Photo Gallery: Guitar World Magazine Covers Through the Years — 1996

Thinking of 1996, only one thing comes to mind: "Wannabe" by the Spice Girls!

Well, maybe not.

In retrospect, 1996 is arguably most memorable for revivals and finales. Kiss kicked off the year with a bang when all four original members appeared on stage in full makeup for the first time in 17 years at the 38th Annual Grammy Awards. The ensuing Alive/Worldwide reunion tour would be the highest-grossing concert tour of the year.

Less than a month later, The Sex Pistols announced they were reuniting for a 20th anniversary tour, which would begin in June.

But while England's punk rock pioneers were regrouping, America's punk icons were playing their swan song. After years of relentless touring, The Ramones played their last gig on August 6 at The Palace in Hollywood. Sadly, there would be no future reunions for the Ramones. Lead singer Joey Ramone died of lymphoma five years later.

Another final performance occurred on July 3 in Kansas City, Missouri. Alice in Chains played their last show with original vocalist Layne Staley while opening for Kiss. Staley would fall into a drug-fueled depression soon after. The singer remained a recluse until his death in 2002.

All of the aforementioned bands -- save, disappointingly, The Ramones -- appeared on Guitar World covers in 1996. Check out the gallery below to see who else found their way onto our pages.

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