Guns N' Roses started in 1995.
Guns N ' Roses , often abbreviated as GnR , is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles formed in 1985 . The lineup , when first signed to Geffen Records in 1986 , consisted of vocalist Axl Rose , lead guitarist Slash , rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin , bassist Duff McKagan , and drummer Steven Adler . Guns N ' Roses ' debut album , Appetite for Destruction ( 1987 ) , reached number one on the Billboard 200 a year after its release , on the strength of `` Sweet Child o ' Mine '' , the band 's only single to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 . Its late 1980s and early 1990s years have been described as the period in which the group brought forth a `` hedonistic rebelliousness '' reminiscent of the early Rolling Stones , a reputation that had earned the group the nickname `` the most dangerous band in the world '' . Slash (musician) . He is best known as the lead guitarist of the American rock band Guns N ' Roses , with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s .