Chinese Democracy by Guns N Roses

Chinese Democracy, the sixth studio album by Guns N' Roses, finally came out on Geffen on November 23, 2008, after a gestation so long it became a punchline. Work began in 1998, more than 50 tracks were finished along the way, and Axl Rose, the only member of the classic lineup still standing, kept re-recording as players came and went: Robin Finck, Buckethead, Tommy Stinson, Brain, Bumblefoot, Richard Fortus, Dizzy Reed, Frank Ferrer and more. Rose and Caram Costanzo produced it, the first GN'R record without Mike Clink behind the desk.

It sounds like it: a dense, overdubbed wall of hard rock shot through with industrial clank and electronic texture, a long way from the blues-punk sleaze of the old days, with Rose's voice still a force of nature. The circus followed it out the door, from a Best Buy exclusive in the US and a Dr Pepper stunt to a ban in China over the title track. It opened at number three on the Billboard 200 and eventually went platinum.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.