Ushering in the era of pop-metal with their 1986 blockbuster Slippery When Wet and its hit singles “You Give Love a Bad Name,” “Wanted Dead or Alive,” and “Living on a Prayer,” Bon Jovi wound up transcending the big-haired ‘80s, withstanding changes in style and sound to become one of the biggest American rock bands of their time, selling over 120 million albums worldwide and sustaining their popularity well into the new millennium. As the times changed, so did the band’s sound, as they slowly peeled away the arena rock guitars of the ‘80s, occasionally scoring on the adult contemporary charts, and sometimes singing country without ever rejecting hard rock, a move that illustrates how they never abandoned their roots, becoming second only to Bruce Springsteen in defining the sound and spirit of New Jersey rock & roll.

Bon Jovi took its 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 b...

Ushering in the era of pop-metal with their 1986 blockbuster Slippery When Wet and its hit singles “You Give Love a Bad Name,” “Wanted Dead or Alive,” and “Living on a Prayer,” Bon Jovi wound up transcending the big-haired ‘80s, withstanding changes in style and sound to become one of the biggest American rock bands of their time, selling over 120 million albums worldwide and sustaining their popularity well into the new millennium. As the times changed, so did the band’s sound, as they slowly peeled away the arena rock guitars of the ‘80s, occasionally scoring on the adult contemporary charts, and sometimes singing country without ever rejecting hard rock, a move that illustrates how they never abandoned their roots, becoming second only to Bruce Springsteen in defining the sound and spirit of New Jersey rock & roll.

Bon Jovi took its 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 these demos, "Runaway," became a hit on local New Jersey radio, leading to the formation of Bon Jovi the band, as Jon and Bryan were supported by guitarist Dave Sabo, bassist Alec John Such, and drummer Tico Torres. “Runaway” spurred a major-label bidding war leading to a contract with Polygram/Mercury in 1983. Before the group entered the studio, Bon Jovi replaced Sabo with Richie Sambora, a working guitarist with a long résumé including a stint as a member of Message.

Bon Jovi released their eponymous debut album in 1984, generating the Top 40 hit "Runaway." The following year, 7800 Fahrenheit was released and went gold, all a prelude for their 1986 breakthrough. Slippery When Wet. Paul Stanley gave Jon and Richie the phone number of professional songwriter Desmond Child and together they wrote two of the albums biggest hits in Richie's parents' basement. The group wrote 30 songs in total and auditioned them for local New Jersey and New York teenagers, basing the album's running order on their opinions. Supported by several appealing, straightforward videos that received heavy rotation on MTV, the record took off on the strength of “You Give Love a Bad Name,” followed quickly by “Livin’ on a Prayer” and “Wanted Dead or Alive,” the three Top Ten Hits helping to propel Slippery When Wet to sales of nine million in the U.S. alone, establishing Bon Jovi as superstars. But their fame was not limited to the U.S., as the album turned into a significant hit in Europe, as well.

Bon Jovi built upon Slippery When Wet's formula with 1988's New Jersey, which shot to number one upon its release. New Jersey was only slightly less successful than its predecessor, selling five million copies and generating two number one singles, "Bad Medicine" and "I'll Be There for You," as well as the Top Ten hits "Born to Be My Baby," "Lay Your Hands on Me," and "Living in Sin." Following the completion of an 18-month international tour, the band went on hiatus. During their time off, Jon Bon Jovi wrote the soundtrack for Young Guns II, which was released in 1990 as the Blaze of Glory album. The record produced two hit singles in the number one title track and the number 12 "Miracle," as well as earning Grammy and Oscar nominations.

The following year, Bon Jovi reunited to record their fifth album, Keep the Faith, which was released in the fall of 1992. While the album didn't match the blockbuster status of its predecessors, its more straightforward, anthemic sound produced the hit single "Bed of Roses," and sustained the band’s popularity. A greatest-hits album called Cross Road appeared in the fall of 1994, around the time bassist Alec John Such left the band; Hugh McDonald, who appeared on Bon Jovi recordings stretching back as far as “Runaway,” became his unofficial replacement, featuring prominently on the band’s next album. Released in the fall of 1995, These Days turned into another U.S. Top Ten, and a popular European hit. After appearing in the 1996 film Moonlight and Valentino, Jon Bon Jovi released his first official solo album, Destination Anywhere, in the summer of 1997.

During the tail-end of the '90s, the members of Bon Jovi engaged in different projects -- Sambora released a sophomore solo set called Undiscovered Soul in 1998 -- easing back into work in 1999 via a song for EdTV, then beginning work on a full-length. The resulting album, Crush, appeared in 2000 and constituted something as a comeback in America thanks to the smash single “It’s My Life,” a cross-platform hit single with long legs. “Thank You for Loving Me” also turned into a hit, helping Crush go double platinum in the U.S. and selling eight million copies worldwide. Bon Jovi quickly followed Crush with their eighth studio effort, Bounce, which appeared in fall 2002, supporting the record with another international tour. In 2003, Bon Jovi re-recorded many of their most well-known songs for the acoustic-based release This Left Feels Right, which also saw an accompanying DVD in 2004. The ambitious outtakes and rarities box set 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong arrived later that November, followed by the all-new Have a Nice Day -- their first of several albums produced by John Shanks. That album's success was aided in part by the single “Who Says You Can’t Go Home,” featuring Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles, a hit that later won the Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals -- as well as topping the charts in Japan, Australia, Europe, and Canada. A greatest-hits anthology called Cross Road arrived in 2005. The band spent the following year in the studio, putting the finishing touches on a collection of pop-infused heartland country anthems. The resulting Lost Highway, which featured duets with LeAnn Rimes and Big & Rich, arrived in the summer of 2007 and grabbed the band a healthy, new country music fan base in the process. Lost Highway's cross-genre formula proved to be quite potent, securing the band its third number one album in the U.S.. Bon Jovi returned to rock shortly thereafter, though, with the release of the somber, searching The Circle in 2009. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide