In 1992, the band returned with the double-platinumKeep the Faith, which included the hit “Bed of Roses”. This was followed by their biggest-selling and longest-charting single "Always” in 1994. The albumThese Days (1995), proved a bigger success in Europe than in the US, producing four Top Ten singles in the UK. Following a second hiatus, their 2000 albumCrush, particularly the lead single, "It's My Life", successfully introduced the band to a younger audience. The platinum albumsHave a Nice Day (2005) andLost Highway (2007) saw the band incorporate elements of country music into some songs, including the 2006 single "Who Says You Can't Go Home", which won the band aGrammy Award and became the first single by a rock band to reach No. 1 on the country charts.The Circle (2009) marked a return to the band's rock sound. The band further success touring, with the 2005–06Have a Nice Day Tour and 2007–08Lost Highway Tour ranking among the Top 20highest-grossing concert tours of the 2000s. After releasingBecause We Can in 2013, lead guitaristRichie Sambora left the band, just before a concert during thesupporting tour to spend more time with family. The band released their first studio album without Sambora,Burning Bridges, in 2015 and the follow-up albumThis House Is Not for Sale in 2016,touring it in 2017–19. Their album2020 was reworked to include songs inspired by theCOVID-19 pandemic andGeorge Floyd protests.
Jon Bon Jovi began performing music live in 1975, at the age of 13, playing piano and guitar with his first band, Raze.[12][13] At 16, Jon metDavid Bryan and formed a band called Atlantic City Expressway.[12][14] Still in his teens, Bon Jovi played in the band John Bongiovi and the Wild Ones at clubs such as the Fast Lane and opening for local acts.[14][15] By 1980, he had formed another band, the Rest, and opened up for New Jersey acts such asSouthside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes.[14][16][17] Also in 1980, Jon recorded his first single, "Runaway" in his cousin's studio, backed up by studio musicians.[14] The song was played by a local radio station on a compilation tape.[14]
By mid-1982, out of school and working part-time at a women's shoe store, Jon Bon Jovi took a job at thePower Station Studios, aManhattan recording facility where his cousinTony Bongiovi was co-owner.[18] Jon made severaldemos – including one produced byBilly Squier – and sent them to record companies, though failing to make an impact.[19] His first professional recording was as lead vocals in "R2-D2 We Wish You a Merry Christmas," which was part of theChristmas in the Stars album which his cousin co-produced.[16]
In 1983, Jon visited a local radio stationWAPP 103.5FM "The Apple" inLake Success, New York, to write and sing the jingles for the station.[20][21] He spoke with DJ Chip Hobart and to the promotion director, John Lassman, who suggested Jon let WAPP include the song "Runaway" on the station's compilation album of local homegrown talent.[citation needed][22] Jon was reluctant, but eventually gave them the song, which he had re-recorded in 1982 (following a rough early recording in 1981) with local studio musicians whom he designated The All Star Review – guitaristTim Pierce, keyboardistRoy Bittan (fromBruce Springsteen’sE Street Band), drummerFrankie LaRocka, and bassistHugh McDonald.[23]
The song began to get airplay in the New York area, then other sister stations in major markets picked up the song.[citation needed] In March 1983, Bon Jovi called David Bryan, who in turn called bassist Alec John Such and an experienced drummer namedTico Torres, both formerly of the band Phantom's Opera.[citation needed] Tapped to play lead guitar for a short tour supporting "Runaway" was Bon Jovi's friend and neighbor,Dave Sabo ("The Snake"), though he never officially joined the band.[24] He and Jon promised each other that whoever made it first, would help out the other. Sabo later went on to form the groupSkid Row.[citation needed] Jon saw and was impressed with hometown guitarist Richie Sambora who was recommended by fellow bassist Alec John Such and drummer Tico Torres. Sambora had toured withJoe Cocker, played with a group calledMercy and had been called up to audition forKiss.[citation needed] He also played on the albumLessons, originally intended for release in 1982 with the band Message for which Alec John Such was the bassist.[25] Message was originally signed toLed Zeppelin'sSwan Song Records label, although the album was never officially released at the time.[16] Meanwhile, WAPP, the station that had first played "Runaway" worked with WOR-TV (now WWOR-TV) in nearby Secaucus, NJ on a music video show, Rock 9 Videos, for a short time in 1984.[26]
