On this day in 1987: Guns N’ Roses released their debut album on Geffen Records: ‘Appetite For Destruction’ which featured the singles ‘Welcome to the Jungle’, ‘Sweet Child o’ Mine’, and ‘Paradise City’. The album now has worldwide sales in excess of 30 million, 18 million of which are in the US, making it the best-selling debut album of all time here.

The album was released to little mainstream attention in 1987. It was not until the following year that it became a massive commercial success, after the band had toured and received airplay with the singles ‘Welcome to the Jungle’, ‘Sweet Child o’ Mine’, and ‘Paradise City’. It topped the Billboard 200 and became the best-selling debut album of all time, as well as the eleventh best-selling album of all time in the United States.. With over 30 million copies sold worldwide, it is also one of the best selling albums of all time. 

Here’s what was happening on the U.S. singles chart on this day back in 1987:

1 1 ALONE –•– Heart (Capitol)-10 (1) (2 Weeks at #1)
2 3 SHAKEDOWN –•– Bob Seger (MCA)-9 (2)
3 2 I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY (Who Loves Me) –•– Whitney Houston (Arista)-10 (1)
4 5 DON’T DISTURB THIS GROOVE –•– The System (Atlantic)-15 (4)
5 6 POINT OF NO RETURN –•– Expose (Arista)-11 (5)
6 7 FUNKY TOWN –•– Pseudo Echo (RCA)-10 (6)
7 10 I STILL HAVEN’T FOUND WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR –•– U2 (Island)-6 (7)
8 8 SOMETHING SO STRONG –•– Crowded House (Capitol)-12 (8)
9 11 I WANT YOUR SEX –•– George Michael (Columbia)-7 (9)
10 12 RHYTHM IS GONNA GET YOU –•– Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine (Epic)-8 (10)

11 4 SONGBIRD –•– Kenny G (Arista)-16 (4)
12 15 HEART AND SOUL –•– T’Pau (Virgin)-12 (12)
13 13 GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS –•– Motley Crue (Elektra)-8 (13)
14 18 KISS HIM GOODBYE –•– The Nylons (Open Air)-10 (14)
15 22 CROSS MY BROKEN HEART –•– The Jets (MCA)-7 (15)
16 14 EVERY LITTLE KISS –•– Bruce Hornsby & The Range (RCA)-19 (14)
17 20 THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE –•– Janet Jackson (A&M)-9 (17)
18 9 HEAD TO TOE –•– Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam (Columbia)-15 (1)
19 23 I’D STILL SAY YES –•– Klymaxx (Constellation)-12 (19)
20 24 HAPPY –•– Surface (Columbia)-9 (20)