What's the main reason GNR isn't as popluar as it was 20yrs ago?

[saber_]

I don't know about you guys but I love GNR just as much as I did back in the day.

Well yeah, but you're delusional.

As opposed to you, who thinks that by trolling Axl on the internet, a reunion is sure to happen! Brilliant!

[classicguns4life]

I don't know about you guys but I love GNR just as much as I did back in the day.

Well yeah, but you're delusional.

As opposed to you, who thinks that by trolling Axl on the internet, a reunion is sure to happen! Brilliant!

Not at all. I have my opinion, he has his. At least I'm open minded. I like Chinese Democracy. A lot actually. But I'm not in some mindset that its anywhere near as good as Guns N Roses. Its an Axl Rose solo project, and I'd say volcano cupcakes these boards regarding people who don't think this new band is the greatest thing ever to happen to the world a lot more than I do about Slash. What I say about Slash (and actually all of the original band) is just true that most know themselves already. Of course I want a reunion, but I'm also smart enough to know its never gonna happen. Both of my answers in this thread are on point, so I suggest you look up the word "cupcake" in the dictionary.

[saber_]

Sorry bro, but you can't hide from your posting history. No matter how hard you try, Axl isn't going to change. The sooner you accept that, the happier you'll be in life.

[Screamin' Demon]

There are vast reasons out there as to why Guns N' Roses are no longer as popular as they were 20 years ago. The most obvious is that an existing band will attract incomparably more fans than a nonexistent one. With no actual Guns N' Roses in place this in itself will make many would-be fans reluctant to get all over the material out of fear of being synonymised with irrelevance for listening to a group which disappeared off the face of the planet as a unit so long ago. Then there are people who aren't vocal about Guns N' Roses because they don't want to constantly explain the embarrassing long story that anything Axl's own band have done unsatisfactorily over the years has nothing to do with Guns N' Roses, that they are a completely different entity altogether. This as a result of general public unawareness that Axl's own band really are a completely different entity and have nothing to do with Guns N' Roses. Having said that, if Guns N' Roses would reform I think that they would enjoy a prosperous era of renewed popularity.

Edited January 19, 2014 by Screamin' Demon

[Mysteron]

I'm listening to AFD right now, after a long time of not listening.

It's still better than almost anything I've ever heard, from my favorite classical music to New Wave to 90s rock to Muse.

So, what's the main reason GNR is essentially a non-entity in today's music world?

I got to thinking about Robin Finck's interview, where he details the insane amount of time and effort expended on ChiDem. And what label WOULDN'T lavish that kind of attention on a GNR album? Going by GNR's history, you're essentially guaranteed a legendary album.

That, of course, didn't happen. ChiDem was a mouse fart compared to the earthquakes of AFD and UYI.

So, what's the cause? Was it because Slash sabotaged it? Or perhaps "the label" was out ta get Axl? Or maybe Stephanie sabotaged GNR? Or maybe Beta didn't light enough candles or bake enough cakes for the band?

I use Spotify premium for listening to music. Here's the landing page for GNR:

Why isn't Robin Finck on the artist pic? What about Buckethead? Or DJ? Or Bumble? Or Paul Huge? Or Frank? Surely the artist pic for GNR should include Tommy---he's been in the band longer than anyone except Dizzy and Axl! And speaking of that, why isn't Dizzy in the pic?

And why are the top tracks for GNR exclusively the "old lineup?" Where's TWAT, which apparently has the greatest wankery solo of all time? Where's ITW, which is supposedly better than any James Bond soundtrack?

Why does the rest of humanity essentially ignore anything nuGNR? What happened?

The original fans are now old. Lot's of life happens between when you are 20 and when you are 40/50. If makes you a different person

New, younger, fans have grown up with the internet and they think they know everything because they learnt it all on the internet, it makes them prematurely 'different' from people in the 70s/80s. You face people that have aged in some ways, but are still babies. It is all odd.

It is the new world I guess

[Chris 55]

1. Axl got old.

THAT BASTARD!

[Rustycage]

1. Axl got old.

THAT BASTARD!

Blame Slash.

[Broskirose]

GNR is #1 said no one who matters.

People on these forums think that the general public cares about an 80s rock band...they just don't. Just because your daily life consists of posting on forums and trying to claim you're a bigger fan than someone else, doesn't mean the rest of the world is doing the same.

