Is This Really Guns N’ Roses’ Worst Song of All Time?

Guns N’ Roses built their legacy on explosive riffs, volatile personalities, and songs that defined entire eras of rock radio. Even when Axl Rose pushed his voice to its limits, there was something magnetic about the drama unfolding in tracks like “Welcome to the Jungle,” “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” or the sweeping theatrics of “November Rain.” These songs survived decades of radio rotation, movie placements, and nostalgia waves because they were built to last. But mixed into that catalogue are experiments and deep cuts that did not age as gracefully.

Over the years, fans have argued endlessly about which misfires deserve the title of “worst GNR song.” And there’s no shortage of contenders. Later-era oddities like “ABSUЯD” baffled listeners with a sound almost unrecognizable from the band’s roots. Cuts from Use Your Illusion II such as “Get in the Ring” and “Shotgun Blues” split opinions even in 1991 and haven’t gathered many defenders since. And Chinese Democracy—for all its ambition—has tracks that sound like imitations of the band rather than the band itself.

But one song has managed to unite nearly every corner of the GNR fanbase, from diehards to casual listeners to Reddit threads filled with longtime collectors. When the topic of the band’s true low point comes up, people usually arrive at the same answer. The finger almost always points to “My World,” the odd 90-second finale of Use Your Illusion II that still confuses listeners today.

The Strange, Unwelcome World of “My World”

“My World” isn’t just disliked. It’s the kind of track people skip before the first second finishes. It closes Use Your Illusion II not with a triumphant send-off, but with a jarring mash of industrial beats, harsh vocal snarls, and an almost spoken-word delivery that sounds nothing like the band who recorded “Civil War” or “Estranged.” Listeners have compared its tone to Dave Mustaine’s scattered muttering in Megadeth’s “Sweating Bullets”—but without the charm, story, or payoff.

What makes it even stranger is how disconnected it feels from the rest of the album. Most of Use Your Illusion II swings between piano ballads, hard-rock stompers, and ambitious epics. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, comes a fragmented, warbling miniature that feels unfinished, unplanned, and almost like a prank left on the album at the last minute. Fans often mention that if they didn’t know better, they would assume it was an interlude, not an actual track added intentionally.

And yet, it was very intentional. Axl Rose recorded “My World” in a quick burst of enthusiasm while the band was experimenting in the studio. He wanted to explore industrial music, a style growing in prominence thanks to acts like Nine Inch Nails. But while NIN spent years refining their sonic identity, GNR apparently tried to capture that energy in one spontaneous afternoon. The result is a song that sounds exactly like what it was: a rushed experiment that never found its footing.

How a 90-Second Track Sparked Internal Conflict

The fallout from “My World” went far beyond fans’ reactions. Inside the band, the track became yet another flashpoint in an already unstable era. Former guitarist Gilby Clarke recalled that Rose envisioned the song as the beginning of a new direction for GNR—something heavier, darker, and more industrial-leaning. But that vision wasn’t shared by the rest of the group, who were already struggling to keep the band cohesive during the massive Illusion tour.

Izzy Stradlin, who had been drifting from the band’s chaos for months, was especially unimpressed. When he heard the track, he reportedly thought, “What is this?” and saw it as yet another sign that creative control had tipped fully toward Rose. Stradlin left shortly afterward. While there were bigger issues at play, “My World” symbolized the larger disconnect forming within the group—one where collaborative rock songwriting gave way to Rose’s solo instincts.

Rose may have hoped to explore this style further, but fans were relieved that the experiment stopped there. Even Chinese Democracy, with all its layered production and modern influences, didn’t attempt anything as abrasive or disjointed as “My World.” Whatever its flaws, it still resembled actual songs. “My World” felt like a path no one wanted GNR to continue walking down—not then, and certainly not now.

Why “My World” Still Holds Its Notorious Crown

More than thirty years later, “My World” hasn’t mellowed in reputation. That brief burst of industrial chaos remains the track most often cited as the band’s biggest misstep. Part of that is novelty: it’s the only GNR song of its kind. But mostly, it’s because it contradicts everything fans loved about the band in the first place—melody, swagger, guitar interplay, and the sense that even their wildest moments had purpose.

Modern fan discussions reflect this same sentiment. On the GNR subreddit and in long-running forums, “My World” routinely lands at the bottom of ranked lists, with very little disagreement. Even fans who defend Chinese Democracy, or who admit they enjoy some of the more chaotic deep cuts, struggle to find anything redeemable in this track. The song doesn’t feel provocative or edgy; it just feels lost.

As the band continues to tour—and GNR concerts often stretch past the three-hour mark—there’s always the lingering fear among joking fans that “My World” might unexpectedly appear in a setlist. But the band has wisely avoided that outcome. With so many beloved songs to choose from, they don’t need to revisit the one experiment that nearly tore them apart. And that, more than anything, confirms its title: yes, this really is Guns N’ Roses’ worst song of all time.