"You Could Be Mine" is a hard-hitting rocker from Use Your Illusion II, co-written by Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin. Driving at approximately 93 BPM in B-flat, the song gained additional fame through its association with the film Terminator 2: Judgment Day, for which it served as a featured soundtrack single. Slash's guitar solo is a tightly constructed, aggressive statement that cuts through the song's dense arrangement with precision and fire. The track exemplifies the band's ability to craft commercially accessible hard rock without sacrificing intensity, balancing a memorable chorus hook with verses full of Rose's rapid-fire, sneering vocal delivery. The rhythm guitar work is particularly effective, with Stradlin's choppy, percussive playing complementing Slash's heavier riffing to create a wall of guitar sound. McKagan and Sorum deliver one of their tightest rhythmic performances on the album, locking into a groove that is both powerful and controlled. You Could Be Mine was released as a single ahead of the Use Your Illusion albums and became one of the band's biggest hits, reaching the top ten in multiple countries and cementing their status as one of the era's defining rock acts.