Tico Torres was also an experienced musician, having recorded and played live with Phantom's Opera,The Marvelettes, andChuck Berry. He appeared on 26 records and had recently recorded withFranke and the Knockouts, a Jersey band with hit singles during the early 1980s.[citation needed]
David Bryan had quit the band that he and Bon Jovi had founded in order to study medicine. While in college, he realized that he wanted to pursue music full-time, and was accepted toJuilliard School, a New York music school. When Bon Jovi called his friend and said that he was putting together a band, and a record deal looked likely, Bryan followed Bon Jovi's lead and gave up his studies.[citation needed]
Bon Jovi,7800° Fahrenheit,Slippery When Wet andNew Jersey (1984–1989)
Derek Shulman, who signed Bon Jovi to their first record deal
Once the band began playing showcases and opening for local talent, they caught the attention of record executiveDerek Shulman, who signed them toMercury Records and who was part of thePolyGram company. Because Jon Bon Jovi wanted a group name, Pamela Maher, a friend of Richard Fischer and an employee ofDoc McGhee, suggested they call themselves Bon Jovi, following the example of the other famous two-word bands such asVan Halen. This name was chosen instead of the original idea of Johnny Electric. Pamela's suggestion of the name was met with little enthusiasm, but two years later they hit the charts under that name.[27]
With the help of their new managerDoc McGhee they recorded the band's debut album,Bon Jovi, which was released on January 21, 1984. The album included the band's first hit single, "Runaway", reaching the top forty on theBillboard Hot 100. The album peaked at number forty-three on theBillboard 200 album chart. The group soon found itself opening forScorpions in U.S. and forKiss in Europe.[citation needed]
In 1985, Bon Jovi's second album,7800° Fahrenheit, was released. The band released three singles: "Only Lonely", "In and Out of Love" and the ballad "Silent Night".[28] The album peaked at number thirty-seven on theBillboard 200 and was certified Gold byRIAA.[16] While the album did not sell as well as the band had hoped, it allowed Bon Jovi to get out on the road touring again. In May 1985, Bon Jovi headlined venues in Japan and Europe. At the end of the European tour, the band began a six-month run of U.S. tour dates supportingRatt. In the midst of that tour, they appeared at the Texas Jam and Castle Donington'sMonsters of Rock concerts in England. The band also performed at the firstFarm Aid in 1985.[citation needed]
Producer Jonathan King with Jon Bon Jovi in 1987
After two moderately successful albums, the group changed its approach and hired professional songwriterDesmond Child as a collaborator.Bruce Fairbairn was chosen to produce and, in early 1986, Bon Jovi moved to Vancouver, Canada to spend six months recording a third album. They named itSlippery When Wet after visiting astrip club in Vancouver.[29] On August 16, 1986,Slippery When Wet was released and it spent eight weeks atop theBillboard 200.[30][31] The first two singles from the album, "You Give Love a Bad Name" and "Livin' on a Prayer", both hit number one on theBillboard Hot 100.[32]Slippery When Wet was named 1987's top-selling album byBillboard,[33] and "Livin' On A Prayer" won anMTV Video Music Award for Best Stage Performance.[34] The band won an award for Favorite Pop/Rock Band at theAmerican Music Awards[35] and an award for Favorite Rock Group at thePeople's Choice Awards.[36] WhenSlippery When Wet was released in August 1986, Bon Jovi was the support act for38 Special. By the end of 1986, Bon Jovi were well into six months of headline dates in arenas across America. In August 1987, they headlined England'sMonsters of Rock festival.[citation needed] During their set,Dee Snider,Bruce Dickinson andPaul Stanley guested to perform "We're an American Band". The band ended the year having headlined 130 shows in the "Tour Without End", grossing $28,400,000.[citation needed] Asked what this breakthrough to worldwide fame meant, Jon Bon Jovi said, "Everything is bigger, and it moves twice as fast. You're recognized twice as often. This is bigger, the whole world gets bigger. You have to sell more records, be huger. You get smarter and you understand the business a little more, so it's more responsibility. You understand it now, and you want to make sure everything goes right".[citation needed]
