Reviews (page 4 of 10)
You Give Love A Bad Name, Livin' On A Prayer, Wanted Dead Or Alive, Never Say Goodbye
Slippery When Wet just sounds fun. A true snippet of living in the 80s. Never heard this album before but it was like a trip down memory lane. Side A evidently had some songs that got major radio play ‘cause we knew ‘em by heart and was literally a blast from the past. Side B held up well. Skippin’ skool, six packs, makin’ out in the back seat. L = (3.5*s) Like a day in the life of the eighties. Felt the Van Halen influence, just swaying’ to the music and enjoying the upbeat mood. J = (3.4*s) Union’s been on strike… (Teamsters went on strike at Sylvan Street plant where I worked. Had to cross picket lines, income was tentative with a wife, two kids, and a mortgage.) Never heard Social Disease, but you have to admit that’s clever.
Bah...New Jersey produces some very popular bands but not great ones. Bon Jovi is an annoyance for me. Wimpy hair rock that every drunk chick freaks out over. I understand that this belongs on the list though...it's was a monstrous(ity) hit album that features 3 tracks that have been beaten to death by every rock station, dive bar, and sporting event. The supporting tracks have gone unlistened by the world and for good reason...they suck. "Wild in the Streets" sounded like it may be a nod to the Boss. 1.2 stars for this sexual inuendo.
For some reason I feel like Bon Jovi gets ripped on a bit more than some of their contemporaries. Sure, some of their hits are a little corny, but overall they've managed to stay relevant within their lane of hair metal / glam rock for much longer than they are given credit for. Whether you like them or not their hits are noted crowd-pleasers even if a few of them are played out at this point. Slippery When Wet is the best example of this as a couple of the singles have been beaten to death from radio or cheesy karaoke airplay over the years. In a vacuum the singles aren't bad, but they take on new meaning (both good and bad) when consumed among the masses. It doesn't surprise me that Slippery When Wet was a smash hit upon release and I can see why the hits are still relevant today. It scratches the itch of 80's hair metal and pop rock pretty effectively. Taken at face value 40 years later its still a pretty solid collection of tunes that I think a lot of people enjoy more than they care to admit (especially side A). Props to Bon Jovi (the band) on the album and staying with it despite any flak thrown their way. Props to Bon Jovi (the guy) for what seems like being a decent guy both in and out of his musical career. 3.03 stars
It’s just one of those 80’s albums were you are going to know some big songs from
Alright
This was fun. Two massive songs and the rest were pretty fun to listen to.
Generational bangers up and down the album. Possibly the sound of 80's rock. Reminded me of Sticky Fingers by the Stones from name, banger, etc. I remember getting out of a Sigur Ros show at the Ryman in Nashville the same time as a Bon Jovi show next door. I overheard a woman coming out say "y'all... I can now honestly say I've lived my life!" This is a ton of people's favorite album and artist.
So I've never been big on hair metal, but this is good hair metal. And yes, it's full of bangers. Plus half a star for Bon Jovi seeming like pretty good dude, which seems rare in the world of classic rock stars. 3.5 stars
I think this is the kind of 80's music I dislike the most...
Vraiment l’un des meilleurs albums que j’ai écouté dernièrement!
Classic
Dreadful. The three massively famous songs - “You Give Love a Bad Name”, “Wanted Dead or Alive” and “Livin on a Prayer” are passable in isolation, but in context of the album are avatars of the hollowness of the whole Bon Jovi project. A slick facsimile of hair metal with none of the sleaze or grit, empty platitudes and not a single original idea.
Overall not too bad. If you go in expecting to hear lots of "whoa ohs" and hair metal riffs you won't be disappointed. It's cheesy and fun and has some huge hits from that era.
One of my favorite Bon Jovi albums. Just so many bangers to sing along to… but sadly I’m dealing with the flu as this choice came up, and I couldn’t sing along without immediately coughing. *Sadface*
This is an easy 4 star. 3 massive hits. The rest of the album is listenable.
Favorite Track: Dead or Alive
yes yes that was great
Бэнгеры. Лучшая песня - Livin' On A Prayer.
Catchy, hooks you in immediately and has the power to sustain throughout. Fully understand why Jbj became a star off this. Added to the library.
Not exactly my thing, but at least it's fun and interesting.
Well known songs. Doesn’t mean I like them. It’s not the sort of music you can listen to and expect your family to respect you any longer.
Maybe biased for this album - on a family holiday when I was 9, Cross Road was the only album anyone brought. There's quite a few songs from SWW on this album, so it brings back very good memories. 233.
Despite an affection for 80s hair metal and even this specific band, I don’t think this album needs to be on the list.
I think my hair feathered itself while listening to this.
Me agrado, no le puse tanta atención como quisiera
Music for a demographic that exclusively uses the word "banger" to describe the music they like.
All the best Bom Jovi on here and a childhood classic for Goof - many roadtrips spent singing this at the top of her lungs alongside the rest of her family. Nice nostalgia trip alongside quality music.
no skips
It is a good sing along good time album with a couple classic hits. Unfortunately it goes down hill on the backend, the last few songs were a big disappointment for me.
good album, many iconic songs
Un disco divertido y exitoso como pocos con canciones que se han instalado en la memoria colectiva. Directos al estrellato, con un álbum que se hizo masivo, temas coreables más propios de estadios y multitudes que de garitos de carretera. Aquí se hizo mainstream el entonces llamado heavy, aunque en realidad no sea otra cosa que rock y pop con los calificativos que se quieran poner. Heavy había bastantes más cosas: Metallica, Motorhead, AC/DC y tantos otros pero Bon Jovi supo captar a los jóvenes y especialmente al público fenemino que entró a saco en este cóctel destinado a llamarse Gun n Roses...
Not really a Bon Jovi fan... But I guess this is the one to listen to if you want some of the main hits. The rest fits in pretty well, just not a fan.
