Slash Quits – 25 Most Destructive Guns N’ Roses Moments

In October of 1996, the lead guitarist / singer duo that was at the heart of Guns N' Roses was fractured for good when Slash left the band. That left only Axl Rose and bassist Duff McKagan as surviving members from the group's classic lineup... and spoiler alert, that wouldn't last long either.

The guitarist has explained that the departure of bandmates Steven Adler and Izzy Stradlin, as well as Rose's well-documented habit of being late for shows, were the main forces behind his decision to quit. But in a 2004 interview he admitted it was a difficult decision. "It was a hard band to quit. But if I hadn't I'd be in the very same rut that Axl's stuck in right now, which is going nowhere. I couldn't sit still that way."