Sweet Child O' Mine
Encyclopedia
"Sweet Child o' Mine" is the third single by American rock
band Guns N' Roses
, and the third from their 1987 debut studio album, Appetite for Destruction
. Released on August 17, 1988, the song topped the Billboard Hot 100
chart, becoming the band's first and only number-one single in the U.S.
It reached number six on the UK Singles Chart
.
' exercise and a joke at the time. In a VH1
special, it was stated that Slash played the riff in a jam session as a joke. Drummer Steven Adler
and Slash were warming up and Slash began to play a "circus" melody while making faces at Steven. Izzy asked Slash to play it again, meanwhile Axl was upstairs in his room and heard the 'jam session' going on downstairs and couldn't help but write lyrics. He based it on his girlfriend Erin Everly. With Steven Adler's added drum part, Izzy Stradlin's chords and Duff McKagan's bassline the harmony became the core of the song. Originally, there was a third verse to the song. However, this verse was later cut from recording as the band's producer, Mike Clink, felt the song would carry on for too long. The final dramatic breakdown was not added until Clink suggested the band add one. They agreed, but weren't sure what to do. Axl started saying to himself, "Where do we go? Where do we go now?" Clink suggested that he sing that, and "Sweet Child o' Mine" was born. In an interview with Hit Parader
magazine in 1988, bassist Duff McKagan
noted:
The song is composed in the key of D-flat mixolydian. At the start of the guitar solo, it shifts to the key of E-flat minor, the key in which the song ends.
fame. Duff's girlfriend Mandy from the all-female rock band "The Lame Flames" was there, as was Steven Adler's girlfriend Cheryl. Izzy Stradlin's dog was also featured. The video was extremely successful on MTV, and helped launch the song to success on mainstream radio.
In an effort to make "Sweet Child o' Mine" more marketable to MTV and radio stations, the song was cut from 5:56 minutes to 4:12, with much of Slash's guitar solo removed. This move drew the ire of the band members, including Axl Rose, who commented on it in a 1989 interview with Rolling Stone
: "I hate the edit
of 'Sweet Child o' Mine.' Radio stations said, "Well, your vocals aren't cut." "My favorite part of the song is Slash's slow solo; it's the heaviest part for me. There's no reason for it to be missing except to create more space for commercials, so the radio-station owners can get more advertising dollars. When you get the chopped version of 'Paradise City
' or half of 'Sweet Child' and 'Patience' cut, you're getting screwed."
The edit was released on the 7-inch vinyl format of the single as a 'Remix' while the 12" vinyl format contained the longer LP version.
On an interview on Eddie Trunk
's New York radio show in May 2006, Axl Rose stated that his original concept for the video focused on the theme of drug trafficking. According to Rose, the video was to depict an Asian woman carrying a baby into a foreign land, only to discover at the end that the child was dead and filled with heroin. This concept was rejected by Geffen Records
.
There is also an alternative video for "Sweet Child o' Mine" with different shots, all in black and white.
' s list of the "100 Greatest Guitar Solos." It also came in at number three on Blender
' s 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born, and at #196 on Rolling Stone
' s The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
. In March 2005, Q magazine placed it at #6 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. The introduction's famous riff
was also voted number-one riff of all-time by the readers of Total Guitar
magazine. It was also in Rolling Stones 40 Greatest Songs that Changed the World. It places #7 in VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the '80s", and placed #210 on the RIAA Songs of the Century
list. On a recent BBC poll, the song was voted to have the "greatest guitar riff ever".
The song came 1st in Kerrang!
' s Slash's top 30 guitar anthems. The song is currently ranked as the 91st greatest song of all time, as well as the best song of 1987
, by Acclaimed Music. In October 2009 it came first in Kerrang!' s 100 greatest riffs.
show NCIS
. Part of the song is used in scenes of a little girl. The song ends when a sound of a gunshot is heard indicating that the girl in the scenes is the deceased daughter of the show's main character Leroy Jethro Gibbs
.
This song was also used as the entrance song for Jon Olav Einemo
at UFC 131
.
.
"Sweet Child o' Mine" is featured in the 2008 film The Wrestler. The song is played when Randy "The Ram" Robinson (played by Mickey Rourke
) makes his entrance to the ring at the end of the film. Rourke, who is friends with Axl Rose, convinced him to allow the song to be played in the film for a fraction of what would have been normally charged. Rourke himself used the song as his entrance music during his boxing career.
It is sung a cappella by Derek's family in the 2008 film Step Brothers
.
The song is in the Sean Penn
, Gary Oldman
film State of Grace
.
Sheryl Crow
's cover of this song is featured in the Adam Sandler
film, Big Daddy.
