Bon Jovi

Jon Bon Jovi — born John Francis Bongiovi Jr. on March 2, 1962, in Perth Amboy, New Jersey — formed the band in 1983 with guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, bassist Alec John Such, and drummer Tico Torres. The name came from a suggestion by their booking agent, and the hair came from the era.

They signed with Mercury Records and released their self-titled debut in January 1984.

The first two albums sold decently but didn't break through. Then came Slippery When Wet in 1986 — co-written with Desmond Child, produced by Bruce Fairbairn — and everything changed. "You Give Love a Bad Name" went to number one.

"Livin' on a Prayer" followed it there. The album sold 28 million copies worldwide and turned Bon Jovi from a New Jersey bar band into one of the biggest rock acts on Earth.

New Jersey (1988) doubled down with Bad Medicine, Born to Be My Baby, and I'll Be There for You. After a brief hiatus, Keep the Faith (1992) showed the band could evolve. These Days (1995) went darker and more European.

Then Crush (2000) delivered It's My Life — a second-act anthem that introduced them to an entirely new generation. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction came in 2018. Over 150 million records sold.

Still touring, still filling stadiums.

Slippery When Wet is where everything starts. Released August 1986, it spent eight weeks at number one on the Billboard 200. You Give Love a Bad Name opens with that riff — the one every air guitarist in America learned in the mirror.

Livin' on a Prayer is the song that proved a chorus could be a weapon. Wanted Dead or Alive became the acoustic moment in every arena show. The album didn't just sell — it defined an entire era of American rock.

New Jersey (September 1988) was "Slippery When Wet Part II" and nobody complained. Bad Medicine, Born to Be My Baby, I'll Be There for You, Lay Your Hands on Me, Living in Sin — five singles, five hits. The New Jersey Syndicate Tour played to 2 million people.

Blood on Blood is a sleeper deep cut that fans consider one of their best songs.

The 1990s brought reinvention. Keep the Faith (1992) dropped the hairspray and picked up a leaner, more mature sound. Bed of Roses became a wedding standard.

These Days (1995) went even deeper — This Ain't a Love Song and Something for the Pain showed a band that could write grown-up rock without losing the hooks.

Then came 2000 and Crush. It's My Life — with that opening keyboard riff and the spoken word intro — became the soundtrack of a new millennium. The song gave Bon Jovi a second career.

They've released ten more albums since, but the six from 1984 to 2000 are the canon.

Bon Jovi occupy a unique space in rock — too pop for the metal purists, too heavy for the pop crowd, and loved by literally everyone else. They sold 150 million records by writing songs that regular people could sing at the top of their lungs. That's not a small achievement — it's an art form.

Livin' on a Prayer is one of the most-played songs in human history. It's at every wedding, every sporting event, every karaoke bar on every continent. You Give Love a Bad Name defined the sound of 1986.

It's My Life proved that a 20-year-old band could reinvent itself without losing its identity. Bed of Roses showed they could do quiet devastation as well as stadium bombast.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2018 was overdue but inevitable. Jon Bon Jovi's vocal range has narrowed with age, but the songs haven't aged a day. Put on Wanted Dead or Alive and you're back on a tour bus in 1987, whether you were alive then or not.