Puddelrock på sitt beste, uten at det sier så mye....
Fun times … I liked it 👍
3.5
Absolute classic. Rocks from start to finish. Wanted is a fucking banger.
Rv
I refuse
fucking shite. worst guitar, vocal, lyrical, chorus style ever. The members of this band just seem like horrible, arrogant people. At least Van Halen had some type of substance, and that was like half a decade before this. Favourite songs: none. Overall around 2/10
Liked it! Reminded me of my childhood from when they'd switch from the country to the rock radio station. If that makes sense lol
God awful
Billed on release as 'Hard Rock for women', Bon Jovi actually lives up to that tag line, for better or for worse. Sure, a lot of this album is pretty inofensive and safe, but a lot of these hook cannot be denied. Key tracks: You Give Love a Bad Name Livin' on a Prayer Wanted Dead or Alive
7/10 It’s fine, but doesn’t feel as awesome as some other hard/arena rock out there
I was a senior in high school when this came out, listening to alternative, indie and new wave music. And, yet, this pop metal, hair band, anthem-style album just rocked. Today,I listen to classic vinyl and jam bands. And, still, this album just rocks. It's undeniably nostalgic 80s rock that is still fun today.
Bon Joni packs nearly every cliche you can think of into one album that runs under 45 minutes. It's sound is big, dumb and a lot of fun. It rocks. If you were born in North America and are of a certain age, it's likely you were conceived to this album in the back of a Chevy or Ford sometime between the summer of 1986 & the summer of 1988. If you born in the UK or Australia between the second part of 1987 to the end of the decade same goes for you minus the Chevy or Ford. He said he would die for you - you smiled and said nothing as you pulled down your Victoria's Secret panties, and he turned up went the music. Later that night you fed each other French fries, laughing at anything and everything & making big dumb promises to each other. It fucking rocked.
So bad. Should have been 15 minutes shorter, at least. This might be the lowest 2 I ever give but it's not unlistenable like a 1
my cursor is pixels away from giving it a 1/5 but i cant bring myself to do it
the only thing bon jovi reminds me of is the hit cw show supernatural
Starts off great with some really fun hair metal classics - bad name, prayer, wanted - those are awesome songs. Then there is the grand cheese fest. Without love, I’d die for you, never say goodbye. Yuck. The production is awesome and these guys were huge back in the day. They still try playing dude can’t sing anymore.
Loved this album growing up. Livin on a prayer, Wanted dead or alive, You give love a bad name. Classics.
10/10 - some absolute university bangers on here, also perfect length of an album, nothing exaggerated
This one genuinely surprised me. I’m so tired of the played out tracks off this, but they’re so iconic and so anthemic I couldn’t not bob my head. This feels like it was probably the Hybrid Theory of its day. I also am contractually obligated to score this high given there’s a solid chance I was conceived to this album. I was stuck between a 3 and a 4 on this one and I went with a 3 because the album drops off at the end. It’s less an album that’s amazing and more a collection of banger singles.
Lots of great songs. Fun to listen to, even decades later.
One of the few good 80s rock albums, always amazed that the legacy of Punk seemed to be bland mor rock as produced by Bon Jovi, Asia Aerosmith and the likes
I thought this would have really aged badly but it stood up better than I expected.
This was one of the first CDs I owned and I remember loving it. I still think some of the songs are great: "Living on a Prayer" and "Wanted Dead Or Alive". The album as a whole sounds more dated than I expected. Still, there's enough to put it into 4-star territory.
The three big singles hold up, with their catchiness trumping their goofy earnestness. The rest of the album from forgettable pop rock fluff to almost feeling like a parody of 80s hair metal. Still, mostly harmless.
Impossible not to sing along to 'Wanted Dead or Alive' and 'Living on a Prayer.' My husband sprang to attention at 'Raise Your Hands' given it's on the Spaceballs soundtrack. The rest is hair metal arena anthems that don't really hold up.
20/10/2025 A classic. Say no more. Spotify listeners: 30.6 million.
Not my cup of tea
Great 90s rock
As bland and predictable as rock music can get. It's music that is specifically engineered to be played in a stadium, it has to be so simple that crowds of extremely basic people can sing along
This makes me want to grow a mullet.
Me likey, a few super iconic songs and the rest of the album was solid
Not my taste 2/5
80s glam rock all sounds kinda the same to me. That’s not to say I dislike it though. And Bon Jovi brings the hits.
It’s fine. Still not a Bon Jovi fan.
While this is a classic album, its music is meh, corporate swill
not my favourite band, but this thing had some big hits on it and sounds ahead of its time. Raise Your Hands was a gem added to the playlist.
funny how the best Bon Jovi album is still crap
Of all the bromances Len Houmous has had over the years. The one I was always most on board with was with Jon Bon Jovi. The two of them used the have the most fun! Always harmless. Mostly involved afternoon teas but you could always tell when Len had spent some time with Jon! 4.4 5/10 Wanted Dead or Alive
Everything is good
Something made me think less of Slippery When Wet when I learned that "Livin' on a Prayer" and "You Give Love a Bad Name" were co-written with prolific songwriter Desmond Child. Sure, they rock, but it does feel like cheating. "Wanted Dead or Alive" was at least only credited to Bon Jovi/Sambora and I do regard it as a classic.
This album makes me feel exactly like I did when I bought it on cassette at age 11, but now I know what the lyrics mean. "Johnny used to work on the docks. Union's been on strike, he's down on his luck, it's tough." I'm sure I shouted that at the top of my lungs at the 6th grade dance but what did I know? Still, it rocked then. It rocks now.
Layer upon layer of processed American cheese.
I had actually missed some stadium rock , it had been a while . Slipperwhen wet has its classic tracks and generally is upbeat and fun with a banging opener … it does lose its flame by the end
....