Determined to prove that the success ofSlippery When Wet was not a fluke, Bon Jovi released their fourth effort,New Jersey, in September 1988 which peaked at number one in the U.S., Canada, UK, Ireland, New Zealand and Australia.[citation needed] The album produced five Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Bon Jovi the record for the most Top 10 singles spawned by a hard rock album.[37] Two of the hits, "Bad Medicine" and "I'll Be There for You", reached number one.[38] The album's three other singles, "Born to Be My Baby", "Lay Your Hands on Me", and "Living in Sin", reached the top ten.[citation needed] Bon Jovi made the news when the video for "Living In Sin" was banned by MTV for sexual content; after the video was re-edited, MTV put it in heavy rotation.[16] Bon Jovi mounted another huge worldwide tour that continued throughout 1989 and 1990. They visited more than 22 countries and performed more than 232 shows. On June 11, 1989, the band performed a homecoming concert atGiants Stadium in New Jersey; the venue was sold out.[citation needed] In August 1989, the band headed to the Soviet Union for theMoscow Music Peace Festival. Bon Jovi were officially sanctioned by the Soviet government to perform in the Soviet Union, andNew Jersey was legally released in theUSSR.[39][better source needed]
The exhaustion of recordingSlippery When Wet andNew Jersey back to back and going on highly paced world tours took its toll. By the end of theNew Jersey tour, the band had 16 months of concerts under its belt. The bandmates were exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally. Following the final tour date in Mexico, and without any clear plans for their future, the members of the band simply went home.[40] The band has since stated that there were few if any goodbyes between them. During the time they took off from the scene, members of the band retreated totheir own projects and showed no desire to make another album.[16]
Keep the Faith, Cross Road andThese Days (1992–1996)
Disillusioned with the music business and unhappy with the status quo, Jon Bon Jovi fired his management, business advisers, and agents (including long-time manager Doc McGhee) in 1991.[citation needed] Jon took on the management responsibilities himself by closing ranks and creatingBon Jovi Management. In October 1991, the band went to aCaribbean island ofSt. Thomas to discuss plans for the future.[citation needed] They managed to resolve their differences by allowing each member to speak about his feelings without interruption from each other.[citation needed] Upon resolving their issues, they headed back into the Vancouver Little Mountain studios withBob Rock to work on the band's fifth album in January 1992.
Bon Jovi's fifth studio album,Keep the Faith, was released in November 1992, representing "the beginning of a new chapter in the history of Bon Jovi" and marking a change in the band's sound and image.[citation needed] The album turned away from heavy drums and wild guitar solos, but instead introduced a more mature sound of Bon Jovi and contained more serious lyrics. The media focused considerable attention on Jon Bon Jovi's hair. When Jon Bon Jovi cut his hair he made headlines onCNN.[41] To promoteKeep The Faith they returned to their roots playing a few dates at the small New Jersey clubs where they had started their career. The band appeared onMTV Unplugged but that was different from the other episodes of MTV Unplugged series. The performance captures Bon Jovi in an intimate, "in the round" experience, performing acoustic and electric renditions of classic hits (Bon Jovi and non-Bon Jovi tracks) and new material fromKeep the Faith. The concert was released commercially in 1993 asKeep the Faith: An Evening with Bon Jovi. The album managed to reach Double Platinum status by the RIAA[42] and produced the Top 10 hit "Bed of Roses" while thetitle track hit number one on theMainstream Rock Tracks.[32] Bon Jovi embarked on an extensive international world tour for the album, visiting countries the band had never seen before and headlining stadiums in South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. They visited 37 countries, performed 177 shows and seen them play to 2.5 million fans on the Keep the Faith Tour/I'll Sleep When I'm Dead Tour.[citation needed]
That same year, bassist Alec John Such left the band, the first lineup change since Bon Jovi began.[citation needed]Hugh McDonald who was the bassist on "Runaway", unofficially replaced Such as bassist. Jon Bon Jovi said, regarding the departure of Such: "Of course it hurts. But I learned to accept and respect it. The fact that I'm a workaholic, studio in, studio out, stage on, stage off, want to be dealing with music day and night, doesn't mean everyone else has to adjust to that pace. Alec wanted to quit for a while now, so it didn't come as a complete surprise."[44]