The Taken by Trees
cover of this song appears at the end of the movie Life as We Know It
.
The introductory riff is heard in the 2010 film Gulliver's Travels
, starring Jack Black
.
, Most Precious Blood, Akasha
featuring Neneh Cherry
, DJ Dougall, John Henneberry, Schmoof, Flat Pack, Luna
, Chester the Pup, Bumblefoot, Dead Tongues, DJ Dex & A, The Aluminium Group and DZK. The song was also performed in many live concerts by country singer Carrie Underwood
, opening with her alone on acoustic guitar and using her voice to reference Slash's intro guitar tones before launching into a full band rock-out. Bonnie Tyler
performed it on the for Charity DVD Rock for Asia in 2005.
Occasionally, as a joke, Linkin Park
performs parts of the song during some concerts. In 2008, during their tour, Projekt Revolution
, Linkin Park
mashed their song Bleed It Out
with Sweet Child o' Mine, in which the intro was played while the lead singer, Chester Bennington
would sing the first verse, then would change to Bleed it Out and the performance would go on to the drum solo, where Street Drum Corps
would perform before the song would be finished. Manic Street Preachers
also frequently play it as an introduction to their song "Motown Junk
" in live concerts. The main riff
is replayed by Red Hot Chili Peppers
at the end of the song "Punk Rock Classic". The intro is also sampled in a song on the Fort Minor
mixtape, titled "S.C.O.M."(Sweet Child o' Mine). Avenged Sevenfold
frequently use the opening riff as a segue between songs during live concerts.
In 1999, the song was covered
by Sheryl Crow
and re-recorded by the then-new Guns N' Roses members for the film Big Daddy. Crow's version earned her a Grammy Award
for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance
. The new Guns N' Roses version which morphed into a live version half way through was not featured on the original soundtrack album of the movie, but can be heard during the movie's ending credits. The song was also featured in the 1990 film State of Grace
, in a bar during a brawl.
It was performed on December 2, 2006 at the Nokia Theatre Times Square
in New York City
by jam band Umphrey's McGee
.
The Black Eyed Peas
usually performs the first verses of this song as well during their live shows. Turbonegro
uses the intro as Introlick for the Song Bad Mongo played live.
A cover of the song is featured as a special encore in the music video game Guitar Hero II
.
"Sweet Child o' Mine" was also covered in 2005 by Flatpack/Mylo
.
The song "S.C.O.M." from Fort Minor
's mixtape
We Major
samples from the introductory riff of the song.
Slash performed "Sweet Child o' Mine" with Black Eyed Peas' member Fergie at his recent 43rd birthday party in Las Vegas at the Mirage Hotel & casino on July 23, 2008.
During the 2008 Reading Festival, band Tenacious D
announced they were going to perform a cover of one of Metallica
's best known songs as a tribute. They then proceeded to play the opening riff to "Sweet Child o' Mine".
Swedish music artist Johan Darius released a version of the song through his website in December 2008.
In Keith Urban
and Brad Paisley's "Start a Band", a tribute to the main riff can be heard as the singers describe famous rock songs.
Irish dance act The Lazy Boyz recorded a trance
version in 2004. It went on to appear on two Ministry of Sound
compilations, Big Tunes and The Annual 2005.
Australian vocal group Human Nature
performed an a cappella version on Andrew Denton's Musical Challenge
.
SR-71
's song, "Axl Rose", contains part of the opening riff.
Indie pop
artist Victoria Bergsman
, under the name Taken by Trees
, also covered the song. Her version was used in the trailer for the remake of the Wes Craven film The Last House on the Left
, and in a 2009 UK advert for department store John Lewis
and announced would be released as their next UK single. This cover peaked at #23 on the UK Singles Chart
.
A version of this song was performed by Lucie Jones on the sixth series of The X Factor (UK)
in 2009.
Malaysian Idol
's first winner, Jaclyn Victor
, performed this song in the competition and received positive reviews from the judges and voters.
Channel V
recorded a Hindustani
version of the song played on sitar
s and tabala
.
Welsh rock band Lostprophets
performed the first verse (without the intro riff) as an intro to their song "Where We Belong
" at the BBC Radio One Big Weekend 2010. At their headline shows, they play the first verse (minus the intro riff) as an intro to "Last Summer
".
Slash recorded an acoustic version of the song with singer Myles Kennedy
for the deluxe edition of his 2010 solo album, Slash.
Green Day
occasionally plays the beginning of the song in concert.
Limp Bizkit
has played their own version of the song a number of times during their 2010 European tour.
During the Super Bowl XLV
halftime show, which featured The Black Eyed Peas
, Slash
joined with vocalist Fergie to perform the song.
