European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 9, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A Khoeu Houston by Anita Gosch staff writer it came As no Surprise guns it roses won top honors As Best new act of 1988 in the slurs and stripes readers poll. The sultans of sleaze from los Angeles singled out As Best new act of the year by billboard Magazine and mtg snagged a whopping 30 percent of the nearly 300 votes cast. Guns n roses tune Sweet child o mine which won Best pop Rock single in the recent american music awards placed first in the favorite song category. The band s album appetite for destruction barely missed the no. 1 spot in a fierce Battle with def Leppard s hysteria. Guns n roses also placed High in the favorite band and Best Overall performer categories and Lead Singer Axl Rose scored Well in the Best Overall performer and favorite male performer categories. Many of the respondents who chose the hard rockers As favorite new act also selected such diverse favourites As Bobby Brown George Michael Whitney Houston and Belinda Carlisle. The band s mass Appeal can perhaps Best be described in the words of one respondent it s about time Rock n Roll started being really Nasty instead of just acting like  the Battle Between guns n roses and Britain s rockers def Leppard raged on in the favorite song category. With each Batch of responses either Sweet child o mine or Leppard s pour some sugar on me would take the Lead. In the end Sweet child edged out the Leppard tune. No matter. Along with top honors in the favorite album category def Leppard also placed first As favorite comeback second in the favorite band category third in the concert category and fifth in the Best Overall performer category. Other top scorers George Michael was the no. 1 Best Overall performer and favorite male performer. His album Faith and the title track scored Well As did the tour supporting the album. Bon Jovi both the group and the Man fared Well in the Best Overall performer favorite band favorite male performer favorite album or cd new Jersey and favorite song bad Medicine categories. Bon Jovi also placed first in the favorite concert category with several respondents choosing the band s Benefit concert for the Ramstein air disaster As their favorite. Nearly As Many respondents who chose Bon Jovi s concert As their top Choice left the category Blank. One respondent even elaborated a did t see any again another figured 1988 had nothing Good to offer in the Way of shows in fact the last Good concert he saw was Zzz top in 81. Several respondents chose Elvis Presley As favorite comeback or As one voter put it the favorite comeback that did t  Many readers Felt the need to qualify their choices for least favorite performer making such comments As Tracy Chapman she s terrible Poison too much makeup Terence Trent d Arby overrated Tran vision Vamp icky music and appearance Whitney Houston Bleck one respondent created his own category he voted dirty dancing and More dirty dancing As the most overrated performance. Another had a Tough time deciding who s worse Rick Astley or Tiffany and yet another chose the Singer of Don t worry be Happy As least favorite performer that s Bobby Mcferrin for those who Don t know. Many respondents were More general in their choices for least favorite performer Salt a Pepa and any other rap group it All sounds the same any group that raps or reggae any country music person any heavy Metal group and most non Christian  finally kudos to Bill Swisher of the 97th general Hospital in Frankfurt for being the first one to Send in the readers poll ballot for the fourth straight year. And a big thank you to All the readers who know what they like and Don t like and made their voices heard. Favorite female performer 1. Whitney Houston 5. Taylor Dayne Debbie Gibson tie 2. Tracy Chapman 6. Cher 3. Lita Ford 7. Joan Jett Reba 4. Anita Baker Mcentire Madonna 8. Belinda Carlisle guns n roses favorite new act 1. Guns n1 roses 2. Tracy Chapman 3. Terence Trent d Arby 4. Rick Astley 5. The boys 6. Al b. Surel breathe 7. White lion Vixen favorite song 1. Sweet child o mine guns n roses 2. Pour some sugar on me def Leppard 3. Bad Medicine Bon Jovi 4. Faith George Michael 5. Don t worry be Happy Bobby Mcferrin 6. Man in the Mirror Michael Jackson 7. Kokomo Beach boys the flame cheap trick 10 stripes Magazine february 9, 1989