How many of you people out there have a singer or a band that you listen to regularly because you were introduced to it by your parents and because they grew up with it, they passed their musical tastes on to you? I have many myself. Thanks to my parents, I grew to have a taste for Elvis Presley, Meat Loaf, Queen and various other bands and artists. I'd even say it's because of them as to why my taste in music is LARGELY vintage with an especial preference towards the 70's and 80's decades. And this despite me being born in the 90's. Weird, innit? XD
But for this post, I'm talking about a band my mother got me into. She's a big fan of this particular band and even went to see one of their concerts a few years ago. That band...is Bon Jovi.
Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi are one of the most famous and successful rock bands in music history. They're still preforming even to this day and are responsible for many big hits throughout the music world, but I'll get to those later. The band is so-called because of their lead singer, Jon Bon Jovi, and the band has been credited for bridging the gap between heavy metal, rock and pop with style and ease.
And so I'm here to count down 10 of my personal favourite Bon Jovi songs. This list is in order from 10 to 1 and is strictly opinion based. I'm not countdown the best Bon Jovi songs or anything, I'm just listing my Top 10 Favourites. Also this list is for my mother as she's a big Bon Jovi fan and I wanted to make this post for her. Love you loads mum, this one's for you! XXX
So without further ado, let's count down my Top 10 Favourite Bon Jovi songs...
Number 10: Welcome To Wherever You Are
This song isn't quite as "rocky" as what Bon Jovi usually produces, but it's still a great tune from them.
Lyrically, the song is basically about being comfortable in your own skin and accepting who you are, which is always a sweet message to include in any form of art, not just music, and so it gives the song some heart-warming appeal. I also like how this song is more relaxed in its music approach, even if they still have some rock guitar music in there. It starts off acoustically at first and then the music builds up a bit until we get to the chorus. The chorus itself is also really memorable with it singing about "Welcome to wherever you are. This is your life, you've made it this far" and I do find myself sometimes singing it to myself when the song comes to mind. The lyrics themselves add to the uplifting tone of the song and its themes of acceptance with lines such as "Maybe we're all different, but we're still the same" and "Everybody's perfect, god makes no mistakes". A bit flowery perhaps, but still uplifting lyrics to listen to in a song.
As much as I enjoy this one, I put it at the bottom of the list because I just feel the other nine songs are more memorable, more enjoyable and I tend to play them more often than this one. But Welcome To Wherever You Are is still another great tune from the band and a highly recommended listen.
This song is one where you'll feel welcome wherever you are...
Number 9: Bad Medicine
This is one I'm sure MANY of you will recognize for it's one of the band's most well-known tunes.
Bad Medicine is such an earworm and I mean that in the best way possible. With its rocking music and kickass drumbeats, you won't be forgetting this son anytime soon. It's got a really catchy beat and an equally as catchy chorus that only makes it even more memorable. Lyrically, the song seems to describe someone who's addicted to the love he has for someone, even though it's, as the song describes, like "Bad Medicine". Naturally because of the title, we have a lot of medical terms and references here in the lyrics with lines such as "Their ain't no doctor that can cure my disease" and "Gonna take more than a shot to get this poison outta me". It's quite common that love will be used as some kind of drug metaphor in songs like this and I'd say they got the point across quite well with the lyrics. I also imagine some might interpret the song as a metaphor for a drug addiction what with how a love for drugs is like "bad medicine" and people who take them feel that this bad medicine is what they need. Intentional? I have no idea, but I could easily see it being viewed as such.
The song is insanely catchy and has an infectious rhythm that hooks the listener from beginning to end and you'll certainly find yourself singing it from time to time once it's over. I always enjoyed listening to this one growing up and I still love it now. Such a kickass tune, as expected from this band.
Bon Jovi may say that love is like Bad Medicine, but this song is certainly NOT bad medicine and will cure any need to hear a great song...
Number 8: You Give Love A Bad Name
How many of you have heard this song and find yourself just randomly shouting "Shot through the heart, and you're to blame! You give love a bad name!" on occasion? I'm sure many of you have.
Similar to the song above, this one's also about love lyrically, albeit not in a positive way. I mean the title says "You Give Love A Bad Name", that sounds anything BUT positive! Throughout the song, Bon Jovi describes this person that seemed lovely and nice at first with phrases such as "An angel's smile is what you sell" but then it turns out the person's not so nice after all, promising them heaven but putting them through hell instead. I definitely know anyone who's been through a bad romance will relate to these lyrics. How many people out there have met people who give love a bad name? And just like with any Bon Jovi song, the lyrics give us a really memorable and quotable chorus, which I already quoted earlier. What's really interesting to know is that apparently, this song was originally recorded as a Bonnie Tyler song titled "If You Were A Woman (And I Was A Man)" with different lyrics commissioned by the famous Jim Steinman, whom you may recognize as the man who regularly worked with Meat Loaf. And yet here we are with the song in its current form recorded by Bon Jovi. Interesting, isn't it? ;)
Not only does the song have memorable lyrics, but musically it's an absolute blast too with the usual kickass rock guitar music and drum beats that make for a memorable listening experience. Whenever this song plays, you just want to crank up the volume and rock along to it. I especially love the tune that plays after they shout the chorus out at the beginning of the song. It's cool to listen to and very fun to sing along to.