Janet Devlin performed a cover version on the eighth series of The X Factor (UK)
in 2011.
!Chart (1988)
!align="center"|Peak position
|-
| Austrian Singles Chart
|align="center"|11
|-
| Canada RPM 30 Retail Sales
|align="center"|11
|-
| Canada RPM Top 100 Singles
|align="center"|7
|-
| Irish Singles Chart
|align="center"|13
|-
| New Zealand Singles Chart
| align="center"|5
|-
| Netherlands Singles Chart
|align="center"|20
|-
| Swedish Singles Chart
|align="center"|27
|-
| Swiss Singles Chart
|align="center"|15
|-
| UK Singles Chart
|align="center"|24
|-
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100
|align="center"|1
|-
| U.S. Cash Box Top 100 Singles
|align="center"|1
|-
| U.S. Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks
|align="center"|6
|-
!Chart (1989)
!align="center"|Peak position
|-
| Irish Singles Chart
|align="center"|4
|-
| UK Singles Chart
|align="center"|6
|-
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!Chart (2010)
!align="center"|Peak position
|-
| UK Rock Chart
|align="center"|1
|-
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!Chart (2011)
!align="center"|Peak position
|-
| UK Rock Chart
|align="center"|1
|}
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
, and the third from their 1987 debut studio album, Appetite for Destruction
Appetite for Destruction
Appetite for Destruction is the debut studio album by American rock band Guns N' Roses, released in July 1987 on Geffen Records. It was well-received by critics and topped the American Billboard 200 chart...
. Released on August 17, 1988, the song topped the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart, becoming the band's first and only number-one single in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
It reached number six on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Background and composition
Slash has been quoted as having a disdain for the song due to its roots as simply a 'string skippingString skipping
String skipping is a guitar-playing technique that is used mainly for solos and complex riffs in rock and heavy metal songs.- Explanation of technique :...
' exercise and a joke at the time. In a VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
special, it was stated that Slash played the riff in a jam session as a joke. Drummer Steven Adler
Steven Adler
Steven Adler is an American musician. He is best known as the former drummer of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s...
and Slash were warming up and Slash began to play a "circus" melody while making faces at Steven. Izzy asked Slash to play it again, meanwhile Axl was upstairs in his room and heard the 'jam session' going on downstairs and couldn't help but write lyrics. He based it on his girlfriend Erin Everly. With Steven Adler's added drum part, Izzy Stradlin's chords and Duff McKagan's bassline the harmony became the core of the song. Originally, there was a third verse to the song. However, this verse was later cut from recording as the band's producer, Mike Clink, felt the song would carry on for too long. The final dramatic breakdown was not added until Clink suggested the band add one. They agreed, but weren't sure what to do. Axl started saying to himself, "Where do we go? Where do we go now?" Clink suggested that he sing that, and "Sweet Child o' Mine" was born. In an interview with Hit Parader
Hit Parader
Hit Parader is an American music magazine focusing on the genres of hard rock, pop, and heavy metal.The magazine was originally started as a pop song lyric magazine by Charlton Publications in 1942. Charlton sold off the magazine before the company went under in 1991...
magazine in 1988, bassist Duff McKagan
Duff McKagan
Michael Andrew "Duff" McKagan is an American musician and writer. He is best known for his twelve-year tenure as the bassist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
noted:
The song is composed in the key of D-flat mixolydian. At the start of the guitar solo, it shifts to the key of E-flat minor, the key in which the song ends.
Music video
The "Sweet Child o' Mine" video depicts the band rehearsing in the Huntington Ballroom at Huntington Beach, surrounded by crew members. All of the band members' girlfriends at the time were shown in the clip. Rose was dating Erin Everly at the time, whose father was Don Everly of The Everly BrothersThe Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers are country-influenced rock and roll performers, known for steel-string guitar playing and close harmony singing...
fame. Duff's girlfriend Mandy from the all-female rock band "The Lame Flames" was there, as was Steven Adler's girlfriend Cheryl. Izzy Stradlin's dog was also featured. The video was extremely successful on MTV, and helped launch the song to success on mainstream radio.