This is probably the only Bon Jovi album worth listening too.
Supongo que aún siendo el "heavy" más comercial de esa época no se puede negar que tiene al menos un par de buenas canciones. Me guardo «You Give Love a Bad Name» y «Livin' on a Prayer».
Some good riffs and bits. But rather run of the mill in many other ways.
Twats
some bangers, but some “what the hell” inducing songs
Some hits on there. Not for me though
Huge album, still relevant 40 years on Named after a trip to a strip club :)
Tommy used to crank it all day, scrolling through the hub, he watched in 4k...
basically the pinacle of 80s radio rock really. It's all big and cheesey. Guitarist loves pinch harmonics. It's a good album, it does what it's supposed to do. Just not to my taste.
Yep!
I don't know that Bon Jovi has anything to say to us, but he can be fun when you're open to it. The first 5 tracks here are fun and have a good energy, then it starts to get corny and melodramatic, and the thinness of it can't keep me anymore.
Street cred be damned, Slippery When Wet has brought me decades of memories, all of them wistful and good. What more could I possibly want? Recall the group of boys clumped together, fists in the air, sing-shouting "Shot through the heart!" Recall two buddies speeding down a country road in the summer with a broken air conditioner, windows down, cigarettes in hand, sing-shouting "Woah-OH! Livin' on a prayer!" Recall brightly lit karaoke rooms, a few small beers in, sing-shouting, with all the passion of a half-drunk invincible kid in his early 20s, "I'm a cowboy... on a STEEL horse I ride..." Just because glam metal / hair metal was almost immediately a parody of itself doesn't mean that there weren't sensational moments. Music doesn't all have to be challenging and deeply personal. Music that makes me feel this much joy has *immense* value.
This album took hair metal mainstream. A bit too rock radio friendly for my taste but commercially very successful. A couple of catchy singles but still wouldn't make into my collection.
Hair metal meets arena rock. I was about to start college when this album was released. I was into heavier metal and punk but also liked some of the hair metal but never liked bands like Journey so this album was meh for me at the time. When I got to college I realized that the girls liked Bon Jovi way more than Iron Maiden, Metallica or Discharge so I had this on heavy rotation. Listening to it again now there are some fun songs and there is some trash. Too much arena rock at times, especially with the over the top production.
It’s good, in a cheesy way 3/5
usually i like albums like this, but nothing really resonated with me on this one. not sure why?
2.9
Whoever picked the singles got it exactly right. Everything else is forgettable.
If you like Bon Jovi, this might be an all timer. His three biggest songs in one album. Pretty insane. I do not like Bon Jovi. So I did not like this at all.
Understand the influence but not into it
No es mi género favorito. Es más, me cansa y aburre soberanamente. Las tres canciones famosas las he tenido que pasar por razones obvias. Y la curiosidad por saber que más tenía el disco que ofrecer se me ha pasado inmediatamente. Creo que todo lo demás que ha hecho Bon Jovi es copiarse a sí mismo interminablemente. Lo que no entiendo es cómo tantas bandas y cantantes han querido imitarlos.
Как метал - это плохо, как поп - вполне нормик
Bon Jovi is fun!
Never been a fan. This is just too cheesy.
J’aime bien le côté hétéroclite mais c’est pas monstrueux non plus
Ca motive !!!
Well, it's Bon Jovi, so you know what you're getting. Fun.
sólido 7
Three good karaoke songs and then a bunch of garbage. 2.5/5
The good is great and the bad is pretty dreary.
Turn your brain off and forget the world is burning.
I thought I wouldn't like this but I forgot how rockin' Living On A Prayer is. I also thought I would like Boston but I actually preferred this album. For some reason I always thought Bon Jovi was 70s rock but I guess it's 80s, so I learned something new today too. 3.5
3.8
Some songs with great belting choruses, and some pedestrian tracks. Interesting to listen to it the whole way through for the first time.
Nothing for me here really. It’s a silly album. I do like it when a lyricist uses convoluted grammar to make a line fit though, and “On a steel horse I ride” might be the single most famous/prominent line like that in all of pop music. Extra star for that.
Literal definition of MOR. What a poor album to start with. Not annoying though. MOR album gets MOR score
Pretty terrible arena rock and the entire album did not age well. Hits I thought were great in high school (dead or alive) are forever ruined by constant radio overplay. Bumped up to 2 stars solely because Living on a Prayer has its rightful place: to be blared loudly in arenas during 3rd period hockey comebacks.
A tribute to drunk boomer moms everywhere.
a classic, the non singles dont hold up as well but every song is at least good
So many all time classics. The quintessential rock album.
Very listenable. Some real bangers, but a lot of mid stuff in between. Best tracks: You Give Love a Bad Name, Livin' on a Prayer
Brought back a lot of memories. There is some good shit in here. Still I think the genius of Bon Jovi was marketing. They just knew how to make hit songs and promote them. Hello to all my friends that loved hair bands. I am looking at you Ray Madonna!
There's a lot of people that hate on bon jovi and I never understood why After listening to this album all the way through, I get the hate now. It's bland and boring with two songs that fit the "okay I guess" category
Dad- 5 Mom- 6 Mike- 4 Lori- 6 Michael- 6 Miles- 3 Cole- NA Avg- 5
Bon Jovi, the rocker who smiles. Greatness.
tutta la mia infanzia, Jon ti amo e ti amerò per sempre <3
Hit su Hit
How many no 1 hits on this album?
I'd love to rate this higher. It's a huge piece of the soundtrack of my formative years and it brings back a lot of memories. Which, isn't music supposed to do that? If music is creating an emotional response, good, bad or otherwise, isn't that what most song writers would love to hear? So fuck it, I'll give it 5 stars on that alone.