Whoever it is that gives love a bad name, I think we can all agree this song doesn't give music a bad name in the slightest...
Number 7: Hey God
This is a song that's always in my head no matter what. I kid you not, sometimes I'll just randomly start singing or thinking of the chorus from time to time because Hey God is that infectious.
According to former lead guitarist of the band, Richie Sambora, the song was inspired by a moment in his life where he was travelling in his limo and made direct eye-contact with a guy sitting huddled in a cardboard box. The guilt was SO immense for him that he told Jon about it and thus, they wrote this song. And you can tell this song was made with the less fortunate in mind, given the subject matter. The song covers two different stories that tell of a working single mum with a wayward son who "blew some cop away", a father who claims he's two paychecks away from living out on the street and a young boy growing up in the ghetto who's got a gun by 12 and the odds are bet that "junior won't make 21". The theme connecting these tales together is how they're all basically asking God what gives as they cry out for spiritual help. Hardly cheerful subject matter for a song, am I right? And yet lyrically, the song is a lot of fun to sing along to, especially the chorus when we get to yell out loud "Hey god! Tell me what the hell is going on? It seems like all the good is gone!" I know I tend to find myself singing that chorus from time-to-time with how infectious it is.
And as usual, the music is great too with some really awesome rock guitar riffs that are easy to hum and sing out loud too. Those moments are just as memorable as the chorus is and I'll find myself humming it on occasion. It really is the kind of song that feels like you could have a party with and just have an awesome time rocking along to it while also singing at the top of your lungs.
Hey God, tell me why the hell this song is so good? It kicks a lot of ass no matter how many times I listen to it!
Number 6: Keep the Faith
This song is incredibly kickass and I always get a thrill out of listening to it.
Keep the Faith is one of my favourites from the band not only because it's such a great listen, but it's also a rather uplifting song that I definitely feel only becomes more relevant as time goes on and we face more and more adversity as we grow older. Lyrically, the song talks about keeping hope in the face of despair, hence the chorus part and the title "Keep the Faith". The message is further reflected with lines such as "you know you're gonna live through the rain" and "don't let your love turn to hate". That last one ESPECIALLY is a message that only becomes more and more important in this day and age. We all have our fair share of adversity, but in order to keep on going in life and not get weighed down by the darkness of the world, we have to keep the faith. Those are pretty inspiring lyrics to live by, hence why I say the song's uplifting in that sense, and that only makes it even better in my eyes. A great song is one that can uplift you and inspire you no matter what you're going through.
But the song has more than just uplifting lyrics to it. It's another really banging tune thanks to some neat bass lines and the usual trademark Bon Jovi rock guitar solo that adds more fun to the song. It all sounds great musically and naturally, Jon Bon Jovi's vocal work is on point throughout. It's just a song that sounds incredible from beginning to end and I love listening to it.
This is a song that will inspire everybody out there to, well, Keep the Faith.
Number 5: Runaway
Released in 1984, this song was Bon Jovi's debut single and the very song that put them on the musical map. Needless to say, it was a very strong first impression for the band and no wonder they became a success after a debut like this.
The song was apparently inspired by times when Jon Bon Jovi would take a Greyhound bus from New Jersey to Manhattan and on those rides, he saw many young people trying to get away in desperation. Thus we get the lyrics here in which they talk about a young girl who runs away from home due to getting little attention from her parents and has to live on the streets doing what she can to survive, hence the title "Runaway". Like many Bon Jovi songs on this list, I find myself singing the chorus a lot to myself from time-to-time because of how catchy and memorable it is. It's something I've noticed a lot with this band that they tend to have really memorable choruses that are fun to sing out loud and this song's no exception.
And just like any other Bon Jovi song, the instrumental work is great too. I love how the song starts off and then we get the guitar riffs in there before the song begins proper and the drumming sounds really great too. The song is really catchy and easy to bop in time to once it starts going. It's fun, it's memorable, the lyrics tell quite a story and it's just so easy to see how this was the song that started Bon Jovi's career.
Let's just say this is a song that led to their "Runaway" success and many listeners like me love to runaway with it too...
