Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi After 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 transcended the big-haired '80s, withstanding changes in style and sound to become – and stay – one of the biggest American rock bands. Unlike a lot of their peers, Bon Jovi's appeal isn't limited to the States. Slippery When Wet, its 1988 sequel New Jersey, and 1992's Keep the Faith were all international smashes, each selling over ten million copies worldwide. Another way they have differed from other MTV favorites of the late '80s lies in how Bon Jovi has cannily and subtly changed their sound to fit the time.

Bon Jovi After 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 transcended the big-haired '80s, withstanding changes in style and sound to become – and stay – one of the biggest American rock bands. Unlike a lot of their peers, Bon Jovi's appeal isn't limited to the States. Slippery When Wet, its 1988 sequel New Jersey, and 1992's Keep the Faith were all international smashes, each selling over ten million copies worldwide. Another way they have differed from other MTV favorites of the late '80s lies in how Bon Jovi has cannily and subtly changed their sound to fit the time. First, the group slowly lessened their reliance on arena rock guitars, emphasizing melody and ballads without rejecting hard rock. They incorporated elements of soft rock and country, moves that helped them sustain their popularity into the 21st century – a long run they celebrated in 2024 with the documentary Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story and the album Forever.

Bon Jovi After 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 transcended the big-haired '80s, withstanding changes in style and sound to become – and stay – one of the biggest American rock bands. Unlike a lot of their peers, Bon Jovi's appeal isn't limited to the States. Slippery When Wet, its 1988 sequel New Jersey, and 1992's Keep the Faith were all international smashes, each selling over ten million copies worldwide. Another way they have differed from other MTV favorites of the late '80s lies in how Bon Jovi has cannily and subtly changed their sound to fit the time. First, the group slowly lessened their reliance on arena rock guitars, emphasizing melody and ballads without rejecting hard rock.

"Bon Jovi - Wembley Archives 85/95" is an album that features a compilation of Bon Jovi's live performances at Wembley Stadium between 1985 and 1995. This album captures some of the band's most memorable moments during their concerts at this iconic venue. Wembley Stadium has been a significant location in music history, hosting numerous legendary performances, and Bon Jovi's shows there are among the highlights of their career.

After 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. Unlike a lot of their big-haired pop-metal peers, Bon Jovi's appeal wasn't limited to the States. Slippery When Wet, its 1988 sequel New Jersey, and 1992's Keep the Faith were all international smashes, each selling over ten million copies worldwide.

After 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. Unlike a lot of their big-haired pop-metal peers, Bon Jovi's appeal wasn't limited to the States. Slippery When Wet, its 1988 sequel New Jersey, and 1992's Keep the Faith all were international smashes, each selling over ten-million copies worldwide. Another way they differed from other MTV favorites of the late '80s lies in how Bon Jovi cannily and subtly changed their sounds to fit the time. First, the group slowly lessened their reliance on arena rock guitars, emphasizing melody and ballads without rejecting hard rock. They incorporated elements of soft rock and country, moves that helped the band sustain their popularity into the 21st century.

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 major-label 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 résumé, including a stint as a member of Message.

Bon Jovi released their eponymous debut album in 1984, generating a Top 40 hit with the original version of "Runaway." The following year, 7800° Fahrenheit was released and went gold, all serving as a prelude to the band's 1986 breakthrough, Slippery When Wet. Paul Stanley had given Jon and Richie the phone number of professional songwriter Desmond Child, and together they wrote two of the album's biggest hits in Richie's parents' basement. The trio composed 30 songs in total and auditioned them for local New Jersey and New York teenagers, basing the album's running order on their opinions.