks began appearing in live sets several years prior to the official release of Chinese Democracy.