Number 4: Livin' On A Prayer
You know you're a TRUE Bon Jovi fan if you know this one by heart as this is another one of their most popular tunes. So popular in fact that it got used in the famous Cadbury Airport Trucks adverts back in the day!
Livin' On A Prayer is an absolute classic in every way possible. It's a banger of a song that really pumps you up and I feel like I could kick ass and take names just by listening to it. Of course, the song's not actually about that but that's how it makes me feel. Lyrically, it tells the story of a working couple named Tommy and Gina who are struggling to make ends meet with Tommy losing his job due to a strike and Gina works as a diner all day to try and make a living. Despite these tough times, the two remind one another that they've got to hold on and that they've got each other. The title "Livin' On A Prayer" could be interpreted as another hope metaphor, which as we've seen already is quite common in Bon Jovi songs. It's ultimately a song about struggling to make ends meet, but by living on a prayer, you hold onto hope and never give up, which is always an uplifting message to send out. What's interesting is that the song was also loosely based on real-life events that Jon Bon Jovi and Desmond Child (the songwriter) experienced in the 70s. At the time, Desmond and his then-girlfriend Maria Vidal (who is also a singer and a songwriter) lived together and worked day jobs alongside their music careers with Desmond as a taxi driver and Maria as a waitress. Funny enough, Maria was apparently nicknamed "Gina" due to resembling an Italian actress and photographer named Gina Lollobrigida, so that explains where "Gina" comes from in the song. Though according to Jon himself, the characters in the song represent a life-style rather than two specific people. Still, interesting origin story I have to say.
The song is awesome in other ways too, not just because of its uplifting lyrics and thoughtful story. The instrumental work is top-notch as always, especially the opening keyboard note and I love the additional vocal effects by guitarist Richie Sombora where he uses a talkbox effect to make that robotic sounding "Whoa, whoa, whoa" chant you hear throughout the song. That always sounds so cool to me whenever I hear it. I'm sure many Bon Jovi fans have tried to imitate that vocal effect themselves whenever they sing it. I know I do. XD
This song is a Bon Jovi classic and I never get tired of hearing it. It kicks ass, is great to listen to and fun to sing out loud. I think all of us are livin' on a prayer with this classic tune...
Number 3: Lay Your Hands On Me
I don't know for sure, but I STRONGLY believe this might've been the first Bon Jovi song I ever heard. I can just vaguely recall hearing it years ago at a very, very young age but that's about it. If it was the first Bon Jovi song I ever heard, then it sure was a great first impression for me.
Lyrically, this song seems to talk about a guy who has a lot to offer someone, but as he says "the ride don't ever come for free" and he wants this person to offer their unconditional love in return. So yeah, it's possible the song might be about romance and offering your love to someone if they let you in return, but considering the rather sexual sounding title of "Lay Your Hands On Me", I imagine some might have um...less than savoury interpretations of the lyrics. I mean when the song says "Lay Your Hands On Me", who knows where he wants you to lay them! Jokes aside, the lyrics once again give this song a memorable and easily quotable chorus that is infectious to sing once the song gets going. I know I've found myself randomly thinking "Lay your hands on me, lay your hands on me, lay your hands on meeeeee!" at times throughout my life and I love to sing along to it whenever the song's playing.
The music is a home run here too with particular praise going straight to the opening. The song fades in at the start, a unique opener for a Bon Jovi song as not many of them open up with a fade-in, and all we get at first is the opening drum beat and the occasional chant echoing in the background as the song builds up and up and up. Then the rock guitar comes in and the song proper shifts into high gear, hooking you from beginning to end and making you feel like you want to bang your head in time to it. The slow build-up really made the song more impactful and awesome to hear and the rock guitar solo is especially memorable. It was the one part of the song I'd always remember for years before I eventually listened to it again.
Whether this was my first Bon Jovi song I heard, I don't know for definite, but it was definitely one of my earliest exposures to the band. And needless to say, it was one heck of an early impression for me. Lay this song on me I say for it's such an awesome listen...
Number 2: It's My Life
You all know this one and you can all sing it by heart, I'm willing to bet!
It's My Life was Bon Jovi's first foray into the 2000's decade and is the band's most well-known song outside of the 80's. I can easily see how it became such a hit because of how awesome it is. From the moment you hear that opening guitar riff, you know you've got a tune that you'll be humming for the rest of your life. The lyrics for this one are basically about living your life to the best you can and making the most of it while you're alive. That's always an important takeaway in life for that really is what life's all about: making the most of what you can do with the time you have while you're alive. The choice of words here also sound great when sung together like so and you really feel like you're ready to take on the world as you sing them out loud. The lyrics also have a few neat references here and there such as name-dropping Tommy and Gina from "Livin' On A Prayer" and the line "Like Frankie said, I did it my way" is an outright reference to famed Rat Pack member Frank Sinatra. Apparently, Frank Sinatra was Jon Bon Jovi's role model so that's why the line's in there. That's nice to know. ^^
The song itself is also great to listen to musically with some kickass guitar riffs, Richie Sambora's use of the talkbox again like in "Livin' On A Prayer" to give us that distinctive sound and powerful drum beats that make the song sound more epic. I love this song for how badass it sounds and how it makes you feel like you can take on the world no matter what it throws at you.
