Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi is an American rock band formed in Sayreville, New Jersey, in 1983. The line-up comprises singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarists John Shanks and Phil X, percussionist Everett Bradley and bassist Hugh McDonald. The original bassist, Alec John Such, left the band in 1994, and long-serving guitarist and co-writer of its songs, Richie Sambora, departed in 2013.

In 1984, Bon Jovi released its self-titled debut album, whose single 'Runaway' reached the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. In 1986, the band achieved widespread success and worldwide recognition with its third album, Slippery When Wet, which included three singles in the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10, two of which reached number one: 'You Give Love a Bad Name' and 'Livin' on a Prayer'. Its fourth album, New Jersey (1988), was also very successful commercially, with five singles in the Top 10, among them the number ones 'Bad Medicine' and 'I'll Be There for You'. The band recorded and toured in the late 1980s, culminating in the New Jersey Syndicate Tour (1988–90).

In 1992, the band returned with Keep the Faith, a double-platinum album, which included the hit 'Bed of Roses'. This was followed by 'Always', its best-selling single and the one that spent the longest time on the charts, in 1994. The album These Days (1995) showed a more mature sound. After a second hiatus, its 2000 album Crush, and in particular its lead single 'It's My Life', introduced the group to a younger audience. The platinum albums Have a Nice Day (2005) and Lost Highway (2007) incorporated country elements into some songs, including the 2006 single 'Who Says You Can't Go Home', which earned the band a Grammy and became the first single by a rock band to reach number one on the country charts. The Circle (2009) marked a return to the band's rock sound. The band also enjoyed touring success: the Have a Nice Day Tour (2005–06) and the Lost Highway Tour (2007–08) are among the 20 highest-grossing concert tours of the 2000s. Following the release of Because We Can in 2013, lead guitarist Richie Sambora left the band just before a concert of the promotional tour, to spend more time with his family. In 2016 the band released its first studio album without Sambora, This House Is Not for Sale, and toured it in 2017–19. Its 2020 album was reworked to include songs inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic and the George Floyd protests.

Bon Jovi has been recognised for bridging 'heavy metal and pop with style and ease'. The band has released 16 studio albums, five compilations and three live albums. They have sold more than 130 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling American rock bands, and have played 3,000 concerts in 50 countries before a total audience of 34 million people. Bon Jovi was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006 and the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. The band received the Award of Merit at the American Music Awards in 2004.