Could "November Rain" have been bigger?

[DaBrookman]

By the time UYI's came out, the band was so big that Axl called nearly every shot regarding it's business. He even picked the music you heard over the PA before the band came on at the shows (and he had good taste!). Anyway, when "Sweet Child" came out, there was an edited version, both for the radio and the video. It became their biggest hit. Axl expressed his displeasure with the edit, and I think he even said it was done without the bands' consent. So when "November Rain" was released there was no way they were going to make it more radio-friendly. I'm wondering, if they had, would they have had another top 10 hit as was the case with "Sweet Child"? Of course that wasn't Axl's purpose, he wanted his epic intact, but do you think the single could have been more successful?

[No Fate]

I'm NOT saying this as a fact, but I believe it peaked at number 4 in the U.S. Anybody confirm or not? I'm going by memory here, but I think number 4 is pretty accurate.

[jarmo]

UK Chart peak: 4

No idea about the US one.



/jarmo

[Gunner80]

It was #4 for one month on USA Billboards top singles chart.

[DaBrookman]

Billboard is weekly. The possibility of it staying at #4 for four weeks is unlikely. I'll check it out...

[Crashdiet]

November rain was in the top ten and it WAS edited. There was a horrible radio edit version.

It cut out a bunch of the intro, skipped a solo, and cut off the ending. It sucked

Which goes to prove even when your the biggest band in the world epic's can barely fly on the radio.

If axl hopes to conquor the radio again.... his singles better not be more than 3:40.

Look at estranged for proof. I mean its a great tune but it didn't get anywhere on the charts.... Average Jo doesn't care about axl's 'self destruction'

[DaBrookman]

Wow, I'd be interested in hearing that! I had no idea! But are you sure? I don't recall hearing it, and it wasn't released on a single that I'm aware of.

[DaBrookman]

Yup it peaked at #3. Billboard:http://www.spunoutcentral.com/1992top40.html
Sorry for the stupid ass post!

[usurper]

Sweet Child was number 1 for two weeks, but quickly fell outta the charts
Patience went to number 4 and went gold
November Rain went to number 2 but was there most succcessful single because it stayed in the charts for about 4 months.

[Booker Floyd]

November Rain went to number 2

No.

- From Allmusic.com

1992  November Rain   The Billboard Hot 100 - 3

1988  Sweet Child O' Mine   The Billboard Hot 100 - 1

And no, I dont think editing it would have made it a bigger single.

[0lorin]

November Rain is in the guiness book of world records, for being the longest song to be in the top 10.

[Billo]

well in Australia it was a very big hit and the radio and music shows here just cut
the ending off when they wanted to which pissed me off big time....its a major change and
shock in the video...I think the Great vid help it alot..great song though..

[reynics22]

it was definitely edited on Z100 here in NYC during that time period.

came in around 6 min if i remember, the first slash solo was taken out,  the intro was gone, went right into axl singing

and the ending had no long drown out, it just stopped

it fucking sucked

i think one of the reasons why it was so big is because it was so fucking good for a long song

the video wouldn't be the same at all if  you take any parts out, so no, i think it would have done worse if it was edited for video

[reynics22]

[November rain came out at a wrong time. Also, the production of the song should have been different.

Hello to everyone.

how would you have produced it?

[Sakib]

thats sick. the version of November Rain i hurd on radio was completely unedited

[reynics22]

they would play the unedited version sometimes.

but like, if it was the Top 5 countdown at night, and it had slipped to say # 4, it would get the edit played

and yeah, it was fucking disgusting.

one time i was listening to november rain, and someone thought it was over before the ending, so they turned off my radio. my angry silence is something i hope they never forget.

[MadmanDan]

November Rain's succes shouldn't be judged by the sells of the single. Who the fuck buys singles???

[reynics22]

i bought pretty much every cassette single gnr released in the US, even though I had the songs already.

and during that time period singles were a big deal if i remember correctly

i still have my "we didn't start the fire" cassette single somewhere. had the "karaoke" version on the other side!

[*Izzy*]

When they used to play it on the radio here in Ireland they always cut the ending off, which would always frustrate me because I loved the "Everybody needs somebody" part.?

  Izzy?

[Dust N Rose]

I wonder more if November Rain would be that popular if it was released the last two years (perhaps from the new band) and not in the early 90s.