The Top 5 Albums That Slash Picked As His Favorites Of All Time

With his signature top hat perched precariously on a mass of wild curls, the guitarist Slash has carved his name into the very soul of the rock genre, both with his legendary band, Guns N’ Roses, and in his solo ventures. In this article, we will take a look at the albums that influenced Slash throughout his career.

Slash found himself transported to the heart of rock ‘n’ roll when his family relocated to Los Angeles. It was in this sprawling, electric city that he would meet his destiny. In 1985, Slash joined forces with the enigmatic and mercurial Axl Rose to form Guns N’ Roses. Little did they know, they were planting the seeds of a musical revolution.

With Slash‘s incendiary guitar riffs and his unmistakable, bluesy tone, Guns N’ Roses stormed the music scene like a hurricane. Their 1987 debut album, Appetite for Destruction, remains one of the greatest rock albums of all time, birthing anthems like Sweet Child o’ Mine and Welcome to the Jungle. Slash’s guitar solos on these tracks were nothing short of sonic thunderbolts that resonated through the ages.

However, let’s learn about the albums that Slash named his favorites of all time.

The 5 Albums That Slash Listed As His Favorites Ever

In the near past, Slash sat down with Louder Sound to pick his favorite albums, which influenced him through his musical career. Diving into the albums that influenced Slash, we will also look at what he said about them in his life. So, it is time to learn Slash’s favorite albums.

#5. Aerosmith – Rocks

Aerosmith, hailing from Boston, Massachusetts, had been making waves since their debut album in 1973, but it was Rocks that catapulted them to stratospheric heights. The band had already tasted fame with hits like Dream On and Sweet Emotion, but they hungered for more.

Rocks was conceived in an atmosphere drenched with rebellion and hedonism, a reflection of the band’s tumultuous lifestyle. Recorded in a blur of late-night sessions and fueled by a copious amount of drugs, this album radiated raw energy and unapologetic attitude. It was an unfiltered glimpse into the world of rock ‘n’ roll excess.

However, upon its release, Rocks exploded like a sonic volcano. It unleashed anthems that would become timeless classics in the rock canon. Tracks like Back in the Saddle, Last Child, and Sick as a Dog were sonic dynamite, driven by Joe Perry‘s blistering guitar work and Steven Tyler’s inimitable wails. But it was the album’s magnum opus, Nobody’s Fault, that encapsulated the essence of Rocks.

To explain why he picked Rocks one of his favorite albums, Slash said: “‘Rocks‘ was delivered in this outta control way with Steven [Tyler] screaming and the guitars going ‘KRRRK!’ That was my record – it spoke to me as a fucked-up teenager and set me off on a path.”

In 2022, Slash admitted there was a song on the Rocks album that led him to pick up the guitar: “There’s an Aerosmith song called ‘Nobody’s Fault’ off the ‘Rocks’ record,” Slash said. “It was one of the songs that when I first picked up the guitar, that was the record, that particular album, the timing of me hearing that record at the time when I heard it had a lot to do with how I ended up where I am.”

#4. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin

Slash also picked Led Zeppelin‘s self-titled Led Zeppelin album as one of his favorites. The late 1960s were a tumultuous time for music, marked by the shifting sands of psychedelic rock and the nascent rumblings of heavy metal. It was against this backdrop that Led Zeppelin emerged, a powerhouse quartet consisting of Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham. The album Led Zeppelin was a shot heard ’round the world, heralding the arrival of a new era in rock music. 

Jimmy Page’s guitar wizardry was on full display, with blistering solos and innovative riffs that would set the standard for generations of rock guitarists. Robert Plant’s soaring vocals, often suggestive and impassioned, added an element of raw sensuality. John Paul Jones’s bass work and John Bonham’s thunderous drumming were the unshakable foundation upon which this sonic cathedral was built.

Led Zeppelin achieved commercial success, reaching the top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart and setting the stage for the band’s meteoric rise. Critics hailed it as a game-changer, and it laid the foundation for Led Zeppelin‘s subsequent albums, solidifying their status as rock gods.

During his interview with Metal Hammer, Slash recalled the first time he bought a Led Zeppelin record.

“I remember getting the first [Led] Zeppelin record early on,” he said. “They opened the door for everything that the 70s was about: hedonism, excess and drugs. Their music made me just want to bang girls!”

