Bad Apples

When you dive into Bad Apples, you come across a track that, while less prominent in the repertoire of Guns N’ Roses, has its own story. It is the fourteenth song on the album Use Your Illusion I, a record that reached the public on September 17, 1991, the same day as its companion Use Your Illusion II. This work marked the entry of two new members to the band: keyboardist Dizzy Reed and drummer Matt Sorum, who took over from Steven Adler after his departure in 1990. The tour supporting these albums, the Use Your Illusion Tour, had in fact begun in May 1991, anticipating the release of the records due to some delays. The album debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200, with an initial sale of 685,000 copies in its first week.

The genesis of Bad Apples, according to Slash, dates back to a period of intensive rehearsals the band conducted in Chicago. Despite the song not being a staple in their live performances—having been played only a couple of times—its duration is 4:28. The recording of this album involved numerous sound engineers, including Allen Abrahamson, John Aguto, Buzz Burrowes, Mike Clink, Mike Douglass, Leon Ganado, Ed Goodreau, Jim Mitchell, Craig Portelis, Chris Puram, Jason Roberts, Talley Sherwood, and L. Stu Young, while the mixing was handled by Bill Price. The record, released by Geffen Records, ended up selling 5,502,000 units in the United States.