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Bon Jovi
From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist
Bon Jovi was formed in 1983 in Sayreville, New Jersey, around the singer Jon Bon Jovi. The best-known line-up also included guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboard player David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres and bassist Alec John Such. Bon Jovi joined hard rock to pop: distorted guitars, but choruses that a whole stadium can sing along to. The band is one of the best-known examples of 1980s glam metal and stadium rock, when MTV demanded an image from rock bands as well as a sound.
Music and breakthrough
The song Runaway appeared in 1983 on a compilation album from the radio station WAPP, and the debut album Bon Jovi was released in January 1984. For Slippery When Wet (1986) the band brought in the professional songwriter Desmond Child. The album, produced by Bruce Fairbairn, spent eight weeks at number 1 on the Billboard 200. You Give Love a Bad Name and Livin' on a Prayer both reached number 1 on the Hot 100. Livin' on a Prayer tells the story of Tommy and Gina, a working-class couple trying to keep their heads above water.
Influence
New Jersey (1988) produced five top 10 singles, a record for a hard rock album. In 2000 the band reached a new, younger audience with It's My Life. Bon Jovi has sold more than 130 million records worldwide. In 2018 the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Listening
Livin’ on a Prayer · Bon Jovi, 1986Apple Music ↗
Discography
Studio albums
- 1984Bon Jovi
- 19857800° Fahrenheit
- 1986Slippery When Wet
- 1988New Jersey
- 1992Keep the Faith
- 1995These Days
- 2000Crush
- 2002Bounce
- 2005Have a Nice Day
- 2007Lost Highway
- 2009The Circle
- 2013What About Now
- 2015Burning Bridges
- 2016This House Is Not for Sale
- 20202020
- 2024Forever
In School of Rock
The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.
- Mixtape 4: When Rock Was Still PopNL Reader
- Mixtape 7: The 1980sNL Reader
Mentioned in other articles
- Glam metal and stadium rock Genre
Bon Jovi and Van Halen scored big hits; in 1987 Guns N' Roses brought back the rawness.