I'm emphatically not a Bon Jovi fan. In fact the whole hair pop metal scene of the 80s is just cringe as hell. I decided to give this a fresh listen since I've basically avoided Bon Jovi since around 2000 as much as possible, but all I can say is I was right. This shit is so painful to listen to. Sure, the hooks are solid and all, but the lyrics are god awful, the 80s drums are tacky, the keys a little too polished and make the sum of the parts sounds gooberish. I'm happy it's been 25 years since I've listened to Bon Jovi and I was right to do so. I won't be coming back to this one ever.
This album has 3 absolute huge glam rock belters, if that’s your cup of tea this might be the greatest album of all time. I was struck listening to Livin on a Prayer by how minimal and quiet the guitar is. This song is so overplayed it’s difficult to really enjoy. Of the big hitters Wanted Dead or Alive was the most surprisingly engaging. Wild in the Streets sounds a bit like a Bruce Springsteen song. I feel like I should be more critical of this album but really it was quite enjoyable. 3.4/5
I'm definitely not a Bon Jovi fan, and I find everything they've done pretty boring, with the exception of two songs: "Wanted Dead or Alive" and "Livin' on a Prayer." And coincidentally, both songs are on this album. So, 3 stars.
Whenever I have albums like this I can't help but be glad Nirvana killed this stuff, and not because I like Nirvana anyway but because we really didn't need 10,000 more albums of this shit. I get this stuff is fun or cheesy goodness but to me its the exact kind of cheese that made so much rock (ESPECIALLY 80s ROCK) sound the fucking same and it was always boring despite how much it tries to hype you up Just, so glad its dead because we don't need this
not my cup of tea
Meh
not for the lactose intolerant - nothing but cheese
This is the absolute worst kind of music made by the worst kind of people. This is literal dribble made exclusively to pack arenas and sell a brand. They just took a heaping scoop of rock du jour and put into a vat of shit that is this album. No creativity, no soul, no innovation. Fuck you Bon Jovi. I also had to go to an awful Bon Jovi concert while he was 30 years past his prime with my ex-girlfriend and her family and I'm totally not bitter about it at all.
Didn't realize how many hits were actually on this one album. The songs kind of all sound a bit similar after a while, but I think that is just because Jon Bon Jovi's voice is always at the center of the song. Outside the hits, I was pleasantly surprised with the rest of the album! Favorites: - You Give Love A Bad Name - Wanted Dead or Alive - I'd Die for You - Wild In The Streets
I’m not sure what the general consensus is on Bon Jovi, but this album has a bunch of bangers. I had a good time throughout the playthrough, even if a few of their songs started to blend together. Favorite tracks: - You Give Love A Bad Name - Livin’ On A Prayer - Wanted Dead Or Alive - I’d Die For You
No clue how anyone hates this, one of the best pop records ever made. This album FLIES by because it's just banger after banger after banger. Super catchy and fun to sing along to, and some sick guitar playing too!!
This is the album that brought Bon Jovi to the popular fore. Big sound, big venues, big hair. And that's not even counting the picture my wife has taped to her vanity mirror of Jon, wearing tight jeans and carrying his plumbing tools into Ally McBeal's bathroom.
I've heard it said of Stephen King that he "writes books for people who don't read books". Likewise, Bon Jovi makes music for people who don't listen to music.
I didn't know until listening to this album four times on repeat that Bon Jovi are really great and I love them. Peak 80s.
Hair metal goes stadium pop - sleek, machined, crammed with hooks, and with one foot up on the monitors
Undeniably a good album, but just a little bit too American for me.
Great album to listen through the weekend. :)
I chose not to be a hater
Crazy vill bekannti lieder aber fühle de bon jovi nid so..
Funny a couple ok tunes. Just not my thing.
incio epico con el organo a lo fantasma de la opera, en general buenos temas, dos de ellos muy miticos, un sonido muy caracteristico sin hacerse pesado. De pequeña era mas fan ahora no lo escucho pero puedo reconocer la calidad
Got some popular tracks but as a complete album its so so.
Classic but repetitive.
Way better than that era usually offers. The entire album has aged gracefully and there isn't a single bad song on it.
Iconic album
Worse than I thought, it was a real slog for a slightly hungover jay
Why can’t I leave 0 stars. This was a glam dream from hell
Sexy men and sexy hair. Some classics on here, but I don't think I vibed with it, every song sounds the same, whiney man and whammies. Sorry Jon bon Jovi you didn't make me slippery
Absolute classics! Songs to scream to. Songs to cry to. Songs to rock out to! Winner!
Cool but too metallic for my taste tho
Got some bangers all on one album
so many bangers and classics in one album!!! the ones that aren't singles though were pretty boring to me. 7/10
p552. 1986. 3 stars. The epitome of 80s US stadium pop rock. Perfectly acceptable as long as you don't take it too seriously. Points deducted for dated synths and shiny plastic production.
can't deny the earworms
3 all-time classics and 7 hair metal by the numbers songs = 3 stars.
This was a low era/point in rock and roll history. Was this really considered good? How anyone could shamelessly listen to this without seeing dollar signs falling from the sky is beyond me. This is a long fall from the greatness of 60s and 70s rock. I’ll go three just because of its lingering (unfortunately) impact on the time; although, I do not understand it.
Groupe connu et pas apprécié du tout à l'époque. Le "hard FM" me paraissait très mou et peu intéressant : la même année Slayer sortait 'Reign in Blood', Metallica 'Master of puppets' et Kreator 'Pleasure to kill', des albums vraiment créatifs que j'aime toujours écouter presque 40 ans après. Mon avis sur Bon Jovi n'a pas changé avec cette première écoute d'un album complet : pas désagréable mais toujours pas intéressant. Au moins le classement en 'Metal' m'a fait sourire ... =>2/5
NEJ! Hur mycket jag än älskar att skriva och läsa sågningar, för det är alltid dom bästa recensionerna. Men Nej det här går inte... Jag mår bokstavligen illa Jag lyssnar fan hellre på Venom Etta så svag att det borde va en nolla men det går tydligen inte Lyssna hellre på Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band - Born in the USA, Europe - The final countdown
New Jerseys näst största. Klär man av pudelrock-kostymen finns här några hyfsade Springsteenpastischer.
