I think it was announced he had AIDS only a day or two before he died.

Can’t speak for the U.S. but Queen were pretty big in the late 70’s as far as I can tell. Then they dipped a bit in the early 80’s and lost some relevance before the legendary Live Aid performance which catapulted them back back to the big time. They were a stadium band after that until Freddies illness.

I remember reading that there was a big backlash in the U.S. to the video for I Want To Break Free. It turned a lot of people off them at the time supposedly.

I’m not sure Metallica is the best yardstick anyway. There’s crossover of course but GNR has a much more mainstream appeal than Metallica does. I’d be looking more at someone like Foos to give an indicator on album numbers. Mainstream appeal but not a young band anymore, still playing stadiums and despite regular radio play not had a major hit single for 10 years.

With all that said I’m not even sure album sales are a barometer of anything anymore. It still mattered certainly in the early CD era but in 2018 with so many different ways to consume music I don’t know if traditional album sales indicate much.

The question is can GNR tour stadiums again in 2 years time without new material? If the answer is yes then it’s unlikely there’ll be too much pressure to release anything. The unknown is whether the return of Slash and Duff has lit a fire under Axl creatively. If it has then we may get something regardless of whether they ‘need’ to in order to keep the stadium tours afloat.

Quite possibly. Although I do, perhaps misguidedly, credit Slash with a degree more influence than DJ or Ron.

Definitely got a YCBM vibe when the guitar kicks in.

It’s just begging for some venomous Axl vocals instead of melancholy Myles.

That was my guess too, an aide to someone senior. The person behind figureheads, carrying the notes but sits in on the meetings hearing it all.

Is the content that surprising to anyone? It’s been plain as day Trump is a loose cannon from day one. This just confirms it.