Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi formed in Sayreville, New Jersey in 1983, led by Jon Bon Jovi with guitarist Richie Sambora. Slippery When Wet (1986) and New Jersey (1988) made them one of the biggest bands in the world, producing Livin' on a Prayer, You Give Love a Bad Name, Wanted Dead or Alive, Bad Medicine, and I'll Be There for You. Their music split the difference between hard rock's power and pop's accessibility — big choruses, talk-box guitar solos, and blue-collar lyrics about working-class aspiration. They survived the grunge era by pivoting to country-influenced rock with songs like Always and Bed of Roses. The band has sold over 130 million records worldwide and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. Jon Bon Jovi's vocal injury in 2022 has curtailed touring but the band's catalog remains ubiquitous.