Här var det pudel! 80-tals-synthar och och tuff på låtsas. Inte helt lätt att ta till sig. ”Hårdrockens” största problem är att den inte är hård. Allra minst i den här tappningen. Dock några melodier som kanske låtit bättre i annat arrangemang (avslutande spåren är nästan helt okej).
Svårt att ta sig an det här albumet utan förutfattade meningar. Hitsen har ingen kunnat undvika. Schlager komplett med tonartshöjning och allsångsrefränger. Dessa har jag hört till leda. Inte fullt så uselt som jag förväntat mig. Känns som de lyssnat sjukligt mycket på Van Halen. Här finns egentligen bara material till en ep. Resten är utfyllnad. Om man mot förmodan satt på skivan bör man stänga av efter Livin' On A Prayer. Svag 2:a.
standard classic rock
Why does Jon Bovi sound like he’s constantly straining?! Honestly, that can’t be healthy.
Oh, glam metal, great. Side 1: Let it Rock is laughably bad, wasting a cool proggish intro with a terrible song. Then the two big singles. Decent for what they are, which are desperate, blatant claims to the charts. And it worked, 3 billion streams between them. Social Disease sounds like what a small town cover band would pull out, saying 'now for one of our own songs' while the crowd goes for beers. Wretched, with the keyboard 'horn stabs' being the absolute cherry on the festering pile. And then the worst cowboy song until Kid Rock. But I still enjoy it, because I am a sick man. And that's the end of Side 1, which is the good side of the album. I'll make this side short - Raise Your Hands is the best track on the album, Without You is dreck, I'd Die For You is decent, Never Say Goodbye's awfulness doesn't even have the excuse of being written by Desmond Child, and Wild in the Streets is also a song on here. I owned this cassette as a youngster when it came out. Of course I did, everyone did. But I don't remember really ever playing it, because you could hear the singles on the radio every half hour if you needed your Jovi. One thing I noticed on this playthrough is that John Bongiovi Jr really only has a one-octave voice, with anything above that becoming more of a strained screech. But I'm not giving this a 1, I'm just not. It is what it is, a 2.
meh
I didn't realize how much I hate Bon Jovi until listening to this straight through.
https://media.tenor.com/f-hcv7s5qfAAAAAM/not-listening.gif
This was not nearly as terrible as I expected
Really can't stand this guy and his music. I wish all of Buffalo would have stayed a Bon Jovi free zone. Even if him moving the Buffalo Bills was just a rumor started by Donald Trump he still sucks.
It is a bit like someone said "people like Ratt, people like Styx" and Bon Jovi was like "say no more fam" and went and recorded this album and then took it to a record executive to give the band notes and then the band re-recorded to appease the corporate record execs and then the album was on the Billboard Hot 100 and went on to sell 15 million copies leaving us stuck with poppy crap corpo rock masquerading as rebellious anti-establishment music with tracks that cops and administrators at construction companies play on their way home from work to feel badass.
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm proto-butt rock
Gotta admit my bias here. This type of music was one of my favorites at the time it came out, with me in my late teens and early 20s. And I liked Bon Jovi well enough, but nowhere near my favorite. I actually like the first Bon Jovi album more than this overall. The singles are probably better here, though. You Give Love A Bad Name & Livin' On A Prayer were always on the radio and played at parties and events everywhere. I still think Wanted Dead Or Alive is a great song from this time. Social Disease, on the other hand, is the poster child for everything people don't like about this sort of glam rock era. While I know it's not groundbreaking, influential music, my memories of it in the background of many great events make it a winner for me. I won't go seeking it, but when it pops up randomly I vibe with it happily enough.
let it rock- 2 you give love a bad name- 2. stop living on a prayer- squidward on a chair. 2 social diseases- 2 wanted dead or alive- 1. can this song end already raise your hands- 2 without love- 2 id die for you- good lord. 1 never say goodbye- 2 wild in the streets- 1
Banger after banger. What an intro track!
I thought this would for sure be a 5 but I don’t think it’s worthy. The hits are great, the rest is…less great. 4.5 rounded down.
I wanted to like this more but it didn’t speak to me overall, and even the hits, which I like well enough, weren’t as great when listening to them in a row, if that makes sense. The fact that they brought in a kind of a songwriter for hire, Desmond Child, to help write 2 of the 3 hits kinda bugs me. JBJ sure is cute, though, and a couple of the non-hit tracks were pretty good. 2.5 rounded up to 3 because Maggie’s seen them twice in concert.
I like “livin on a prayer.” It does a disservice to too many drunken college nights to pretend otherwise. But I won’t say any of these songs are good. I wonder if I could learn the guitar parts to this entire album in a day. Oh, maybe not: I see a couple scattered measures in some of the guitar solos that would be tricky for me. I couldn’t play the “raise your hands” riff, especially that harmonic run. Maybe I could get to 90% in a day. I mean this sincerely: in “wanted dead or alive,” is he a cowboy or a rock star? If he’s a rock star, nobody wants him dead. If he’s a cowboy, he doesn’t ride a steel horse. A steel horse is, I assume, a tour bus. I would guess he’d say he’s both a metaphorical cowboy *and* a real rock star, but then the writing is full of mixed metaphors and it’s just bad. A loaded six-string isn’t a thing. What makes you say you might not make it back? Sir, we are talking about a Wednesday night at an arena in Minneapolis, not the OK Corral. What about being on the road makes you a cowboy? When the best explanation for a song’s lyrics is “we didn’t think about it for longer than about five seconds,” that’s not great. I know “raise your hands” from a movie. What movie, Google? Oh, it’s Spaceballs. I kinda thought that was a fake bad song they made up for the movie. Guess not! It is a real bad song Bon Jovi made up and then voluntarily chose to include on an actual album people paid money for. Between a 1 and a 2. On the one hand, there’s no artistic merit to any of this and my “crass sellout” alarms are blaring. On the other, how many times have I screamed “whoa-oh” in my life because of this album? That’s worth something. Okay, so I wrote that last paragraph with about four songs to go on the album. And those songs sucked. I’m going to give this a 1, add “livin on a prayer” to my ongoing playlist for this project, and note that my nostalgia for that song is very strong and the 1 rating is not a reflection of good times had at parties and weddings. It is a reflection that Bon Jovi fucking sucks.