Bon Jovi's sixth studio album,These Days, was released in June 1995, during which time the band was on European tour.[citation needed] The album debuted at number one in UK and spent four consecutive weeks at the top position.[citation needed] The album also reached number one in Ireland, Germany, Australia, Japan and many other countries. The album's first single was therhythm and blues influenced ballad "This Ain't a Love Song". With a video filmed in Thailand, "This Ain't a Love Song" reached top twenty on the Billboard Hot 100, and was the only significant U.S. hit from the album. However, the album produced four UK top ten hits ("This Aint A Love Song", "Something for the Pain", "Lie to Me" and "These Days").[citation needed] That year the band earned aBRIT Award for best international band and also won aMTV Europe Music Award for Best Rock. It was followed by These Days Tour. In June 1995, Bon Jovi sold out three-nights at London's historicalWembley Stadium. The concerts were documented forBon Jovi:Live From London. Bon Jovi visited 43 countries and performed 126 shows onThese Days Tour.[citation needed]
Following the overwhelming success of theThese Days Tour, the members of Bon Jovi went their separate ways. But unlike the period following the New Jersey tour, tainted with uncertainty, this hiatus was a conscious group decision. The members of Bon Jovi agreed to a self-imposed two-year sabbatical from the band.[citation needed]
Crush,Bounce andThis Left Feels Right (1999–2003)
Bon Jovi reunited in 1999 to record the song "Real Life" for the movieEdTV. David Bryan was recovering from an accident in which he nearly severed his finger.[citation needed]
After a nearly four-year hiatus, during which several band members worked on independent projects, Bon Jovi regrouped to begin work on their next studio album. In June 2000,Crush was released as the band's seventh studio album and constituted something of a comeback. The first single, "It's My Life", was noted as one of the group's most successful releases in a decade and most importantly, becoming a symbol of the band's longevity as they prevailed through many different changes in the mainstream rock scene with admirable success. "It's My Life" helped introduce them to a new, younger fan base. The band received twoGrammy nominations forBest Rock Album (Crush) andBest Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal ("It's My Life"). The video for "It's My Life" won theMy VH1 Music Awards for "My Favorite Video".[citation needed]
Bon Jovi played two sold-out concerts at London's historicWembley Stadium on August 19–20, 2000, becoming the last concerts held at the legendary venue before its demolition. That year the band played to 1.1 million fans in 40 arena and stadium venues across North America, Europe and Japan. While on tour, Bon Jovi released a collection of live performances from throughout their career in an album titledOne Wild Night Live 1985–2001.[citation needed] This was Bon Jovi's first-ever live album. The songs were culled from archives of recorded material the band had been collecting from their earliest days on the road right through the current tour. The band sold out two homecoming concerts at New Jersey'sGiants Stadium on July 27–28, 2001. The broadcast broke ratings records for the VH-1 network. At the end of the year Bon Jovi awarded for "Hottest Live Show" at the 2001My VH1 Music Awards.[citation needed]
The members of the band had anticipated a brief vacation before work would begin on the band's 8th studio album but on September 11 the world changed. Within days of the terrorist attacks, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora had filmed Public Service Announcements for the Red Cross, recorded "America The Beautiful" for theNFL and performed as part of the historicAmerica: A Tribute to Heroes live telethon.[citation needed] One month later, the band participated at two Monmouth County Alliance of Neighbors concerts in Red Bank, NJ to raise funds for the families close the band's hometowns, which were affected by the World Trade Center disaster. And on October 21, 2001, Bon Jovi performed at the monumentalConcert For New York atMadison Square Garden, raising relief funds and honoring those who worked to save lives during the attack.[citation needed]
In spring 2002, the group entered the studio to begin recording their eighth studio album.Bounce was influenced by theSeptember 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, released on October 8, 2002.[citation needed] The album debuted at number two in both the U.S. and UK, but was the first album to sell less than 6 million units since their 1985 record7800° Fahrenheit. The band went on the Bounce Tour for the album, during which they made history as the last band to play atVeterans Stadium inPhiladelphia before it was torn down.[citation needed]
