Guns N’ Roses’ Duff McKagan Talks Struggles with Panic Attacks
Duff McKagan has struggled with panic attacks in the past. Now, the Guns N’ Roses bass player has released a three-track EP, This Is the Song, to help recognize mental…
LOS ANGELES, CA – MAY 31: Musician Duff McKagan of Loaded performs onstage during the 8th Annual MusiCares MAP Fund Benefit at Club Nokia on May 31, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. The MusiCares MAP Fund benefit raises resources for the MusiCares MAP Fund, which provides members of the music community access to addiction recovery treatment. More information at musicares.org. (Photo by Mark Davis/Getty Images)
Mark Davis/Getty ImagesDuff McKagan has struggled with panic attacks in the past. Now, the Guns N' Roses bass player has released a three-track EP, This Is the Song, to help recognize mental health awareness month.
"This Is the Song was written in the middle of a panic attack," McKagan said in a press release. "I couldn't breathe and couldn't see straight, and lately, I have thankfully found my acoustic guitar as a refuge. If I just hold on to that guitar, play chords, and hum melodies, I can start to climb my way out of that hole." He added, "For those of you who have never experienced something like this, count yourselves blessed. To those of you who recognize what I am talking about: You are not alone!"
Duff McKagan: Panic attacks history
This isn't the first time McKagan has opened up about his mental health. Back in 2020, he spoke with Lily Cornell, Chris Cornell's daughter, about it in her interview series, Mind Wide Open. McKagan went in-depth about his experiences with panic attacks and said he experienced his first one at 16. He added that he coped with those attacks in some healthy and not-so-healthy ways. In 1994, he got sober, and now, he uses meditation and martial arts to help with his mental health.
His bandmate has also been a help. "Slash has kind of been a safe person for me throughout this," McKagan said. "I met him when I first moved to L.A. I told him I have these panic attacks. He listened. He's like, 'OK, well if it happens, we'll deal with it.' I had plenty around him, and he knows just to talk to me about something – anything but the panic attack. He'll start talking about, 'Hey, that first Led Zeppelin record, did you notice they went into a ... ?'"
Listen to McKagan's new EP here.
Guns N’ Roses: All Songs Ranked
Guns N' Roses is one of rock's most beloved and notorious bands of all time. Forming from Hollywood Rose and L.A. Guns, the classic GN'R lineup consists of Axl Rose, Slash, Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagan and Steven Adler.
The band turned the Sunset Strip on its head during a time when hair metal bands had taken over the scene and rock and roll, in general. Simply put: Guns N' Roses was the kick-in-the-ass rock needed. That kick came in the form of their iconic debut album, 1987's Appetite for Destruction.
Selling over 30 million copies worldwide, Appetite remains the best-selling debut album of all time and one of the best-selling albums ever. The LP is an absolute must-own classic. From its singles to the album tracks, not a single song is a "skip." Just put this on, let it play and enjoy.
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GN'R followed up Appetite with 1988's GN'R Lies. The album featured live cuts for their 1986 EP Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide and new songs, including the ballad "Patience."
After a long three years, Guns N' Roses released the double album Use Your Illusion I & II. Upon release, both albums were numbers one and two on the Billboard 200 album chart. (Use Your Illusion II was No. 1, and Use Your Illusion I was No. 2.) In total, the two LPs have sold over 14 million copies in the United States alone.
Two years later, GN'R released the 1993 covers album "The Spaghetti Incident?" In essence, this led to the band going on hiatus and exits from Slash and McKagan. A new version of GN'R would emerge at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards, which led to speculation of the eventual released of the highly-anticipated new album Chinese Democracy. While the album's constant delay became a punchline of sorts, it was eventually released in 2008.
And then, the seemingly unthinkable happened: Slash and McKagan rejoined Guns N' Roses in 2015. With Rose, Slash and McKagan on board -- along with Dizzy Reed, Richard Fortus, Frank Ferrer and Melissa Reese -- GN'R embarked on the "Not in This Lifetime..." tour in 2016 and have been steadily touring ever since.
Below is a ranking of all 87 songs that comprise the Guns N' Roses catalog. (Some random reissue filler songs were omitted, but c'mon...don't pretend like you care about those.) Scroll through to see where your favorite tracks rank!