The reason that they aren't as popular as they were 20 years ago is because the gimmick wore off, the music doesn't hold up for the most part, and people don't really care about that genre of music anymore. It's as simple as that really.

[Screamin' Demon]

There are vast reasons out there as to why Guns N' Roses are no longer as popular as they were 20 years ago. The most obvious is that an existing band will attract incomparably more fans than a nonexistent one. With no actual Guns N' Roses in place this in itself will make many would-be fans reluctant to get all over the material out of fear of being synonymised with irrelevance for listening to a group which disappeared off the face of the planet as a unit so long ago. Then there are people who aren't vocal about Guns N' Roses because they don't want to constantly explain the embarrassing long story that anything Axl's own band have done unsatisfactorily over the years has nothing to do with Guns N' Roses, that they are a completely different entity altogether. This as a result of general public unawareness that Axl's own band really are a completely different entity and have nothing to do with Guns N' Roses.

[magisme]

GNR is #1 said no one who matters.

People on these forums think that the general public cares about an 80s rock band...they just don't. Just because your daily life consists of posting on forums and trying to claim you're a bigger fan than someone else, doesn't mean the rest of the world is doing the same.

The reason that they aren't as popular as they were 20 years ago is because the gimmick wore off, the music doesn't hold up for the most part, and people don't really care about that genre of music anymore. It's as simple as that really.

Nothing is as simple as that when the the biggest band in the world implodes and the lead singer takes the name into hiding with him for a decade. You can't act like this is just any other band whose popularity wore off over time. I'm not saying the whole world is begging for a GNR reunion/renaissance, but I think your evaluation is pretty off too.

[Faxl Rows]

AFD was a moment in time from something that organically produced dynamite. No amount of studio fuckery can replicate that, even without the number of missed opportunities.

[classicrawker]

While I don't agree the old band had a "gimmick" that made them popular Broski does have a point though as AFD style rock is pretty much dead these days............If your talking about NuGuns IMHO it is because CHiDem was mediocre with no radio appeal and Axl is has turned the band into a legacy act living off the name and the bones of the past........

[Damn_Smooth]

GNR is #1 said no one who matters.

People on these forums think that the general public cares about an 80s rock band...they just don't. Just because your daily life consists of posting on forums and trying to claim you're a bigger fan than someone else, doesn't mean the rest of the world is doing the same.

The reason that they aren't as popular as they were 20 years ago is because the gimmick wore off, the music doesn't hold up for the most part, and people don't really care about that genre of music anymore. It's as simple as that really.

Nothing is as simple as that when the the biggest band in the world implodes and the lead singer takes the name into hiding with him for a decade. You can't act like this is just any other band whose popularity wore off over time. I'm not saying the whole world is begging for a GNR reunion/renaissance, but I think your evaluation is pretty off too.

You have to forgive him, he's obviously a kid that doesn't understand reality.

Nothing wrong with being young, but when you're stupid enough to try to rewrite history around people that know better, you should probably just quit and go hang out with fellow ignorant NINcompoops on some forum that is just as out there as yourself.

Edited January 19, 2014 by Damn_Smooth

[saber_]

GnR is still big in South America. I wonder how their numbers compare with other acts who play on that continent. I would be interested to see the stats.

[magisme]

GnR is still big in South America. I wonder how their numbers compare with other acts who play on that continent. I would be interested to see the stats.

Wouldn't you usually respond to something like this by telling the poster Google exists?

[Bobbo]

Guns music was timeless. I hear their music played on constant rotation on BOTH classic rock and modern rock stations. There's still love for it out there. It's the nu groups' creative effort nobody gives a wet fart about.

The "gimmick" never really wore off. The general public isn't paying attention to all the bullshit and gimmicks going on, but a good portion of them would love to see a real guns show if it ever happened. The band was still selling out stadiums when they played their last shows. For what they accomplished is what they're still loved and respected for.

It was the band that died, not interest.

[liers]

It's simple, really.

Axl caused CD to fail. He had a chance, he blew it. Had he released CD in 2002 or 2003 with Bucket and Finck, did proper promotion, and did a full scale tour, it would've turned out better. The 2002 band had a following back then, and even if they wouldn't admit it, there were a lot of people interested in seeing what the new band could do.

