“Paradise City” was one of the songs that helped Guns N’ Roses pave the way to fortune and fame. The tune has now become the band’s third song to surpass 1 billion streams on the Spotify, following “Sweet Child o’ Mine” and “Welcome to the Jungle.”
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All three songs are from the veteran rockers’ landmark 1987 debut album, Appetite for Destruction, which has sold more than 18 million copies in the U.S. alone. The three tunes also all reached the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, with “Sweet Child o’ Mine” topping the tally, and “Paradise City” and “Welcome to the Jungle” peaking at No. 5 and No. 7, respectively.
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Spotify reports that “Paradise City” hit 1 billion streams on Monday, January 15. Meanwhile, “Sweet Child o’ Mine” has amassed more than 1.7 billion streams, while “Welcome to the Jungle” has been streamed a bit under 1.09 billion times.
More About “Paradise City”
According to the Songfacts website, “Paradise City” was one of the first tunes that Guns N’ Roses wrote collectively, with credit being given to all five of the band’s members at the time—Axl Rose, Slash, Duff McKagan, Izzy Stradlin, and Steve Adler. The band reportedly began writing the song in a van while traveling home from a show in San Francisco.
The lyrics in the verses were inspired by urban life in Los Angeles while the choruses found Rose reflecting on life growing up in the Midwest. “Paradise City” is the only song on Appetite for Destruction to feature a synthesizer.
The popularity of “Paradise City” was undoubtedly helped by the music video for the song, which was put in regular rotation on MTV back in the day. The clip featured footage of the band playing in front of a huge crowd at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, while opening for Aerosmith in 1988.
Guns N’ Roses has yet to post any reaction to “Paradise City” reaching the Spotify milestone on its social media sites.
Guns N’ Roses Tour Info, Highlight Video
GN’R wrapped up its latest tour with a concert in Toluca, Mexico, on November 5, 2023. The band currently has no shows confirmed for 2024.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers looked back at the 2023 trek in a highlight video posted on their socials. The clip featured footage from concerts in Edmonton, Canada; Boise, Idaho; Salt Lake City; and Denver.