In an effort to make "Sweet Child o' Mine" more marketable to MTV and radio stations, the song was cut from 5:56 minutes to 4:12, with much of Slash's guitar solo removed. This move drew the ire of the band members, including Axl Rose, who commented on it in a 1989 interview with Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
: "I hate the edit
Radio edit
In music, a radio edit is a modification to make a song more suitable for airplay, whether it be adjusted for length, profanity, subject matter, instrumentation, or form...
of 'Sweet Child o' Mine.' Radio stations said, "Well, your vocals aren't cut." "My favorite part of the song is Slash's slow solo; it's the heaviest part for me. There's no reason for it to be missing except to create more space for commercials, so the radio-station owners can get more advertising dollars. When you get the chopped version of 'Paradise City
Paradise City
-Personnel:* Axl Rose - lead vocals, synthesizer, whistle* Izzy Stradlin - rhythm guitar, backing vocals, percussion* Slash - lead guitar, backing vocals* Duff McKagan - bass, backing vocals* Steven Adler - drums-Live:...
' or half of 'Sweet Child' and 'Patience' cut, you're getting screwed."
The edit was released on the 7-inch vinyl format of the single as a 'Remix' while the 12" vinyl format contained the longer LP version.
On an interview on Eddie Trunk
Eddie Trunk
Eddie Trunk is an American music historian, radio personality, talk show host, and author best known as the host of several hard rock and heavy metal themed radio and television shows.- Current work :...
's New York radio show in May 2006, Axl Rose stated that his original concept for the video focused on the theme of drug trafficking. According to Rose, the video was to depict an Asian woman carrying a baby into a foreign land, only to discover at the end that the child was dead and filled with heroin. This concept was rejected by Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
.
There is also an alternative video for "Sweet Child o' Mine" with different shots, all in black and white.
Reception
"Sweet Child o' Mine" placed #37 on Guitar WorldGuitar World
Guitar World is a monthly music magazine devoted to guitarists. It contains original interviews, album and gear reviews and guitar and bass tablature of approximately five songs each month. The magazine is published 13 times per year...
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" was the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone, issue number 963, published December 9, 2004, a year after the magazine published its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time"....
. In March 2005, Q magazine placed it at #6 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. The introduction's famous riff
RIFF
The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
was also voted number-one riff of all-time by the readers of Total Guitar
Total Guitar
Total Guitar is a monthly magazine based in the United Kingdom. The magazine is the best selling guitar magazine in Europe.The magazine is owned by Future Publishing, who publish many other magazines ranging from drums and video games to mountain bikes and knitting magazines.Total Guitar regularly...
magazine. It was also in Rolling Stones 40 Greatest Songs that Changed the World. It places #7 in VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the '80s", and placed #210 on the RIAA Songs of the Century
Songs of the Century
The "Songs of the Century" list is part of an education project by the Recording Industry Association of America , the National Endowment for the Arts, and Scholastic Inc. that aims to "promote a better understanding of America’s musical and cultural heritage" in American schools...
list. On a recent BBC poll, the song was voted to have the "greatest guitar riff ever".
The song came 1st in Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
1987 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1987.See also:Record labels established in 1987-January-February:*January 3 – Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
, by Acclaimed Music. In October 2009 it came first in Kerrang!
Uses in popular culture
Part of the song is featured at the beginning of the episode "Witch Hunt" of the hit CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
show NCIS
NCIS (TV series)
NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S...
. Part of the song is used in scenes of a little girl. The song ends when a sound of a gunshot is heard indicating that the girl in the scenes is the deceased daughter of the show's main character Leroy Jethro Gibbs
Leroy Jethro Gibbs
Leroy Jethro Gibbs is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the CBS TV series NCIS. He is portrayed by Mark Harmon.-Background:...
.
This song was also used as the entrance song for Jon Olav Einemo
Jon Olav Einemo
|-| Loss|align=center| 6–2| Dave Herman| TKO | UFC 131| |align=center| 2|align=center| 3:19|Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada| Won Fight of the Night honors|-| Win|align=center| 6–1| James Thompson| Submission...
at UFC 131
UFC 131
UFC 131: Dos Santos vs. Carwin was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 11, 2011 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia.-Background:...
.
In film
The first time this song appeared in a movie was in 1988. It played as the credits were rolling for the movie Bad DreamsBad Dreams (film)
-Plot:It is the mid-1970s. A sinister hippy cult called Unity Fields commits mass suicide in a horrific manner - by fire - at the behest of its psychopathic leader, Franklin Harris . Only one young woman named Cynthia survives to tell the tale...
.
"Sweet Child o' Mine" is featured in the 2008 film The Wrestler. The song is played when Randy "The Ram" Robinson (played by Mickey Rourke
Mickey Rourke
Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke, Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter and retired boxer, who has appeared primarily as a leading man in action, drama, and thriller films....
) makes his entrance to the ring at the end of the film. Rourke, who is friends with Axl Rose, convinced him to allow the song to be played in the film for a fraction of what would have been normally charged. Rourke himself used the song as his entrance music during his boxing career.
