Gen X got to enjoy some seriously amazing music in the 1980s and 1990s. And I’d be bold enough to say that just about every Gen X rock fan out there still remembers every word (and maybe every riff) of the following three banger songs from the late 1980s. Let’s revisit some shredding classics! I bet one of these tunes will transport you straight back in time.
“Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses from ‘Appetite For Destruction’ (1988)
Even if you aren’t Gen X or weren’t alive to hear this song debut, I bet you know it well. This is easily Guns N’ Roses’ most famous song of their career, and it’s a standout track from Appetite For Destruction. Released in 1988, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” was a hard rock smash, peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Axl Rose’s vocals, Slash’s soaring riffs, Duff McKagan’s killer bassline… I can see very clearly why this song was such a huge hit.
Videos by American Songwriter
“Every Rose Has Its Thorn” by Poison from ‘Open Up And Say… Ahh!’ (1988)
This soft glam metal entry is easily Poison’s signature song. And if you heard it when it first dropped in 1988, I bet you still know every word, even outside of that memorable chorus. “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” was written by Bret Michaels after getting done dirty by a girlfriend, and it became a smash hit on the charts. This iconic rock song from the late 1980s peaked at No. 1 on the Hot 100. It also reached the Top 40 in several other countries. Many a Gen Xer back in the day listened to this song on repeat after a nasty breakup.
“Heaven” by Warrant from ‘Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich’ (1989)
Glam metal makes this list again with “Heaven” by Warrant. This entry on our list of late 1980s songs that Gen X listeners still remember was a No. 2 hit on the Hot 100 in 1989. It was quite a major success for Warrant. I doubt that there’s a Gen X rock fan out there who doesn’t remember that iconic music video starring model Tracy Allan. This song really does feel like the late 1980s.
(Photo by Krasner/Trebitz/Redferns)