Jon Bon Jovi is one of the biggest American rock bands to ever exist. They ushered in the era of pop-metal in the ’80s with hits like “Livin’ on a Prayer” and “You Give Love a Bad Name,” but they managed to transcend the big haired era and stay relevant into the new millennium. The band has continued to produce hit albums while changing their style and sound over the years, but they’ve never lost their touch for writing a power ballad.
While the band is best known for their stadium rock anthems, they also know how to deliver a plethora of heart-wrenching power ballads. Jon Bon Jovi has a knack for making even the most sappy lyrics sound sincere, and he and Richie Sambora are the perfect pairing for these types of songs. “I’ll Be There For You” is another example of this, and it’s a song that remains a live favorite for the band to this day.
The band had a lot of success in the ’80s, but it was after their third album that Bon Jovi really started to take off. Their 1986 release ‘Slippery When Wet’ was an international blockbuster that helped skyrocket them to superstardom. It spawned a number of big hit singles including “You Give Love a Bad Name,” “Livin’ on a Prayer” or the incredibly catchy “This Ain’t a Love Song.”
After their massively successful comeback album in 1989, the band went into hiatus for several years. During this time, Bon Jovi founder and frontman Jon Bon Jovi began an acting career, appearing on popular shows like Sex and the City, Ally McBeal or The West Wing. The band returned in 1995 with their sixth studio album, These Days, which was led by the uplifting fist pumper “Everyday.” The album also yielded the emotive power ballad “This Ain’t a Love song.”
“Keep the Faith” is another classic from Bon Jovi’s 1992 release ‘New Jersey.’ This was the first new Bon Jovi material since 1988, and it proved that the band had not lost their touch for putting out quality music. Co-written with Desmond Child, this is a classic power ballad that features Bon Jovi at their finest. It’s a big song that manages to avoid being bloated and it still gets the crowd going during live performances nearly three decades later.
While it may seem a bit strange to include a rap song on this list of the top 10 Bon Jovi songs, it’s hard to deny that it’s an absolute smash hit. “Blood, Sweat and Tears” is a classic that combines rap with an arena rock sound, and it’s arguably their most successful rap song ever. The song is an absolute banger live and it’s always a highlight of any Bon Jovi concert. It’s also a song that’s made it onto countless ’80s rap remixes.