Big guitars over the top on almost every song. Pop music that sounds like real rock.
shot through the heart and you're to blame my name is my band's name -bon jovi, probably You gotta give it to them for writing a couple of classic rock anthems and then the very next track is a piece of hot garbage called 'Social Disease'. If I had to pick, I would give a slight edge to 'You Give Love A Bad Name', which sounds like an Alice Cooper song. Lyrically, 'Living On A Prayer' tries to be Springsteen but ends up more like Billy Joel.
The hits were largely the highlights for me, but this album is clearly a force. These dudes know how to write a melody. Plus, Jon Bon Jovi is a cutie.
It is what it is and doesn't pretend to be what it isn't.
Cheesy 80’s pop-rock/soft-metal. Livin’ on a Prayer is a fun, anthemic party rocker but the rest of the album is either complete Velveeta or forgettable formula rock.
The most pop of the 80s glam metal bands. A little to slick. A little too polished. That being said some of those singles bring back good memories.
Is it high art? Not really. It doesn't really push any boundaries or really do anything new. But it's really fun and I had a much better time listening to this than I did a lot of the albums on the list.
Classic - heavy metal becomes hair metal
Good
Otroligt ostigt på ett ganska härligt sätt, och riktigt maffiga hits. Men en del aktivt irriterande låtar tyvärr
Förvånansvärt starkt ändå, bra power och ett par riktiga klassiker!
Whoa oh, livin' on a prayer~
Bedrövlig underbar musik
My primary school best friend loved bonjovi and I remember calling them a ‘fake band’ because I never heard of them You give love a bad name and living on a prayer are too similar to be put next to each other. It’s just a bit dull but listenable 3/5
It’s got the hits and that’s about it.
kind of like bruce springsteen if bruce springsteen sucked lots of hits, kind of fun!
Nostalgic but slightly cringey
Its not a 5 but its not far off
Just can't give the love and appreciation that most people have for Bon Jovi and his classic rock vibes.
The hits are rousing, I admit! Crazy sounds at the beginning of Livin on a Prayer that I love. It’s not that bad but he just has a very theatrical sound that is kinda funny to me… not my thing. I see why this album was huge for him though, it’s stacked!
Hehe
one time in grade 7 me, brian danielson and cole jefferies all wore canadian tuxedos to english class and performed a lip sync'd version of Livin' on a Prayer as like a boy band. I do not remember what assignment inspired us to do that but I do remember two things distinctly. number 1 is that it was completely my idea. the song, the dress code, the choreo. I also stayed up until like 2am on a school night to fully memorize the lyrics to the song to improve my lip syncing. The second thing I remember is that we were the only students who came to class in costumes, the only students who did a performance of any kind AND we got a near failing grade on the assignment because apparently I completely misunderstood what we were supposed to do and convinced bryan and cole (a students) that I understood the assignment better than them (B- student btw) anyways, unrelated to the story bon jovi sucks
3 Looking for deep meaning, then look elsewhere but it still rocks and is a fun dumb record. production is dated but jon sounds good and Sambora's guitar sounds great. A true timecapsule of the time period. Don't think too much just steal a beer from your parent fridge tease your hair out and turn it up and rock.
music that would be so so so much fun to see live. obviously livin on a prayer and you give love a bad name are staples. i don’t think i realized how little verse there actually is to ‘livin on a prayer’, but it’s good stuff. physically reacted to the line ‘you lost more than that in my backseat baby’ I was not expecting that! pop metal’s not entirely for me but i see how foundational this album was. not adding to library
Good album
I will say this about Bon Jovi, they released this album and intended to rocket to the top of MTV and all rock charts with it and they succeeded with it. Right out of the gate it hits with 5 banger songs in a row. Well, Social Disease isn't a super banger, but it's decent. But yeah, any album that comes out with 5 really good songs in a row, it's bound to be a classic. Oh, but do trust and believe it's got some stinkers on it (Never Say Goodbye and Wild in the Streets), but on the whole it's a good album and deserves to be on this list. 3.25/5 = 3 on this scale.
Due to my age, I've a nostalgic fondness for the singles from this album. They're not very good, but they remind me of the freedom I had as a child. Thanks to this I'm giving the album 2 stars because otherwise, frankly, it's shit.
Bon Jovi is a lot better then I thought based on overplayed hits
The A side is good but it falls hard. I think this was the hair metal album that made me realize I actually didn’t like the genre that much.
A dumb fun 80's hair metal album and probably in contention for the best album of the kind along with 1984? Anyways, there are some absolute classics here obviously, along with serviceable album cuts, so it's getting a 4.
So this is the Bon Jovi record that has all his hits on it that I heard all the time in bars when I was a young 20-something. Overall, it's not bad, and includes some catchy, innovative tunes, but it definitely has its cheesy elements. I'm okay with this one.
It's not clever, but it sure is big. What a rush all those singles are, almost impossible to pick a fave. The thing that stood out for me throughout is what a terrific voice JBJ has. It's allied to really good musicians and songwriting, plus very OTT production, but he really holds his own.
