Vh1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs Hour 5

Let me just start by saying that I have a a severe obsession with any and everything (original lineup) Guns N' Roses.  I understand the scope of addiction now, more than ever, when it comes to things relating to this band.  I find paying $350.00 for the original, not rereleased, UZI Suicide EP completely acceptable.  I think Appetite for Destruction is perfection.  I am willing to pay anything, and go anywhere, for an original lineup reunion tour.  And most insane of all, I am still holding out hope that one day that tour will actually happen.  That being said, I was shocked "Welcome to the Jungle" was VH1's greatest hard rock song.  I watched in anticipation the first 10 songs of the hour thinking it was going to fall in the 12 or 13 position.  Didn't happen.  I sat through 11-5 thinking maybe GNR fans were anxious and over voted. When that didn't happen I figured maybe Axl, in the lawsuit happy world he lives in, maybe wanted nothing to do with such a countdown.  Was I wrong.  When number 1 came and it was let on that "Welcome to the Jungle" was the picked I was in complete disbelief.  It beat out Zeppelin, AC/DC, Sabbath, and the Who.  I've never felt so proud (pathetic I know). Never before in my life have my musical tastes been confirmed in a semi-legitimate way, not that it ever stopped me from listening.  (Yes, I do realize I have shit all over this fan voted countdown from the beginning).  However, it was great to see a band that embodied everything about about rock n' roll that I loved being such highly regarded as just downright great rock n' roll.  Words cannot express how much I love this era of the band.  Appetite for Destruction is one of my all-time favorite records.  It evokes such intensity that you can't help but think that rock music does not get any more raw than this.  Those original 5 members of GNR managed to put together such a great debut album that it was nearly impossible for anything after that to truly match up to it (which is probably why "Welcome to the Jungle" is the only GNR song on the countdown, though I firmly believe Appetite for Destruction is pure perfection from start to finish).  

In regards to the rest of the countdown I don't believe there isn't one song in there that shouldn't be.  It's also somewhat ironic that most of the songs have the word "rock" in them.  Examples include: "Rock You Like A Hurricane", "I Wanna Rock", and "Rock and Roll All Nite".  Not that those three songs were included just for that reason alone.  Those songs all deserve to be there, as they account for 3 of the most defining songs in hard rock recent history.  I think Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was thrown in for good measure only, because there are no other seemingly independent bands on the list, save for Soundgarden (as stated before, "Black Hole Sun" = overrated).   

This list seems to be getting a lot of shit for it's rankings.  It is definitely a lot of '80s, a lot of hair metal, and a lot of top 40 hits.  Will there ever come a day when we won't be influenced by music industry politics? Sigh.