Following the end of the Bounce Tour in August 2003, Bon Jovi embarked on a side project; originally intending to produce an album consisting of live acoustic performances, the band ended up rewriting, re-recording and reinventing 12 of their biggest hits in a new and much different light. Bon Jovi's compilation albumThis Left Feels Right was released in November 2003.[citation needed]
The following year, the band released a box set titled100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong, with the title and cover being a homage to Elvis Presley's50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong. The set consisted of four CDs packed with 38 unreleased and 12 rare tracks, as well as a DVD. The box set marked the sales of 100 million Bon Jovi albums and also commemorated the 20th anniversary of the release of the band's first record in 1984. In November 2004, Bon Jovi was honored with the Award for Merit at theAmerican Music Awards.[citation needed]
Have a Nice Day andLost Highway (2005–2008)
The band's ninth studio album,Have a Nice Day, was released in September 2005.[citation needed] The album debuted at number two in both the U.S. and UK, reaching number one in fifteen countries. The title track was an international hit, reaching the top ten in the UK, Europe, Australia and Canada. The second single, "Who Says You Can't Go Home", was released in early 2006. The song reached top forty on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S.[citation needed] A duet version of "Who Says You Can't Go Home" with country singerJennifer Nettles of the bandSugarland, peaked at number one on the BillboardHot Country Songs and Bon Jovi became the first rock band to have a number one single on Billboard's Country Chart.[citation needed] On February 11, 2007, Bon Jovi and Jennifer Nettles won theGrammy Award, for "Best Country Collaboration with Vocals" for "Who Says You Can't Go Home". The band also won an award for Favorite Rock Song at thePeople's Choice Awards with "Who Says You Can't Go Home".[45]
Soon after the release ofHave A Nice Day, the band started gearing up for the new 2005–2006 worldwideHave A Nice Day Tour. This tour, took the band to numerous stages and stadiums throughout the world.[citation needed] The tour was a significant commercial success, as the group played to 2,002,000 fans, and the tour grossed a total $191 million. The tour was the third-highest-grossing tour of 2006 taking in just over $131 million, just behindThe Rolling Stones'A Bigger Bang World Tour andMadonna'sConfessions Tour. On November 14, 2006, Bon Jovi were inducted into theUK Music Hall of Fame alongsideJames Brown andLed Zeppelin.[citation needed]
In June 2007, Bon Jovi released their tenth studio album,Lost Highway.[citation needed] The album influences the band's rock sound with that of country music following the success of a country version of the band's 2006 single "Who Says You Can't Go Home".[citation needed] To promote the new album, Bon Jovi made several television appearances, including the 6th annualCMT Awards in Nashville,American Idol, and MTV Unplugged, as well as playing at theLive Earth concert at Giants Stadium.[46] They also performed ten promotional gigs in the U.S., Canada, the UK, and Japan. As part of the 'tour', Bon Jovi were the first group to perform at London's newO2 Arena (formerly the Millennium Dome) when it opened to the public on June 24, 2007. The 23,000-seater stadium sold out within 30 minutes of tickets being released.[47]
In October 2007 the band announced theLost Highway Tour.[citation needed] Starting with the 10 shows to open the brand new,Newark, New JerseyPrudential Center, the band toured Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the U.S. and then Europe, finishing in the summer of 2008. The tour was the highest-grossing tour of 2008 in Billboard's rankings, with ticket sales of $210.6 million, reported from November 14, 2007, through Nov.11, 2008.[51] In all, 2,157,675 tickets were sold during 2008.[51] Combined with $16.4 million in 2007 from the Newark shows, making a combined gross of $227 million in ticket sales. InPollstar's calculus for North America, the Lost Highway Tour had the highest gross for 2008 at $70.4 million.[52]
The Circle andGreatest Hits (2009–2011)
Richie Sambora and Jon Bon Jovi at 2009 Tribeca Film Festival
In April 2009, Phil Griffin's documentary on the band, "When We Were Beautiful", debuted at theTribeca Film Festival, chronicling Bon Jovi's ups and downs over 25 years and following the band on their latest Lost Highway tour.[citation needed]
In June 2009, Jon Bon Jovi andRichie Sambora were inducted intoSongwriters Hall of Fame. That month they also recorded a cover of the song "Stand By Me" with Iranian singerAndy Madadian, to show solidarity for those affected by political unrest in Iran.[citation needed] Parts of the song were sung inPersian.