[Broskirose]

Damn Smooth, if you're not going to add anything to the thread but personal attacks and off topic/irrelevant posts to satisfy your hard on for me, perhaps you should leave. I know an 80s rock band is a sensitive subject for you, but most people are able to have reasonable discussions/debates without resorting to childish tantrums. We get it. You're furious. Move along now.

GNR is #1 said no one who matters.

People on these forums think that the general public cares about an 80s rock band...they just don't. Just because your daily life consists of posting on forums and trying to claim you're a bigger fan than someone else, doesn't mean the rest of the world is doing the same.

The reason that they aren't as popular as they were 20 years ago is because the gimmick wore off, the music doesn't hold up for the most part, and people don't really care about that genre of music anymore. It's as simple as that really.

Nothing is as simple as that when the the biggest band in the world implodes and the lead singer takes the name into hiding with him for a decade. You can't act like this is just any other band whose popularity wore off over time. I'm not saying the whole world is begging for a GNR reunion/renaissance, but I think your evaluation is pretty off too.

Perhaps. Personally I think that it added to their appeal. Like I said - "internal drama". The band splitting up was a major thing for fans to rally around back when it happened, and today. It also added mystique and anticipation for their eventual emergence.

I firmly believe that if the "old band" had continued on, they'd die out with a whimper like other bands of that era and, at the very most be as popular as they are now (likely less so). UYI's were pretty weak bar a few songs. Another album wouldn't have made an impact.

Had Axl not fucked up the revival of the band and released CD in 2001, and continued to release good music on somewhat regular basis, I think they'd have a chance to be remembered as a band that survived and thrived through multiple eras of music and still remain relevant.

[Damn_Smooth]

Guns music was timeless. I hear their music played on constant rotation on BOTH classic rock and modern rock stations. There's still love for it out there. It's the nu groups' creative effort nobody gives a wet fart about.

The "gimmick" never really wore off. The general public isn't paying attention to all the bullshit and gimmicks going on, but a good portion of them would love to see a real guns show if it ever happened. The band was still selling out stadiums when they played their last shows. For what they accomplished is what they're still loved and respected for.

It was the band that died, not interest.

Thank you for being a shining example of a young person with a grip on reality, NINcompoop could learn a lot from you.

[Bobbo]

Thanks buddy. Glad to help

[bran]

the main reason is that they were popular 20+ years ago, and rock is dead in the US. even if the AFD lineup reunited, sure ticket sales will go up since people can bathe in the nostalgia full force, but the AFD lineup will not magically sell 1 mil copies in a week if they release a new album. it will sell probably right around what CD did.

[Damn_Smooth]

Damn Smooth, if you're not going to add anything to the thread but personal attacks and off topic/irrelevant posts to satisfy your hard on for me, perhaps you should leave. I know an 80s rock band is a sensitive subject for you, but most people are able to have reasonable discussions/debates without resorting to childish tantrums. We get it. You're furious. Move along now.

GNR is #1 said no one who matters.

People on these forums think that the general public cares about an 80s rock band...they just don't. Just because your daily life consists of posting on forums and trying to claim you're a bigger fan than someone else, doesn't mean the rest of the world is doing the same.

The reason that they aren't as popular as they were 20 years ago is because the gimmick wore off, the music doesn't hold up for the most part, and people don't really care about that genre of music anymore. It's as simple as that really.

Nothing is as simple as that when the the biggest band in the world implodes and the lead singer takes the name into hiding with him for a decade. You can't act like this is just any other band whose popularity wore off over time. I'm not saying the whole world is begging for a GNR reunion/renaissance, but I think your evaluation is pretty off too.

Perhaps. Personally I think that it added to their appeal. Like I said - "internal drama". The band splitting up was a major thing for fans to rally around back when it happened, and today. It also added mystique and anticipation for their eventual emergence.

I firmly believe that if the "old band" had continued on, they'd die out with a whimper like other bands of that era and, at the very most be as popular as they are now (likely less so). UYI's were pretty weak bar a few songs. Another album wouldn't have made an impact.

Had Axl not fucked up the revival of the band and released CD in 2001, and continued to release good music on somewhat regular basis, I think they'd have a chance to be remembered as a band that survived and thrived through multiple eras of music and still remain relevant.

