Guns N’ Roses Lineup Changes: A Complete Guide (We Think)
Few bands have impacted rock 'n' roll the way Guns N' Roses have, and even fewer have weathered as many changes. Their name remained the same but, as the following list of Guns N' Roses Lineup Changes illustrates, near-constant comings and goings have made keeping up something of a puzzle.
Here's what we know: Guns N' Roses formed when the short-lived Sunset Strip act Hollywood Rose (which included singer Axl Rose and guitarist Izzy Stradlin) combined with members of L.A. Guns.
Even then, change was the rule. Soon after the formation of Guns N' Roses, everyone but Rose and Stradlin would be replaced. This new lineup, which included Slash, Duff McKagan and Steven Adler, earned a coveted record deal – and fame beckoned. In fact, their blockbuster debut Appetite for Destruction became a standard against which all other hard rock bands are judged.
Since then, frontman Axl Rose has kept the brand going, despite an ever-revolving crew of musicians. Much of this turnover occurred while Guns N' Roses were trying to complete the long-awaited Chinese Democracy. In 2016, the personnel changed again to make room for some very familiar faces.
Having trouble keeping up? Keep scrolling for a look back at all of the major shifts in the lengthy history of Guns N' Roses, as best we can tell.
Guns N' Roses Lineup Changes: A Complete Guide (We Think)
Gallery Credit: Matthew Wilkening