A dangerously combustible mix of hair spray, pure cocaine, industrial cynicism, and half remembered Springsteen songs. I've known this album as anything other than a corny joke to bellow along with when it the hits come on the radio - three singalong karaoke mega jams that are undeniably fun despite being way overplayed and incredibly crap. Listening through in full I realize that even the hits are way too long and the joke wears off after the first chorus, but the song keeps going, and goooooooooing. The rest is 80s pop metal filler with an emphasis on the pop - the metal is exclusively the palm muted riffs and squealing pinch harmonics on the guitar. It sucks at such a deeply fundamental it's almost good. Almost...
There is nothing about this style that I relate or react positively to. Whatever extremely valid reasons people may have for enjoying this type of music - it's "fun", "badass", hooky, nostalgic, etc. - are not reasons that I personally find agreeable or applicable. There is nothing on a musical, lyrical, or production level that moves, intrigues, or excites me in any way whatsoever. I like so many artists, albums, and songs for so many different reasons - for instance, I think some of them are fun, badass, hooky, nostalgic, etc. But when I consider every element that has ever brought me enjoyment in any given song, album, or genre, I don't hear any of them present in music like this. 0.5/5
Earlier in this project I probably would have given this a lukewarm 5, but over 500 albums in, hearing some amazing and some terrible ones, this is a solid 4. Lots of Bon Jovi’s best songs are on this album, and it’s a great 80s rock record that really captures the sound at the time. Some filler songs, but overall a really fun record.
Original review is spot on! "How my teenage angst and young broken heart are thankful for Bon Jovi. “Cross Road” never left my ears, and that compilation album wouldn’t be half what it is without “Slippery When Wet”! It doesn’t surprise me to see so many low ratings from the haters, just makes me love it more… 5+"
I didn't like it then, still not a fan. Hair metal was kinda so-so and hasn't really aged that well. It's the kind of music that needs to be in movies set in the 80's as someone skates down a street clearly late for something.
meh
classics that made me who i am
I mean it’s fine. Everyone knows the hits and they were massive. But every other song is so passive and insincere.
Like Boston, this is designed to hit those pleasure centers in the brain. Shot Through the Heart, Livin on a Prayer, and Wanted Dead or Alive are undeniable ear worms and a crazy 3 singles to have on one album. That said, they’re so transparently catchy that I found it took me out of it a bit. The lyrics are absurd and the rest of the album is filler. Maybe on another day I’d give this a 5 but it’s a 4 for me.
Generally not a hair metal fan but it's hard not to like this poppy/rock sound. Singalong songs for stadiums and arenas. Three of their best songs on the first side of this record.
I'd never heard this album in full before and it rocked. I can't believe that "You Give Love A Bad Name", "Living On A Prayer", and "Wanted Dead or Alive" appear back to back to back. Wow. I also never really thought of Bon Jovi as a hair metal band since they moved beyond that eventually, but they most certainly were!
It’s OK.
* zero stars
One of my favourite bands and one of their best albums, can’t go wrong! Beautifully 1980s rock all the way through
Classic album that I grew up with. The soundtrack to my pre teen years.
some classics but soo repetitive
Wild how many hits come off this but it’s not particularly good. Listenable I guess
Tale of two albums on this record. You have the absolutely monumental classics like Livin' On A Prayer, You Give Love A Bad Name, and Wanted Dead Or Alive, then the rest of the album is just lukewarm reheats of songs from bands like Van Halen and Def Leppard, or like if Bruce Springsteen made glam metal. Good Bon Jovi songs have this specific vibe (It's My Life and Have A Nice Day also have that vibe), and other than the singles I listed, nothing hits that vibe. Giving it a 3 based on the strength of the hits, but otherwise a pretty tepid record.
It's so slippery, no chance to stay sober with it
Solid record.
Good time rock and roll. More solid than expected.
Every 80’s girl will love this. Some really great songs here.
80s hair band with talent
Good singles
Ah, Bon Jovi, the poppiest of all pop metal bands, and here they are before they became the blandest of all stadium rock bands. It’s very difficult to excited by this album because it lacks any grit or edge. It’s just pop music with guitar solos. It lacks attitude, and it really hasn’t aged well. It was over-hyped in the 1986, and listening to it is still like being mauled by a toothless tiger. The songs are pop standard and is it quite fun, but there is nothing to really blow your mind.
Both amazing and truly terrible
Like all the hits on one album. Difficult to not dig.
A lot of hits, but it’s still Bon Jovi.
Well one or two songs Livin on a prayer
Insanely poppy and produced like a Ronettes album. The way grunge brought punk to the masses, Bon Jovi must have exposed tons of kids to metal-adjacent sounds.
There are some stinkers on here, but still, I managed to see the fun in it all. Perfect sing-a-long album.
The hits are still funny for karaoke nights but I don’t need to listen to the rest.
Another of those "I've listened to this, I never have to listen to it again" albums.
Another album that definitely deserves to be on this list, but definitely doesn't do anything for me. Maybe I'm just too young for Bon Jovi to be anything other than the music you hear in the background of a sporting event.
Some great songs on here but overall the album feels too dated for me to really love it. I can only imagine how amazing this must have been at the time.
This was a great rock album for teenage girls.
Just a little generic for my liking and lacking that creative extra. But at least it's real music unlike most of today's pop garbage.
WHAT THE FUCK IS A KILOMETER
That's alright, living'On A Prayer is cool.
3.5 aged better than I expected.
Fun nostalgia. But better as one-off songs.
A suppose as a cultural touchpoint for the late Reagan era, this album is essential listening. But it's really not very good. It wasn't then, and it hasn't gotten better with age.
Awful awful 80's rock.
Bon Jovi goes HARD.
At its best, it’s up there with Aerosmith for some air-guitar-worthy cock rock. At its worst it’s Livin’ on a Prayer and You Give Love a Bad Name. I think we’re gonna have to split the difference here. I’m quite glad to have Raise Your Hands in my playlist now. That is my unexpected banger of the day.