On November 10, 2009, the band released their eleventh studio album, titledThe Circle.[citation needed] The Circle is a return to rock n' roll after theirNashville-influenced album,Lost Highway. The album debuted at number one in the U.S., Canada, Germany and Japan. Bon Jovi headed out on the road once again on February 19, 2010, embarking onThe Circle Tour.[53] Bon Jovi kicked off the stadium leg of the Circle Tour by making history. They played the first ever show at the brand newNew Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The three sold-out shows on May 26, 27 and 29, 2010 were a huge success. Bon Jovi's 12 night run at London's O2 Arena grossed $18,178,036 and seen them play to 187,696 fans.[citation needed] The Circle Tour was the highest-grossing concert tour of 2010 according to Billboard's annual Top 25 concert tours. So far the tour has played to 1,909,234 fans and has grossed $201.1 million from more than 80 venues reported to Pollstar.[54] For the second time in three years, Bon Jovi ranked as Billboard's & Pollstar's Top Touring Act of the Year. Bon Jovi was also ranked second onForbes magazine's list of the world's highest paid musicians, earning an approximate $125 million income that year.[55]
Bon Jovi released aGreatest Hits with four new songs in October 2010.[citation needed] The album debuted at number one in Canada, Ireland, Europe, Australia and made the top five in twenty countries. At the2010 MTV Europe Music Awards, Bon Jovi received theGlobal Icon Award. In October 2010, Bon Jovi released the concert film, "The Circle Tour Live From Jersey" in U.S. theaters. At the same time, the band announced their upcoming tour. At the conclusion of 2011, the tour placed second on Billboard's annual, "Top 25 Tour", earning more than £790 million dollars.[56]
Inside Out,What About Now and Sambora's departure (2012–2014)
In January 2012, Jon Bon Jovi stated that they were working on a twelfth studio album,[57] and in a live show in August 2012, Jon Bon Jovi played an acoustic version of a song that was announced to be on the upcoming album.[58] The album,What About Now, was released on March 12, 2013, and reached number one in the U.S., Canada, Austria, Sweden, and Australia. On February 13, Bon Jovi launchedBecause We Can, a new world tour for 2013 in support ofWhat About Now, and visited North America, Europe, Africa, the Far East, Australia and Latin America.[59]
On November 27, 2012, Bon Jovi released a new live video album, calledInside Out, made up of content from shows at theO2 Arena,MetLife Stadium, andMadison Square Garden.[60] The album was first shown at movie theaters, with screenings preceded by a question-and-answer session with Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, David Bryan and Tico Torres streamed live from a theater in New York, and was subsequently made available for purchase oniTunes.[60]
On March 14, 2013, Bon Jovi appeared on the results show ofAmerican Idol and played one song, "Because We Can", fromWhat About Now.[61]
Bon Jovi performing in Hyde Park in 2013
On April 2, 2013, Sambora departed the band's ongoing tour for unspecified "personal reasons"; Session guitaristPhil X filled in after previously replacing him for several 2011 dates.[citation needed] This time he stayed on for the remainder of the tour, amidst rumors that Sambora had been fired.[62] Both Sambora and Jon Bon Jovi later denied the claim.[63] Torres was also sidelined briefly due to emergencygallbladder surgery; he was replaced by Rich Scannella from Bon Jovi's solo band, the Kings of Suburbia, from September 20 to October 6.[64]
In 2014, to celebrate the band's 30th anniversary, the band's albumNew Jersey was reissued with an additional CD with theSons of Beaches demos on it.[citation needed]
In June 2014, Sambora told a reporter "I love Jon and I certainly still foresee the possibility of a return. There is no bad blood with me now. I'm just taking the steps that I want, no, have to take."[65][66] In November 2014, Jon Bon Jovi told a reporter that Sambora had officially left the band, saying "He's quit. He's gone. No hard feelings."[67] That November, he also revealed that he was finishing writing songs for the band's next studio album, their first without Sambora, who was unofficially replaced by touring guitarist Phil X.[citation needed]
Burning Bridges andThis House Is Not for Sale (2015–2018)
On July 31, 2015, Bon Jovi released twin lead singles "We Don't Run" and "Saturday Night Gave Me Sunday Morning" for the compilation albumBurning Bridges. "Saturday Night Gave Me Sunday Morning" had its premiere at the Austrian Radio Ö3 Hitradio on July 17, 2015, and "We Don't Run" premiered at the Brazilian radio Radio Rock on July 20, 2015.Burning Bridges was released August 21, 2015.[citation needed] According to Bon Jovi, the album serves as a "fan record" to tie in with an accompanying international tour: "It's songs that weren't finished, that were finished, a couple of new ones like the one we released as a single 'We Don't Run' ".[68]
A Bon Jovi consultant confirmed that a new studio album was planned to be released in 2016 followed by a world tour. On September 30, 2015, Jon Bon Jovi announced during a press conference that the title of their upcoming album will beThis House Is Not for Sale. In the article, he said the following "The record is about our integrity. Integrity matters and we're at a place in our career where we don't have anything left to prove."[citation needed]