Some of us are here to discuss a band we like, junior. Maybe ignorant kids such as yourself should go somewhere where someone would buy your bullshit. Calling you ignorant is no insult, just reality. You've proven it time and time again.

[dalsh327]

Q:What's the main reason GNR isn't as popular as it was 20yrs ago?

A:How did Soundgarden's "King Animal', Janes Addiction "The Great Escape Artist", and Van Halen's "A Different Kind of Truth" do compared to "Chinese Democracy"? How did NIN's "Hesitation Marks" do? How come Springsteen has no problem selling albums and the bands that were headlining arenas 20 years ago struggle with album sales now? Bruce is a fluke but he worked on staying in the limelight, kept touring his ass off, mined the archives. Pretty much doing what Neil Young does, and just kept shaking things up every tour.

The way people buy music changed. People buy songs, they stream albums for free, they pick what they want for a dollar a pop.

When John Fogerty tours, do people give a shit he has a new album out?

Q: So, what's the cause?

A: The Chinese Democracy question of "why did it fall on its ass?" Different question, different band, same temperamental lead singer. When you see Steely Dan, it's just two guys, and sometimes they dig up the photo of the 1973 lineup. When you see Smashing Pumpkins, sometimes you see the whole band, sometimes it's just Corgan. NIN could be Reznor and the touring band, sometimes it's just Trent.

Did Slash sabotage GNR after he left? Not that I can tell. The lawsuit Slash and Duff filed against Axl probably ground the ChiDem sessions to a halt but only Axl can answer what he was doing at the time,

Axl can tell Spotify he doesn't like the photo or he'll have the GNR songs removed. Have no idea how much he's getting from people streaming the albums, but it's still generating some sort of revenue his way. Most bands are doing it because they're getting nada from radio.

[Rustycage]

UYI's were pretty weak bar a few songs. Another album wouldn't have made an impact.

[magisme]

GNR is #1 said no one who matters.

People on these forums think that the general public cares about an 80s rock band...they just don't. Just because your daily life consists of posting on forums and trying to claim you're a bigger fan than someone else, doesn't mean the rest of the world is doing the same.

The reason that they aren't as popular as they were 20 years ago is because the gimmick wore off, the music doesn't hold up for the most part, and people don't really care about that genre of music anymore. It's as simple as that really.

Nothing is as simple as that when the the biggest band in the world implodes and the lead singer takes the name into hiding with him for a decade. You can't act like this is just any other band whose popularity wore off over time. I'm not saying the whole world is begging for a GNR reunion/renaissance, but I think your evaluation is pretty off too.

You have to forgive him, he's obviously a kid that doesn't understand reality.

Nothing wrong with being young, but when you're stupid enough to try to rewrite history around people that know better, you should probably just quit and go hang out with fellow ignorant NINcompoops on some forum that is just as out there as yourself.

My peoples from that subgroup over at the other place get nothing but love from me. Even Broski. Nah, he's great. He's just a little rough and too cool for school around the edges. And he can swear up and down forever that he's just saying what he truly believes, but I think he's clearly trying to get a rise out of people at times. And I kinda like that about him. Y'all are like my brothers. You gotta kiss and make up or you're gonna ruin my forum experience. You wouldn't want that, would you?

I firmly believe that if the "old band" had continued on, they'd die out with a whimper like other bands of that era and, at the very most be as popular as they are now (likely less so). UYI's were pretty weak bar a few songs. Another album wouldn't have made an impact.

I disagree about UYIs and I disagree about "whimper." The general population took quite a shining to much of UYIs. They were huge hits. If you don't think they were anything special, OK, but I don't think you can take your opinion as indication of the band's future popularity. UYIs made them more popular than ever. Now, perhaps they had no more music in them as a band and never would have produced another good song and would have faded into nothingness. Who knows. I think most of the evidence points to the contrary.

Had Axl not fucked up the revival of the band and released CD in 2001, and continued to release good music on somewhat regular basis, I think they'd have a chance to be remembered as a band that survived and thrived through multiple eras of music and still remain relevant.

Maybe. I still think CD would have been a disappointment overall because I think CD is pretty shit, but if he had put out more music, and a decent amount of it was quality, sure. But we'll never know. Axl fucked that up.