It is sung a cappella by Derek's family in the 2008 film Step Brothers
Step Brothers (film)
Step Brothers is a 2008 American slapstick buddy-comedy film directed by Adam McKay, produced by Judd Apatow and Jimmy Miller, and stars Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly, who originally teamed up in Talladega Nights . The screenplay was written by Ferrell and McKay, from a story written by Ferrell,...
.
The song is in the Sean Penn
Sean Penn
Sean Justin Penn is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his political and social activism...
, Gary Oldman
Gary Oldman
Gary Leonard Oldman is an English actor, voice actor, filmmaker and musician.A member of the 1980s Brit Pack, Oldman came to prominence via starring roles in British films Meantime , Sid and Nancy and Prick Up Your Ears , with his performance in the latter bringing him his first BAFTA Award...
film State of Grace
State of Grace (film)
State of Grace is an American neo-noir crime film starring Sean Penn, Ed Harris and Gary Oldman, and featuring Robin Wright, John Turturro and John C. Reilly. Written by Dennis McIntyre and directed by Phil Joanou, the film was executive produced by Ned Dowd, Randy Ostrow, and Ron Rotholz, and...
.
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...
's cover of this song is featured in the Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
film, Big Daddy.
The Taken by Trees
Taken By Trees
Taken by Trees is the solo project of Victoria Bergsman, former lead singer for the Concretes. The act's debut album Open Field was released on 18 June 2007...
cover of this song appears at the end of the movie Life as We Know It
Life as We Know It (film)
Life as We Know It is a 2010 romantic comedy-drama film directed by Greg Berlanti, starring Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel. It was released on October 8, 2010, after sneak previews in 811 theaters on October 2, 2010...
.
The introductory riff is heard in the 2010 film Gulliver's Travels
Gulliver's Travels (2010 film)
Gulliver's Travels is a 2010 fantasy comedy film directed by Rob Letterman and very loosely based on Part One of the 18th-century novel of the same name by Jonathan Swift, though the film takes place in modern day...
, starring Jack Black
Jack Black
Jack Black , is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black , late 19th - early 20th Century author and hobo* Jack Black , drummer for 1970s UK punk band The Boys...
.
Cover versions
The song has been covered by many artists including TexasTexas (band)
Texas are a Scottish pop band from Bearsden, near Glasgow, Scotland. They were founded by Johnny McElhone in 1986 and feature Sharleen Spiteri on lead vocals. Texas made their performing debut in March 1988 at Scotland's University of Dundee...
, Most Precious Blood, Akasha
Akasha (band)
Akasha are a UK-based electronic music duo, composed of C. J. Casey and D. J. Hand. They were originally signed to the Wall of Sound record label, but now appear on Ra Recordings...
featuring Neneh Cherry
Neneh Cherry
Neneh Mariann Cherry is a Swedish singer-songwriter, rapper, and occasional DJ and broadcaster...
, DJ Dougall, John Henneberry, Schmoof, Flat Pack, Luna
Luna (band)
Luna was a dream pop/indie pop band formed in 1991 by Dean Wareham after the breakup of Galaxie 500, with Stanley Demeski and Justin Harwood...
, Chester the Pup, Bumblefoot, Dead Tongues, DJ Dex & A, The Aluminium Group and DZK. The song was also performed in many live concerts by country singer Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood
Carrie Marie Underwood is an American country singer-songwriter and actress who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, in 2005...
, opening with her alone on acoustic guitar and using her voice to reference Slash's intro guitar tones before launching into a full band rock-out. Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer, most notable for her hits in the 1970s and 1980s including "It's a Heartache", "Holding Out for a Hero" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart".-Early life:...
performed it on the for Charity DVD Rock for Asia in 2005.
Occasionally, as a joke, Linkin Park
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
performs parts of the song during some concerts. In 2008, during their tour, Projekt Revolution
Projekt Revolution
Projekt Revolution is a music festival hosted by Linkin Park, bringing artists of various genres of music together. Linkin Park started Projekt Revolution in the year 2002 with just one stage...
, Linkin Park
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
mashed their song Bleed It Out
Bleed It Out
"Bleed It Out" is a song by American rock band Linkin Park. The song is released as the second single from their third studio album, Minutes to Midnight, the single was released on August 14, 2007....
with Sweet Child o' Mine, in which the intro was played while the lead singer, Chester Bennington
Chester Bennington
Chester Charles Bennington is an American musician, singer-songwriter and actor. He is best known as the lead vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Linkin Park....
would sing the first verse, then would change to Bleed it Out and the performance would go on to the drum solo, where Street Drum Corps
Street Drum Corps
Street Drum Corps is a punk rock percussion band formed in Los Angeles, California in 2004 by Bobby Alt, of S.T.U.N. and Faculty X, Adam Alt, of Circus Minor, and Frank Zummo, of TheStart. To date the group have released two albums and have been part of tours such as Van's Warped Tour, Taste of...
would perform before the song would be finished. Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
also frequently play it as an introduction to their song "Motown Junk
Motown Junk
"Motown Junk" is an early stand alone single from the rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released on January 21, 1991, and peaked at #94 on the UK Singles Chart. The track has long been a live favourite from the earlier part of their career to the present day...
