Saturday, September 10, 1988

Guns N’ Roses hit #1 with “Sweet Child O’ Mine”

Sweet Child O’ Mine

Guns N’ Roses

Writer(s): Axl Rose, Izzy Stradlin, Slash (see lyrics here)


Released: August 17, 1988


First Charted: June 11, 1988


Peak: 12 US, 13 CB, 12 GR, 12 RR, 7 AR, 6 UK, 7 CN, 11 AU, 1 DF (Click for codes to charts.)


Sales (in millions): 3.4 US, 1.2 UK, 4.6 world (includes US + UK)


Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 1188.0 video, 1544.19 streaming

Sweet Child O’ Mine

Sheryl Crow


Released: June 22, 1999


First Charted: June 26, 1999


Peak: 29 A40, 30 UK, 42 CN, 60 AU, 1 DF (Click for codes to charts.)


Sales (in millions): --


Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 6.6 video, -- streaming

Awards (GNR):

Click on award for more details.


Awards (Sheryl Crow):

About the Song:

In the late ‘80s, the music world hailed the return of raunchy rock with the rise of Guns N’ Roses. Ironically, though, it wasn’t a down and dirty account of drugs or depravity that launched the band, but a sentimental love song written for the daughter of musical icon Don Everly.

GNR frontman Axl Rose was dating Erin Everly when he penned what he called, “the first positive love song I’ve ever written.” FB Axl’s screech may not seem a natural fit for a romantic ballad, but it is “as eloquent – if not as ’poetic’ – as anything Joni Mitchell ever wrote” DM and “conveys an aching passion in a way that a smooth, polished performance simply couldn’t.” AMG

Of course, it doesn’t hurt to back it up with “one of the most memorable guitar intros in the history of rock & roll.” AMG Slash, the band’s guitarist, came up with the riff when he was just fiddling around. He dismissed it as silly SF and the band wasn’t impressed either. RS500 Bassist Duff McKagan said, “It was written in five minutes...It was kinda like a joke because we thought, ...It’s gonna be nothin’, it’ll be filler on the record.’” WK

However, when Rose heard Slash and Izzy Stradlin, the band’s other guitarist, working on the tune, a poem popped into his head which he’d shelved when it hit a dead end. FB The song proved to be much more than filler.

A third verse was cut from when producer Mike Clink voiced concern over the song’s running time. At his suggestion, though, the band did add the final “Where do we go? Where do we go now?” breakdown. The lines came about when Axl pondered the question aloud of exactly how they would end the song. WK

In 1998, Sheryl Crow recorded the song as a bonus cut on her Globe Sessions album and for the Big Daddy soundtrack.


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First posted 6/11/2012; last updated 7/14/2023.

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