On December 13, 2017, it was announced that Bon Jovi would be inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018,[72] after winning the 2017 fan ballot with over 1.1 million votes.[73] Jon Bon Jovi invited Sambora and Such to appear with the band at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.[74] In later February 2018, it was confirmed that Such and Sambora would perform with the band at the 2018 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.[75]On April 29, 2018, the band performed at theBMO Harris Bradley Center, inMilwaukee,Wisconsin, as the last ticketed event at the venue before the start of demolition in the summer of 2018.[76]
2020, the death of Alec John Such and rumors of Sambora's return (2019–2023)
On March 9, 2019, Jon Bon Jovi announced via social media that the band is back in the studio recording its fifteenth studio album, which was to be released in early 2020.[77] In August 2019, he announced that the album would be called2020.[78] The release date was scheduled for May 15, 2020, but Jovi announced in an interview withHoward Stern that the album and its accompanying tour, Bon Jovi 2020 Tour, had been postponed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[79][80] On April 20, 2020, Bon Jovi announced that the Bon Jovi 2020 Tour had been canceled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. The album ended up being released in October.[81] On January 7, 2022, the band announced a tour in April.[82] Critics and social media users discussed the quality of Jon Bon Jovi's vocal performances during the tour, with many believing that it was poor.[83]
During the2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, a viral video appeared where residents inOdesa, Ukraine, prepared for a Russian attack while a drummer played to the Bon Jovi hit "It's My Life". Bon Jovi supported this video and shared it with their followers, with the comment "This is for the ones who stood their ground... Odessa, Ukraine. #SlavaUkraini".[84]
The death of founding member Alec John Such was announced by the band on June 5, 2022.[85] It was later revealed that he had died of a heart attack.[86]
In February 2023, former guitaristRichie Sambora noted that he was in talks about potentially rejoining the band: "We're talking about it. I don't think there's any reason not to [return] at this point. I mean, [Jon and I] we did something... there's not a lot of bands that did what we did. [...] We have to get out there and do it for the fans really."[87] However, in May 2024, Bon Jovi confirmed that there were no plans for Sambora to rejoin and that a reunion was unlikely.[88]
Thank You, Goodnight andForever (2024–present)
In October 2023, guitarist Phil X revealed in an interview that the band was heading to Nashville for a month to record a brand new album.[89] On November 17, 2023, the band released a holiday themed single called "Christmas Isn't Christmas". This was the band's first release since the 2020 album and a preparation towards the new album coming out in 2024.[90] On March 14, 2024, the band released the single, "Legendary", the lead single from their 16th album,Forever, released on June 7, 2024.[91] The album's second single, "Living Proof", was released May 17.[92]
In April 2024, a four-part documentary series on the band,Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story, premiered onHulu andDisney+.[93] Directed byGotham Chopra, the series chronicles the band's entire history, with interviews with the members of the band along with those who worked with them while following the current line-up of the band on its 2022 tour as they "chart out their future".[1]
Musical style
Bon Jovi's musical style has generally been characterized ashard rock,[94][95][96]arena rock[94][97][98] andpop rock.[94][99] The band's first four albums were described asglam metal.[100][101][102] Their first two albums used a heavier mixture of glam metal and hard rock while their follow ups,Slippery When Wet andNew Jersey, featured a more commercialized mixture of glam metal and hard rock.[citation needed] They shed the glam metal sound by their fifth studio album,Keep the Faith, and their sixth,These Days, utilizing a more mature hard rock sound.Crush was characterized as "far enough intopop/rock to actually stand a chance of getting airplay", whileBounce was described as "heavy, serious rock".Have a Nice Day was also characterized as being heavier thanCrush.[103] The band altered their sound dramatically in their next release,Lost Highway, blending influences fromcountry music andcountry rock, a sound Jon Bon Jovi described as "a Bon Jovi album influenced by Nashville.”[citation needed] Bon Jovi returned to a more typical rock sound onThe Circle, which was described by Allmusic as "conjured by echoed, delayed guitars, shimmering keyboards, and spacious rhythms."[104]
^Whitewood, Alan (December 24, 2012)."Bon Jovi Keep the Faith". Island Pulse. Archived fromthe original on December 13, 2013. RetrievedDecember 31, 2012.Their first notable album wasSlippery When Wet, a USA No. 1 that stalled at No. 6 here in 1986. In all that album spawned four hit singles in the UK.
^"Top 25 Tours of 2011".Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. December 8, 2011. Archived fromthe original on December 27, 2011. RetrievedDecember 27, 2011.
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