Must Haves. Music Edition. Bon Jovi.

BACKGROUND HISTORY

Bon Jovi took their name from lead singer Jon Bon Jovi (born Jon Bongiovi), who spent his adolescence playing in local Jersey bands with David Bryan (born David Rashbaum). Jon's cousin Tony Bongiovi owned the celebrated New York recording studio the Power Station and Jon spent many hours there, working as a janitor and recording demos after hours, sometimes supported by members of the E Street Band or Aldo Nova. One of those demos, "Runaway," became a hit on local New Jersey radio and led to the formation of Bon Jovi the band: Jon and Bryan were supported by guitarist Dave Sabo, bassist Alec John Such, and drummer Tico Torres. "Runaway" spurred a majorlabel bidding war, leading to a contract with Polygram/Mercury in 1983. Before the group entered the studio, though, Bon Jovi replaced Sabo with Richie Sambora, a working guitarist with a long resumé, including a stint as a member of Message.

GENRE rock/rock-metal/hard rock

ALBUMS Bon Jovi, 7800 Fhrenheit, slippery when wet,new jersey, keep the faith, these days, crush, bounce, this left feels right, have a nice day, lost highway, the circle, what about now, burning bridges, this house is not for sale, bon jovi 2020

HITS

living on a prayer, its my life, runaway, ypu give love a bad name, always, bed of roses, wanted dead or alive, bad medicine, ill be there for you

CULTURAL IMPACT

Bon Jovi finally entered the pop metal era with the blockbuster "Slippery When Wet" in 1986, hitting the singles "You Give Love a Bad Name", "Wanted Dead or Alive" and "Living on a Prayer". Overcome that big-the brave style and sound changes of the 80's of hair made it one of the biggest American rock bands of the time. Unlike many of her big-haired pop metal buddies, Bon Jovi's appeal wasn't limited to the United States. Slippery When Wet, the 1988 New Jersey sequel, and 1992 Keep the Faith were all international hits, each with over 10 million copies sold worldwide. Another difference from other MTV favorites in the late 80's is how Bon Jovi skillfully and subtly adapted their sound to the times. Initially, the group emphasized melody and ballads without rejecting hard rock, gradually reducing their reliance on arena rock guitars. They incorporated elements of soft rock and country, moves that helped the band sustain their popularity into the 21st century.