[Archive 2008-11-23] Guns N' Roses' 'Chinese Democracy' released after 15 years

Historical archive — originally published 2008-11-23. This report records what was known on that date. It is not current news; subsequent events may have changed the situation. Wikinews closed in May 2026.

Chinese Democracy, the new album from hard rockers Guns N' Roses, has been released today, hitting store shelves in the United States and Canada after fifteen years. Many felt it would never happen, with several release dates passing and Dr Pepper making good on a promise of a free can to every US citizen if the album came out this year.

Actually, Dr Pepper isn't giving quite everyone a free can. Former band members Slash and Buckethead are excluded from the promotion.

Kevin Cogill pleaded not guilty to charges of copyright infringement in October after leaking nine tracks from the album onto his website, Antiquiet. He could be jailed for three years, or longer if he made money by putting the songs online.

Not everywhere is going to see the album, though - topically enough, China has banned the record.

Source and licence

Text adapted from Guns N' Roses' 'Chinese Democracy' released after 15 years by Wikinews contributors under CC BY 2.5. Paragraphs have been selected and abridged, and formatting adjusted. Contributor history.