Best Hair Band ballads from the 1980s
By Joel Wagler
No. 1: "Sweet Child 'O Mine" - Guns N' Roses
If you were to ask people who were fans of the Hair Band era if they remembered the first they heard Guns N' Roses, there is an excellent chance they would. GNR was that transformative. They would never, could never, be accused of copying anyone.
With a unique vocalist who is easily distinguishable from all other singers, and a unique lead guitarist who is easily distinguishable from all other guitarists, GNR had no peers. They had a sound, a power, that was all their own.
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While the band caught everyone's attention with their first release off their debut album - the raw, hit-you-in-the-face rock anthem "Welcome to the Jungle" from Appetite for Destruction - it was the somewhat softer "Sweet Child 'O Mine" that thrust the band into the consciousness of rock and roll fans.
It's also such a different ballad than anything on this list, at least musically. While it still portrays the same emotions as other songs, it is set apart, not only by Axl Rose's soft and silky, then roaring, and soaring vocals, but by a fantastic intro and a nearly two-minute guitar solo bridge. That riff is one of the most recognizable guitar riffs in the history of music, and it leads to Rose's spectacular vocal ending to the song.
It is a brilliant piece of music and beautifully written and produced. Unsurprisingly, it soared to number one and made the band one of the most recognizable acts ever. The band eventually produced five top-10 hits before self-destructing. They may be the biggest rock and roll "what if" in history. They were the quintessential shooting star that blazed brilliantly, but briefly.
"Sweet Child 'O Mine" is the greatest rock and roll ballad of all time, for the Eighties, or any other era.
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