87. "One in a Million" - 'GN'R Lies' (1988)
Geffen/UMG86. "My World" - 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)
Geffen/UMG85. "Look at Your Game, Girl" - 'The Spaghetti Incident?' (1993)
Geffen/UMG84. "The Plague" - Sound City Studios Sessions (1986)
Geffen/UMG83. "Oh My God" - 'End of Days Original Movie Soundtrack' (1999)
Interscope Records82. "Since I Don't Have You" - 'The Spaghetti Incident?' (1993)
Geffen/UMG81. "Riad N' the Bedouins" - 'Chinese Democracy' (2008)
Geffen/UMG80. "Bad Apples" - 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)
Geffen/UMG79. "Down on the Farm" - 'The Spaghetti Incident?' (1993)
Geffen/UMG78. "Used to Love Her" - 'GN'R Lies' (1988)
Geffen/UMG77. "Buick Makane (Big Dumb Sex)" - 'The Spaghetti Incident?' (1993)
Geffen/UMG76. "Perfect Crime" - 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)
Geffen/UMG75. "Coma" - 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)
Geffen/UMG74. "Don't Cry (Alt Lyrics)" - 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)
Geffen/UMG73. "Locomotive" - 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)
Geffen/UMG72. "Get in the Ring" - 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)
Geffen/UMG71. "Shackler's Revenge" - 'Chinese Democracy' (2008)
Geffen/UMG70. "Breakdown" - 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)
Geffen/UMG69. "Scraped" - 'Chinese Democracy' (2008)
Geffen/UMG68. "I.R.S." - 'Chinese Democracy' (2008)
Geffen/UMG67. "Sorry" - 'Chinese Democracy' (2008)
Geffen/UMG66. "This I Love" - 'Chinese Democracy' (2008)
Geffen/UMG65. "There Was a Time" - 'Chinese Democracy' (2008)
Geffen/UMG64. "Don't Damn Me" - 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)
Geffen/UMG63. "Garden of Eden" - 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)
Geffen/UMG62. "Street of Dreams" - 'Chinese Democracy' (2008)
Geffen/UMG61. "Back Off Bitch" - 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)
Geffen/UMG60. "Dead Horse" - 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)
Geffen/UMG59. "Pretty Tied Up (The Perils of Rock n' Roll Decadence)" - 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)
Geffen/UMG58. "I Don't Care About You" - 'The Spaghetti Incident?' (1993)
Geffen/UMG57. "Black Leather" - 'The Spaghetti Incident?' (1993)
Geffen/UMG56. "Shotgun Blues" - 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)
Geffen/UMG55. "If the World" - 'Chinese Democracy' (2008)
Geffen/UMG54. "Right Next Door to Hell" - 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)
Geffen/UMG53. "Ain't Goin' Down No More" - Sound City Studios Sessions (1986)
Geffen/UMG52. "So Fine" - 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)
Geffen/UMG51. "New Work Tune" - Sound City Studios Sessions (1986)
Geffen/UMG50. "It's Alright" - 'Live Era '87-'93' (1999)
Geffen/UMG49. "Madagascar" - 'Chinese Democracy' (2008)
Geffen/UMG48. "Attitude" - 'The Spaghetti Incident?' (1993)
Geffen/UMG47. "Catcher in the Rye" - 'Chinese Democracy' (2008)
Geffen/UMG46. "You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory" - 'The Spaghetti Incident?' (1993)
Geffen/UMG45. "Chinese Democracy" - 'Chinese Democracy' (2008)
Geffen/UMG44. "Heartbreak Hotel" - Sound City Studios Sessions (1986)
Geffen/UMG43. "You Ain't the First" - 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)
Geffen/UMG42. "Jumpin' Jack Flash" - Sound City Studios Sessions (1986)
Geffen/UMG41. "Whole Lotta Rosie" - Sound City Studios Sessions (1986)
Geffen/UMG40. "Prostitute" - 'Chinese Democracy' (2008)
Geffen/UMG39. "The Garden" - 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)
Geffen/UMG38. "Estranged" - 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)
Geffen/UMG37. "Raw Power" - 'The Spaghetti Incident?' (1993)
Geffen/UMG36. "New Rose" - 'The Spaghetti Incident?' (1993)
Geffen/UMG35. "Human Being" - 'The Spaghetti Incident?' (1993)
Geffen/UMG34. "Mama Kin" - 'Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide' (1986)
UZI Suicide33. "Hair of the Dog" - 'The Spaghetti Incident?' (1993)
Geffen/UMG32. "Reckless Life" - 'Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide' (1986)
UZI Suicide31. "Ain't It Fun" - 'The Spaghetti Incident?' (1993)
Geffen/UMG30. "Sympathy for the Devil" - 'Interview with the Vampire' Soundtrack (1994)
Geffen29. "Shadow Of Your Love" - 'Guns N' Roses EP' (1988)/'Appetite for Destruction' (Super Deluxe Edition 2018)
Geffen/UMG28. "Think About You" - 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987)
Geffen/UMG27. "Move to the City" - 'Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide' (1986)
UZI Suicide26. "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" - 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)
Geffen/UMG25. "Better" - 'Chinese Democracy' (2008)
Geffen/UMG24. "Anything Goes" - 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987)
Geffen/UMG23. "You're Crazy" - 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987)
Geffen/UMG22. "Yesterdays" - 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)
Geffen/UMG21."Double Talkin' Jive" - 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)
Geffen/UMG20. "Bad Obsession" - 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)
Geffen/UMG19. "Out ta Get Me" - 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987)
Geffen/UMG18. "Live and Let Die" - 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)
Geffen/UMG17. "My Michelle" - 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987)
Geffen/UMG16. "You're Crazy" (acoustic) - 'GN'R Lies' (1988)
Geffen/UMG15. "Nice Boys" - 'Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide' (1986)
UZI Suicide14. "14 Years" - 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)
Geffen/UMG13. "Civil War" - 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)
Geffen/UMG12. "Rocket Queen" - 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987)
Geffen/UMG11. "Mr. Brownstone" - 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987)
Geffen/UMG10. "Dust N' Bones" - 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)
Geffen/UMG9. "Nightrain" - 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987)
Geffen/UMG8. "Don't Cry" - 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)
Geffen/UMG7. "It's So Easy" - 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987)
Geffen/UMG6. "Paradise City" - 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987)
Geffen/UMG5. "November Rain" - 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)
Geffen/UMG4. "Patience" - 'GN'R Lies' (1988)
Geffen/UMG3. "You Could Be Mine" - 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)
Geffen/UMG2. "Sweet Child o' Mine - 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987)
Geffen/UMG1. "Welcome to the Jungle" - 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987)
Geffen/UMG