#3. Guns N’ Roses – Appetite For Destruction

Slash even picked an album from his own band Guns N’ Roses, Appetite For Destruction. The album arrived like a sledgehammer blow to the music scene. It kicks off with Welcome to the Jungle, a sonic explosion of aggression that set the tone for the entire record. Axl Rose’s signature screech and Slash’s searing guitar riffs created a sonic partnership that was nothing short of electrifying.

Songs like It’s So Easy, Nightrain, and Mr. Brownstone showcased the band’s unapologetic lifestyle and substance abuse, giving voice to the reckless spirit of the era. The album’s emotional depth is revealed in tracks like Sweet Child o’ Mine, a love song penned by Slash, and Paradise City, a larger-than-life anthem that invites listeners to escape to a utopian world.

“Appetite For Destruction nailed the anxiety of life and came out as just this raw thing,” Slash reveals his passion for the album. “I never knew it’d end up being as big as it was!”

Back in 2021, Slash praised his bandmate Axl Rose, saying: “I’d worked with different singers, on and off, for a while, and then when I met Axl and we started jamming together,” Slash said (as transcribed by MetalCastle.net). “He was the only singer that ever brought an emotional content to it that affected me on an emotional level, on an energy level.”

#2. Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath

Picture it: a rainy day in Birmingham, England. Four musicians, Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward, gathered in the studio, ready to weave a musical incantation. The opening track, Black Sabbath, is a haunting invocation that starts with the eerie tolling of bells, as if beckoning us to enter a forbidden realm. This was the birth of a new genre, a sound so heavy and menacing that it would cast a shadow over rock music for generations to come.

Tony Iommi’s guitar riff in Black Sabbath is like the unholy grail of heavy metal riffs. It’s a slow, lumbering beast that oozes with malevolence. In a genre that often celebrates virtuosic speed, Iommi’s riffing was a defiant embrace of the slow and the sinister. It was a musical revolution that declared, “We don’t need lightning-fast solos to captivate the world.”

The album continues to unfurl its darkness with tracks like The Wizard and N.I.B., delving into themes of mysticism and the occult. Ozzy Osbourne’s vocals, filled with a sense of impending doom, are the perfect complement to the menacing music. In Behind the Wall of Sleep, we’re transported to a dreamlike state, only to be jolted awake by the thundering “Warning.”

“Nothing can touch Black Sabbath in terms of nailing the sound of metal,” Slash said about Black Sabbath and its album.

#1. Judas Priest – Screaming For Vengeance

Released in 1982, this iconic record Screaming for Vengeance by Judas Priest was not only propelled the British metal titans to new heights of success but also left an indelible mark on the landscape of heavy music. The band was a formidable force in the metal world. In the meantime, Screaming for Vengeance was their declaration of intent, a metallic war cry that shook the very foundations of rock ‘n’ roll.

The album cover was a harbinger of the sonic assault contained within. From the opening notes of The Hellion, it was clear that Screaming for Vengeance was a relentless juggernaut. Songs like Electric Eye and Riding on the Wind were sonic hurricanes, driven by Tipton and Downing’s blistering guitar solos and Halford’s operatic, bone-chilling vocals.

Upon its release, Screaming for Vengeance soared to the top of the metal charts and transcended the genre, reaching a wider audience. It earned platinum status in the United States and solidified Judas Priest’s status as metal icons. The album’s success wasn’t just about commercial achievement; it was a testament to the band’s ability to craft songs that spoke to the heart and soul of metal enthusiasts.

Slash revealed his admiration for the album, saying: “It’s the ultimate ‘Let’s go out and get a fuckin’ DUI’ record ha ha ha! You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’ is a tune!”

Moreover, according to Slash, Screaming For Vengeance by Judas Priest was his all-time favorite one: “Judas Priest have put out their fair share of great albums to be sure. But my all time favorite is Screaming For Vengeance. It was, and still is, one of the best metal records ever produced, and the title track is, in my humble opinion, still ahead of its time.”

Slash’s Favorite Albums:

• Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath
• Aerosmith – Rocks
• Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin
• Judas Priest – Screaming For Vengeance
• Guns N’ Roses – Appetite For Destruction