" in live concerts. The main riff
RIFF
The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
is replayed by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
at the end of the song "Punk Rock Classic". The intro is also sampled in a song on the Fort Minor
Fort Minor
Fort Minor is a hip hop side-project of Mike Shinoda, who is better known as being a member of the American rock band Linkin Park. Shinoda's debut solo album as Fort Minor, The Rising Tied was released November 22, 2005.-History:...
mixtape, titled "S.C.O.M."(Sweet Child o' Mine). Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California. Formed in 1999, the group consists of vocalist M. Shadows, lead guitarist Synyster Gates, rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance, bassist Johnny Christ....
frequently use the opening riff as a segue between songs during live concerts.
In 1999, the song was covered
Covered
Covered is a term used in popular music in general to refer to a song recorded by different performer from its original or most popular recorded version, and by some disc jockeys in particular to describe a musical recording presented under the guise of a false title and artist name...
by Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...
and re-recorded by the then-new Guns N' Roses members for the film Big Daddy. Crow's version earned her a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to female recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the rock music genre...
. The new Guns N' Roses version which morphed into a live version half way through was not featured on the original soundtrack album of the movie, but can be heard during the movie's ending credits. The song was also featured in the 1990 film State of Grace
State of Grace (film)
State of Grace is an American neo-noir crime film starring Sean Penn, Ed Harris and Gary Oldman, and featuring Robin Wright, John Turturro and John C. Reilly. Written by Dennis McIntyre and directed by Phil Joanou, the film was executive produced by Ned Dowd, Randy Ostrow, and Ron Rotholz, and...
, in a bar during a brawl.
It was performed on December 2, 2006 at the Nokia Theatre Times Square
Nokia Theatre Times Square
The Best Buy Theater in Times Square is an indoor theatre, owned and managed by Anschutz Entertainment Group , located on 1515 Broadway, at the corner of Broadway and 44th street. It was designed by architect David Rockwell and opened in September 2005...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
by jam band Umphrey's McGee
Umphrey's McGee
Umphrey's McGee is an American progressive rock jam band based in Chicago whose music is often referred to as "progressive improvisation", or "improg" ....
.
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
usually performs the first verses of this song as well during their live shows. Turbonegro
Turbonegro
Turbonegro is a Norwegian punk rock band that was initially active from 1989 to 1998, and later reformed in 2002. Their style combines glam rock, punk rock and hard rock into a style the band describes as "deathpunk"....
uses the intro as Introlick for the Song Bad Mongo played live.
A cover of the song is featured as a special encore in the music video game Guitar Hero II
Guitar Hero II
Guitar Hero II is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane. It is the second installment in the Guitar Hero series and is the sequel to Guitar Hero...
.
"Sweet Child o' Mine" was also covered in 2005 by Flatpack/Mylo
Mylo
Myles MacInnes , better known by the stage name Mylo, is a Scottish electronic musician and record producer.-Career:...
.
The song "S.C.O.M." from Fort Minor
Fort Minor
Fort Minor is a hip hop side-project of Mike Shinoda, who is better known as being a member of the American rock band Linkin Park. Shinoda's debut solo album as Fort Minor, The Rising Tied was released November 22, 2005.-History:...
's mixtape
Mixtape
A Mix Tape or Mixed Tape is a compilation of songs recorded in a specific order, traditionally onto an audio Compact Cassette.A Mix Tape, which usually reflects the musical tastes of its compiler, can range from a casually selected list of favorite songs, to a conceptual mix of songs linked by a...
We Major
Fort Minor: We Major
Fort Minor: We Major is an official mixtape by American rapper Mike Shinoda. The mixtape was made as a warm-up/prequel to promote the debut Fort Minor album The Rising Tied, and was released on the internet as free download...
samples from the introductory riff of the song.
Slash performed "Sweet Child o' Mine" with Black Eyed Peas' member Fergie at his recent 43rd birthday party in Las Vegas at the Mirage Hotel & casino on July 23, 2008.
