They just don't make music videos like they used to. Instead of playing music as backdrop for some erratic visual segments of people partying, memorable music videos tell stories. Look at "November Rain". Its video premiered on MTV in 1992, and it remains the most epic music video by Guns N' Roses to this day. Some might even argue it's the most epic music video in rock history. 

Why? Because it has everything - a tragic love theme, a mini baroque rock opera, and an impressive storyline presented in a movie-like way. It also has a secret ingredient - a bit of mystery and intrigue.  

Guns N' Roses: A Band that Defined a Generation 

The band emerged in the late 1980s, releasing "Appetite for Destruction". The debut album exploded like a bomb with songs like "Welcome to the Jungle," "Paradise City," and "Sweet Child o' Mine." GnR spent the early years indulging in hedonism and rebellious outbursts, earning the nickname "the most dangerous band in the world."  

Mostly associated with glam metal and hard rock genres, Guns N' Roses branched out into other spheres over the years, such as art rock, punk rock or nu metal.  

Many musicians came and went as the band changed lineups more times than we can count, but the GnR legacy remains. Despite never being able to replicate the success of the glorious fivesome (Axl Rose, Slash, McKagan, Adler, Stradlin), fans embrace the band's occasional tours and reunions regardless of the outfit. This confirms the undying global stardom of Guns N' Roses. The band is so popular it even has a branded online slot machine.  

Suppose you can't get a concert ticket for a GnR spectacle near you; spin the reels of the Guns N’ Roses Slot, and you'll feel like you're in the middle of the crowd, facing the stage. The game is packed with beloved, electrifying guitar riffs and optimized for mobile play. Plus, it contains GnR's greatest hits, including "November Rain". 

Let's dive into the masterpiece that is the "November Rain" video and solve its riddles. 

"November Rain" Video Inspiration and Production 

The video is based on the short story "Without You," written by Axl Rose's friend Del James (you can find it in his book The Language of Fear). The story was inspired by the frontman's turbulent relationship with Erin Everly. Yup, the girl in the "Sweet Child O' Mine" video. Axl and Erin married in 1990, but their marriage was over by the time the video for "November Rain" was produced. Instead, Axl's then-girlfriend Stephanie Seymour was cast, starring against Rose as his bride.  

Both the story and the video are about a rock star yearning for a woman he loves but can't have. "Without You" starts with the main character having a nightmare. He dreams of the woman he loves dancing before shooting herself in the head, causing him to wake up in panic. A similar scene closes the video for "November Rain," with Axl waking up sweating, making us think that all events that transpired in the video were a dream. 
 
The Biggest Puzzles of "November Rain" 

The majestic wedding ceremony is what makes the video so compelling to watch, but there are various segments we could single out as interesting or even bizarre. 

● Guy jumping into the cake - It was long suspected the person who charged the cake was former MTV personality Riki Rachtman. He did appear in the video, but not as the "cake-jumper". The video's cinematographer admitted he was never a fan of the scene, yet the director talked in favor of it. It was supposed to portray a nightmare version of the wedding where things go bonkers.  

● Slash soloing in the middle of a desert - Why did this happen? We don't know. Was it epic? Epic as hell! Slash admitted he truly feared for his life during filming of this sequence because the helicopter taking aerial shots was so close to him.  

● The bride dies and her body lies in an open casket with a mirror - The video doesn't explain how the woman dies, as it jumps from the wedding to the funeral. However, the story gives us the answer. She shot herself in the head. Going back to the video, we can see her body displayed in a casket with a mirror, a common practice with victims of head trauma.  

Expensive, Record-breaking and Glorious 

Enough head-scratchers for the day, headbangers. Hopefully, we shed some light onto the mysteries of the first video older than YouTube to have ever hit 1 billion views. "November Rain" also holds the title of the most expensive video at the time of its release, costing the band $1.5 million to make. It was definitely worth it.