Que diversão! A banda em plena forma aqui e detonando! TRN Conch.
I mean, it's so silly
For what it is, it's pretty undeniable. Plenty of songs beyond the hits (which are plenty) to rock out to. Guitars, drums, synths, screamy melodies and I'm pretty sure I can hear the hair as well.
ei kummoitsa musiikkia tämä...
Not too shabby
You Give Love a Bad Name Livin' on a Prayer Wanted Dead or Alive
this album is crazy and wet- el karlaum
3.5
Very much Bon Jovi, the singles were all super hits and this album is more of that flavor. Wish there was more variety, just feels a bit samey.
Some earworm anthems for sure, but terrible lyrics and horrible 80s drums.
Banger
The singles are great. The rest is pretty filler.
Sounds like the music that the people that used to beat me up in high school listen to
Отличный альбом, новая классика
Legendary album !
Overrated!
Livin on a Prayer is one of my 50 or so favorite songs of all time. The added bonus of Wanted Dead or Alive and You Give Love a Bad Name along with underrated bangers like Raise Your Hands pushes this to 5 stars
Would you like cheese with that .... ? Not for me.
Wondered if this would change my opinion on Bon Jovi, it did not.
I wasn't anticipating Bon Jovi on this list, but I solidly believe they belong here! Glam metal is unfortunately overlooked and even looked down upon (an incorrect opinion). Bon Jovi is a solid example of glam metal, but I think I could successfully argue that I'm just hearing other bands' sound in Slippery When Wet. I hear a lot of Quiet Riot, in fact. And glam metal albums tend to run their songs together, and Slippery When Wet just sounded too muddled. But I had a lot of fun with this album, which is exactly what glam metal is all about. 3.5
Bon Jovi has so many epic glam/hard rock songs under his belt that are no less than anthems in the music world. A good few of those hit songs are right here on this album. And even still, the non-hits still listen like huge arena anthems. Bon Jovi just has a knack for making music sound BIG, and this album encapsulates that. There's nothing particularly deep about this music, it just really rocks, pun fully intended.
Tons of classics
Way better than I remembered.
Some 3 star songs with a few bangers makes up for a solid 4 star album! Really solid performance, makes sense Bon Jovi is so well known. And literally everybody knows Livin' on a prayer.
actually not one bad song on this album, so many classics on here aswell!! bless him his voice sounds so painful but it adds to it, love you bon jovi 😜
I thought the "crowd singing" effect was a one-time thing in Livin' On A Prayer, but it turns out it's used in pretty much every track. The mixing places Bon Jovi's vocal dead centre, with a group audience behind the listener mirroring the vocals. Really tricks the 1986 listener into thinking these songs are more beloved than they are. Which is pretty genius if you think about it. This was the band's breakthrough album and it has the huge, stadium-esque sound to match it. Plus, having three instantly recognisable megahits in one album is a bit unfair. Give the other albums on the list some room to breathe, will ya? The remaining tracks aren't too bad either. If any of the songs on a record could have plausibly been a global hit single, you know you've done something right. I like the lead vocal. The singer is a pretty typical rock screamer but it works wonders for this style. The arrangement is almost a textbook level of perfection. Incredible riffs in the lead guitar, bass, and synths. Generally great instrument arrangement (the tried-and-true guitar/bass/vocal/drums plus some synths here and there for the 80s flavour). Gritty rock melodies and chords. Maybe a slight overreliance on VIb-VIIb-I progressions, but I don't mind it. Less wishwashy than the infamous "80s production" which is definitely a relief. Livin' On A Prayer, as iconic as it is, doesn't even crack the top 3 tracks on the album because of how dang good some of the "lesser" hits are. Also, as another reviewer wrote: "was going to give this a 4. It's a great album. However, I am going to up that to a 5 as a finger to all of the unfun people who take music so seriously." Yeah. Take that, hippies. 5/5 Key tracks: You Give Love A Bad Name, Social Disease, Wanted Dead Or Alive
Big hair rock at its finest. Some epic rock ballads that you can’t help but sing along with like Wanted Dead Or Alive (used both in Young Guns Soundtrack and Deadliest Catch opening theme song) and Living On A Prayer(who hasn’t belted out “ohhh we’re half way there…”), both mammoth hits; along with the second track- You Give Love A Bad Name, another massive hit. The rest was just okay filler for me, but still fun to think about having those big long locks of hair and banging your head to the beat.
Wasn’t into hairbands in the 80s and I’m still not. 3 huge hits, though, so it gets a 3! I have to admit I enjoyed listening to wanted dead or alive.
I didn’t realize how many of these I knew! Fun listen.
The first half was iconic and the second half was more or less unbearable. I was ready to give 5 stars but I found the second half so annoying I feel like on average I can only really give a 3. Some parts I also just felt didn't age super well, especially the brass bits.
Something about the classic rock guitar and vocals doesn’t sit well with me. I think the right time and place could make these songs really fun, but it wasn’t while I was trying to get work done. Wild how many hits he stacked into this one album too
Great music at the time. Bit dated now.
3.5 - fun hair metal album with three all time classics
Banger
This was definitely a rock album released in the mid 80s.
What a fun time. Starts stronger than if finishes and the skit in Social Disease is regrettable but at least self depreciating which almost saves it. I knew I'd enjoy it but didn't expect to like it as much as I did.
lidt kedelig
Nice 80s rock. Simple, powerful, loud but gorgeous!
I think this was the first album I bought with my own money; on vinyl, from Our Price in Stirling, aged about 10. Not listened to it for at least 30 years, and I suppose that tells its own story. Can still remember every note though 😅! I mean, it's terrible comedy litebeer schlock rock. It also seems to be completely, deadly earnest and unironic. Still nearly awesome despite all that cheese. An extra star for nostalgia.