Bon Jovi

This article is about the band. For their eponymous album, see Bon Jovi (album). For the lead singer, see Jon Bon Jovi.
"Bongiovi" redirects here. For other people with the surname, see Bongiovi (surname).

Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi performing in Hyde Park, London in 2013. From left to right: Phil X, Hugh McDonald, Jon Bon Jovi, Tico Torres, and David Bryan.
Bon Jovi performing in Hyde Park, London in 2013. From left to right: Phil X, Hugh McDonald, Jon Bon Jovi, Tico Torres, and David Bryan.
Background information
OriginSayreville, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres
Discography
Years active1983–present
Labels
Members
Past members
Websitebonjovi.com

Bon Jovi is an American rock band formed in Sayreville, New Jersey in 1983. The band consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarists John Shanks and Phil X, percussionist Everett Bradley,[1] and bassist Hugh McDonald.[2] Original bassist Alec John Such left the band in 1994, and longtime guitarist and co-songwriter Richie Sambora left in 2013. The band has been credited with "bridging the gap between heavy metal music, rock and pop with style and ease".[3]

In 1984, Bon Jovi released their self-titled debut album, and its single "Runaway" managed to reach the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. In 1986, the band achieved widespread success and global recognition with their third album, Slippery When Wet, which sold over 20 million copies and included three Top 10 singles on the Hot 100, two of which reached No. 1: "You Give Love a Bad Name" and "Livin' on a Prayer".[4] Their fourth album, New Jersey (1988), was also commercially successful, selling over 10 million copies and featuring five Top 10 singles, including the number ones "Bad Medicine" and "I'll Be There for You". The band toured and recorded during the late 1980s, culminating in the 1988–90 New Jersey Syndicate Tour.

In 1992, the band returned with the double-platinum Keep the Faith, which included the hit “Bed of Roses”. This was followed by their biggest-selling and longest-charting single "Always” in 1994. The album These 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 album Crush, particularly the lead single, "It's My Life", successfully introduced the band to a younger audience. The band followed up with Bounce in 2002. The platinum albums Have a Nice Day (2005) and Lost 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 a Grammy 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 2005–06 Have a Nice Day Tour and 2007–08 Lost Highway Tour ranking among the Top 20 highest-grossing concert tours of the 2000s. After releasing Because We Can in 2013, lead guitarist Richie Sambora left the band, just before a concert during the supporting tour to spend more time with family. The band released their first studio album without Sambora, Burning Bridges, in 2015 and the follow-up album This House Is Not for Sale in 2016, touring it in 2017–19. Their album 2020 was reworked to include songs inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic and George Floyd protests; its supporting tour was delayed to 2022.

Bon Jovi has released 15 studio albums, five compilations and three live albums. They have sold more than 120 million records worldwide,[5] making them one of the best-selling American rock bands,[6][7] and performed 2,700 concerts in 50 countries for 34 million fans.[8][9] Bon Jovi was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006, and the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.[10] The band received the Award of Merit at the American Music Awards in 2004.[11]

  1. ^ Bain, Katie (April 25, 2024). "Bon Jovi on the Band's New Doc, If They'll Ever Tour Again & Driving Around New Jersey With Bruce Springsteen". Billboard. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  2. ^ "Bon Jovi History". Historyking.com. Archived from the original on May 28, 2009. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
  3. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Bon Jovi | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  4. ^ Whitewood, Alan (December 24, 2012). "Bon Jovi Keep the Faith". Island Pulse. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved December 31, 2012. Their first notable album was Slippery 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.
  5. ^ Hunter-Tilney, Ludovic (January 13, 2017). "Jon Bon Jovi on hard work, losing his wingman and US inequality". Financial Times. Archived from the original on December 10, 2022. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
  6. ^ Coscarelli, Joe (December 13, 2017). "Bon Jovi Leads 2018 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees: 'It's About Time'". The New York Times. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  7. ^ Weiss, Dan (October 24, 2017). "Bon Jovi's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  8. ^ "Bon Jovi: When We Were Beautiful". Top 40 Charts.com. April 6, 2009. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
  9. ^ McCall, Tris (November 20, 2012). "Bon Jovi to play MetLife Stadium in July". The Jersey Journal. Retrieved March 21, 2013.
  10. ^ "Bon Jovi to enter UK Hall of Fame". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. October 16, 2006. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
  11. ^ "Bon Jovi honoured at American Music Awards – Music". Smh.com.au. November 15, 2004. Retrieved March 20, 2013.