During the 2008 Reading Festival, band Tenacious D
Tenacious D
Tenacious D is an American rock band that was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1994. Composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jack Black and lead guitarist and vocalist Kyle Gass, the band has released two albums – Tenacious D and The Pick of Destiny...
announced they were going to perform a cover of one of Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
's best known songs as a tribute. They then proceeded to play the opening riff to "Sweet Child o' Mine".
Swedish music artist Johan Darius released a version of the song through his website in December 2008.
In Keith Urban
Keith Urban
Keith Lionel Urban is a New Zealand-born Australian, country music singer, songwriter and guitarist whose commercial success has been mainly in the United States and Australia. Urban was born in New Zealand and began his career in Australia at an early age...
and Brad Paisley's "Start a Band", a tribute to the main riff can be heard as the singers describe famous rock songs.
Irish dance act The Lazy Boyz recorded a trance
Trance
Trance denotes a variety of processes, ecstasy, techniques, modalities and states of mind, awareness and consciousness. Trance states may occur involuntarily and unbidden.The term trance may be associated with meditation, magic, flow, and prayer...
version in 2004. It went on to appear on two Ministry of Sound
Ministry of Sound
Ministry of Sound London, commonly referred to as simply Ministry of Sound or MoS, is a nightclub based in London, United Kingdom and an associated record label. It was ranked fourth in the 2010 DJ Magazine top 100 clubs poll 2010. As well as the nightclub in London, there is another in Egypt and...
compilations, Big Tunes and The Annual 2005.
Australian vocal group Human Nature
Human Nature (band)
Human Nature are an Australian pop vocal group. The group was originally formed as a doo-wop band in 1989 while the current members were at school together in Sydney. So far, the band has had 17 Top 40 hits and five Top 10 hits in Australia since 1996 when their first album Telling Everybody was...
performed an a cappella version on Andrew Denton's Musical Challenge
Andrew Denton's Musical Challenge
Andrew Denton's Musical Challenge is an album released by Austereo in 2001 featuring musical challenges posed by radio comedian Andrew Denton to musicians, generally selecting a song in a style in contrast to their own...
.
SR-71
SR-71 (band)
SR-71 is an American rock band that was formed in Baltimore, Maryland. They are best known for their 2000 single "Right Now", their 2002 single "Tomorrow", and as the authors of Bowling for Soup's 2004 hit "1985" . The name of the band came from SR-71 Blackbird, a supersonic surveillance aircraft...
's song, "Axl Rose", contains part of the opening riff.
Indie pop
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
artist Victoria Bergsman
Victoria Bergsman
Victoria Bergsman is a Swedish songwriter, musician, and vocalist best known as singer of the indie pop band The Concretes from 1995 to 2006. Since announcing her departure from the band on 24 July 2006 she has been recording for her new solo project Taken by Trees...
, under the name Taken by Trees
Taken By Trees
Taken by Trees is the solo project of Victoria Bergsman, former lead singer for the Concretes. The act's debut album Open Field was released on 18 June 2007...
, also covered the song. Her version was used in the trailer for the remake of the Wes Craven film The Last House on the Left
The Last House on the Left (2009 film)
The Last House on the Left is a 2009 American film directed by Dennis Iliadis and written by Carl Ellsworth and Adam Alleca. It is a remake of the 1972 film of the same name, and stars Monica Potter, Tony Goldwyn, Garret Dillahunt, and Sara Paxton...
, and in a 2009 UK advert for department store John Lewis
John Lewis (department store)
-Recent developments:In June 2004, John Lewis announced plans to open its first store in Northern Ireland at the Sprucefield Park development, the province's largest out of town shopping centre, located outside Lisburn and from Belfast. The application was approved in June 2005 and the opening of...
and announced would be released as their next UK single. This cover peaked at #23 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
A version of this song was performed by Lucie Jones on the sixth series of The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
in 2009.
Malaysian Idol
Malaysian Idol
Malaysian Idol is the Malaysian version of the Idol Series that started in UK, similar to shows such as UK's Pop Idol and American Idol in the franchise. This show is a contest to determine the best young singer in Malaysia, with the winner receiving a major record deal, although some runners-up...
's first winner, Jaclyn Victor
Jaclyn Victor
Jaclyn Joshua Thanaraj Victor is a singer and actress, popularly known as Jac, who won the inaugural Malaysian Idol and Ikon Malaysia. For being the winner of Malaysian Idol, she won a recording contract under Sony BMG Entertainment. She is under the management of The 8 Unit. She represented...
, performed this song in the competition and received positive reviews from the judges and voters.