Uplifting, inspirational, rocking, epic and with some neat little references, this song makes me want to live while I'm alive.
So yeah, lots of great Bon Jovi songs on offer here and they're all awesome in their own right. But which one could possibly take the Number 1 spot? Well, I'll tell you...
And my Number 1 Favourite Bon Jovi song is...Dead Or Alive
It was never a hard choice for me on what my Number 1 pick was going to be. Whenever I think of Bon Jovi songs I love, this one is most often the first one I come to. I'm sure many Bon Jovi fans feel the same way.
Wanted Dead or Alive is one of the band's signature songs and is probably up there with Livin' On A Prayer and It's My Life as among the most recognizable and popular Bon Jovi songs. And it's so easy to see why. This song is such a staple of pop-culture that it even made its way into several movies and TV shows. Hell, the first time I EVER heard this song was in, of all movies, Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed! No I'm serious, the song's in the movie! Pity it had to be a bad movie to introduce me to this song but hey, not everything has a great origin story. XD
Still, Wanted Dead or Alive is an absolute rock n' roll classic and easily my favourite Bon Jovi song of all time. Lyrically, the song talks about a cowboy who goes where he pleases and he rides around while being wanted dead or alive. The title itself even pays homage to Jon Bon Jovi's admiration for Old West heroes. He would identify with them as being hated and loved at the same time, hence the "wanted dead or alive" lyric. He also cites the song "Turn the Page" by Bob Seger as an inspiration for this song and that the song was also inspired by an early morning when he couldn't sleep whilst riding in a tour bus. As he put it, the "lifestyle of every rock band" was similar to that of outlaws in that each was, "a young band of thieves, riding into town, stealing the money, the girls, and the booze before the sun came up." Thus it's possible the song could be metaphorical for the life of a travelling, touring rock n' roll band with this in mind. I mean with lines like "I'm a cowboy on a steel horse I ride", "Sometimes I sleep, sometimes it's not for days" and "I've seen a million faces and I've rocked them all", you can connect the metaphors can't you? Heck, the "steel horse" could even refer to the tour bus I mentioned earlier.
As is, the lyrics still sound really badass and convey that feeling of being in an Old West setting with cowboys and wanted fugitives. It conveys a pretty cool image that can come to your head when listening to this song and I could EASILY imagine this song being featured in a Western movie. Maybe put it over a scene where the cowboy hero travels to a new town and is ready for a shoot-out with the bad guys or something...
And of course, it has kickass instrumental work to accompany the lyrics. We start off small at first with acoustic guitar music and soft wind blowing sounds to add that authentic Wild West theme to the song and then as the song goes on, the rock music comes in and it really starts to get epic and enjoyable to listen to. It's the sort of song that makes you feel like a badass and like you could take on anyone who gets in your way while feeling like an action hero. I just get pumped up every time I listen to it.
This song is a Bon Jovi classic and my absolute favourite of them all. It's awesome, it gets me pumped up, it's fun to sing along to, it sounds epic and the Wild West theme adds an extra layer of awesomeness to the song that only makes it more enjoyable. I certainly want this song alive, NOT dead, for Wanted Dead Or Alive is my Number 1 Favourite Bon Jovi song...
And that's all I have for my Top 10 Favourite Bon Jovi Songs. I hope you enjoyed this list and even enjoyed the songs I provided the links for up above. I invite you all to share your comments down below. Which Bon Jovi songs are YOUR favourites? Which ones would you put on your own Top 10 list? I'd love to hear your choices. Next week I have yet another Robot Wars essay, and this one is all about Tornado. See you then media fans!
Honorable Mentions: I Wish Everyday Could Be Like Christmas, Have A Nice Day, Blaze of Glory, Please Come Home For Christmas and Bed of Roses.
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Great list of all great songs form legendry band as well some detailed history lesson!!
I like everything especially "Dead Or Alive" remember that song when myself played GTA IV: TLID DLC many years ago!
Those are great choices. I really do love Bon Jovi's music myself.
My fav songs are It's my life, You give love a bad name and my number one is Livin' on a Prayer.
Livin on a Prayer is also my fav song of all time...or at least in terms of songs that don't hail from musical movies or tv series.