21 Years Ago: Guns N’ Roses ‘Use Your Illusion I & II’ Released

It’s hard to believe that the immensely successful and anticipated Guns N’ Roses ‘Use Your Illusion I’ and ‘Use Your Illusion II’ albums were released over two decades ago! Twenty-one years, actually.

To date, ‘Use Your Illusion I’ has sold over five million albums alone, and together, the set has gone seven-times platinum since Sept. 17, 1991.

Naturally, we can’t bring up Guns N’ Roses without speaking of the rocky past of the hard rockers, but it changes nothing in that together they created some of the best music in rock history.

With one of the best guitarists in the industry — the frequently top-hatted Slash — matched with one of the most unique voices ever to be heard — debatable madman Axl Rose – Guns N’ Roses fervently delivered a distinct sound during their reign.

The ‘Use Your Illusion’ albums are no different, being fully loaded with fan favorites, including ‘November Rain,’ ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,’ ‘Estranged,’ and ‘You Could Be Mine.’ Jointly, the albums total a phenomenal 30-tracks.

However, with that many songs total, there’s bound to be some things that stray a little bit from what fans had come to expect. In a review for AllMusic.com, it’s stated, “The two guitarists, particularly [Izzy] Stradlin, are trying to keep the group closer to its hard rock roots, but Rose has pretensions of being Queen or Elton John … Conceivably the two aspirations could have been divided between the two records, but instead they are just thrown into a blender.” That eclecticism led to the double studio album being one of the band’s more polarizing, yet ambitious, records to date.

The double studio album was used in conjunction with the band’s ‘Use Your Illusion’ Tour that lasted from Jan. 1991 to July 1993, which became of the longest rock tours in music. It was during touring for the album that Stradlin decided to part ways with the band, but they quickly found their footing again with new guitarist Gilby Clarke.

Next: 25 Most Destructive Guns N' Roses Moments

Watch Guns N’ Roses ‘November Rain’ Music Video