Channel V
Channel V
Channel [V] is the brand name for multiple international music television networks owned by STAR TV and Fox International Channels, fully owned subsidiaries of News Corporation.-Channel [V] International:...
recorded a Hindustani
Hindustani language
Hindi-Urdu is an Indo-Aryan language and the lingua franca of North India and Pakistan. It is also known as Hindustani , and historically, as Hindavi or Rekhta...
version of the song played on sitar
Sitar
The 'Tablaman' is a plucked stringed instrument predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, where it has been ubiquitous since the Middle Ages...
s and tabala
Tabla
The tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres...
.
Welsh rock band Lostprophets
Lostprophets
Lostprophets is a Welsh rock band from Pontypridd, formed in 1997. Founded by vocalist Ian Watkins, bassist Mike Lewis, drummer Mike Chiplin and guitarist Lee Gaze, they were originally a side-project to hardcore punk band Public Disturbance. To date, Lostprophets have released four studio...
performed the first verse (without the intro riff) as an intro to their song "Where We Belong
Where We Belong
"Where We Belong" is the second single from the album The Betrayed, the fourth studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Lostprophets. It was released on 4 January 2010...
" at the BBC Radio One Big Weekend 2010. At their headline shows, they play the first verse (minus the intro riff) as an intro to "Last Summer
Last Summer (song)
-Personnel:* Ian Watkins – lead vocals* Lee Gaze – lead guitar* Mike Lewis – rhythm guitar* Stuart Richardson – bass* Jamie Oliver – synth, turntables, samples, backing vocals* Mike Chiplin – drums, percussion-Chart positions:-External links:**...
".
Slash recorded an acoustic version of the song with singer Myles Kennedy
Myles Kennedy
Myles Richard Kennedy is an American musician and singer-songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Alter Bridge, and as the lead vocalist in Slash's current solo project...
for the deluxe edition of his 2010 solo album, Slash.
Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
occasionally plays the beginning of the song in concert.
Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1995, the group's lineup consists of Fred Durst , Wes Borland , Sam Rivers , John Otto and DJ Lethal . The band achieved mainstream success with their second studio album Significant Other, released in 1999...
has played their own version of the song a number of times during their 2010 European tour.
During the Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League champion for the 2010 season. The game was held at Cowboys Stadium in...
halftime show, which featured The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
, Slash
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
joined with vocalist Fergie to perform the song.
Janet Devlin performed a cover version on the eighth series of The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
in 2011.
Formats and track listing
Personnel
- Axl RoseAxl RoseW. Axl Rose is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist and only remaining original member of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he enjoyed great success and recognition in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before disappearing from the public eye for several years...
- lead vocals - Izzy StradlinIzzy StradlinJeffrey Dean Isbell , known by his stage name Izzy Stradlin, is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the co-founder and former rhythm guitarist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, which he left at the height of its fame in 1991. Following his departure, he led his own band Izzy...
- rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, backing vocals - SlashSlash (musician)Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
- lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure... - Duff McKaganDuff McKaganMichael Andrew "Duff" McKagan is an American musician and writer. He is best known for his twelve-year tenure as the bassist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
- bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - Steven AdlerSteven AdlerSteven Adler is an American musician. He is best known as the former drummer of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s...
- drums
Chart positions
{|class="wikitable sortable"!Chart (1988)
!align="center"|Peak position
|-
| Austrian Singles Chart
|align="center"|11
|-
| Canada RPM 30 Retail Sales
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
|align="center"|11
|-
| Canada RPM Top 100 Singles
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
|align="center"|7
|-
| Irish Singles Chart
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...
|align="center"|13
|-
| New Zealand Singles Chart
| align="center"|5
|-
| Netherlands Singles Chart
|align="center"|20
|-
| Swedish Singles Chart
|align="center"|27
|-
| Swiss Singles Chart
|align="center"|15
|-
| UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
|align="center"|24
|-
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100
|align="center"|1
|-
| U.S. Cash Box Top 100 Singles
|align="center"|1
|-
| U.S. Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks
|align="center"|6
|-
!Chart (1989)
!align="center"|Peak position
|-
| Irish Singles Chart
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...
|align="center"|4
|-
| UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
|align="center"|6
|-
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!Chart (2010)
!align="center"|Peak position
|-
| UK Rock Chart
UK Rock Chart
The UK Rock Chart usually refers to the Top 40 Rock Singles and the Top 40 Rock Albums Chart compiled by the Official Charts Company from physical record sales in British retail outlets with larger than average genrespecific sales....
|align="center"|1
|-
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!Chart (2011)
!align="center"|Peak position
|-
| UK Rock Chart
UK Rock Chart
The UK Rock Chart usually refers to the Top 40 Rock Singles and the Top 40 Rock Albums Chart compiled by the Official Charts Company from physical record sales in British retail outlets with larger than average genrespecific sales....
|align="center"|1
|}