Could Hanoi Rocks have been bigger than Guns 'n' Roses?

[TomE.]

It's weird, I never cared for GNR, but I certainly think they were light years better than this band based on the song you've linked and 3-4 others I watched at youtube.

The opening riff to this song, "Oriental Beat" is a direct lift of "I Wanna Be Sedated" by the Ramones. Then we get hit with "I wanna rock till I drop, and never stop". Really moving stuff there.

Based on the songs I heard there is no way they were going to be bigger than GNR, and I don't see how GNR could have been influenced by them, but perhaps they shared the same record company or manager or hair stylists, maybe that's why Axel said that.