Reviews (page 6 of 10)
Man… do I have to?
The first side of the album is insanely good and memorable, around the 6 and 7 song mark is when it gets kind of stale. The ending however works well. Overall a 3.5
Cheesy pop rock, mostly boring.
pop metal
Forgettable stuff outside of the anthems.
It’s amazing that their best songs are all on one album.
Excited the moment I saw the album cover. I remember jamming out to this album because of my older sister. OMG, Young Guns! 10 years old. Sis is 10 years older. The album was on the player already. I wasn't supposed to play with it, but I knew how. Let it Rock...
such a boring album
I bought this when it was new. 10 your old me loved it. I haven't played it for years. I completely forgot half of the songs of Guns 'n Roses - Appetite for Destruction, which I bought around the same time. I remembered most songs on this album. The music is somewhere between Van Halen and Bruce Springsteen. Not great, but not bad. Enough variation. Lyrics are not that great. Favorite song: I'd die for you.
MOR hair thingie
Astonishing, I could hear that again
Had a distaste for this in the 80s, but figured there may be a gem on the songs I may not have heard. I was wrong. JBJ may be a good person, but I'll pass on his music.
This album features many classics, some of which practically everyone knows. Livin' On A Prayer is the first song that comes to mind when thinking about Bon Jovi, and for a good reason. Powerful synths dominate throughout, which is definitely an acquired taste for a metalhead like me. Overall the entire album was a great listen, the first half being a solid 5/5 and the second being a great 4/5. Therefore, 4.5/5 for this landmark of an album.
Listened to this while playing Isofarian Guard. This album was way better than I was expecting it to be. I was surprised by the number of songs that I recognized, a good majority of them I've destroyed on Guitar Hero. Pretty darn solid from start to finish.
Definitely has some hits (3), but the tracks outside of that are so blah whatever that I just don’t care to revisit this. Real boring and samey.
Is this “hard rock”? Come on. I don’t know there’s absolutely nothing this guy does better than anyone in the 80s or late 70s in the hair metal rock space. The hits have catchy ass choruses of course but even those songs are kinda unexciting for me. It also doesn’t sound too good. How is it that sooo many artists made amazing sounding records in the 70s but this one sounds pretty one dimensional? Anyways I don’t like the guy. Fidn’t hate listening to it tho, so it’s a strong 2
holy damn, no, holy GLAM. i can feel the fishnet tights and the fuzzy blonde hair. there's certainly no denying that this album is a prime example of what makes jon bon jovi's music memorable. belting scratchy lead vocals, deep power strummed guitars, dramatic (and maybe a little cheesy) synthesizers... this album will blow your speakers and your socks clean off. there's the classic tunes like living on a prayer and you give love a bad name, and the other tracks featured throughout are on a similar rockin' sing-along energy. i really enjoyed this one. play this album to your dad and he'll probably love you to death.
Hall of Fame.
I used to rock this on cassette when I was a kid, but haven't listened to it in decades. It holds up pretty well. The hit singles are always great, but hearing Raise Your Hands after all these years was awesome; that song still slaps. Not a fan of the monster ballads on here, but the I think the high points of this album more than carry the lows.
I have a bit of a soft spot for Bon Jovi, and I don't know why. I like his singles quite a bit. This album was nothing amazing, but it's fun enough. I liked it. 3.49/5
I was tenuous going into the album- Bon Jovi definitely has a cheeze factor he is known for. I actually found the albim started out really strong- I even found myself singing along to the big hits. However- I do feel like the songs started to sound very same-y toward the end of the album (especially the power ballads). I can see why the album was well received, but it had a little too much cheese and was one-note.
Sexy AF
Love!
Liked the banger songs, and there are 3 classics on here. I'm pretty tired of the innuendo throughout by now. Rest of the album didn't stand out.
我勒个metal
turns out i did NOT know who Bob Jovi was. the amount of hits on this one record is astounding for a band i didn’t attribute any of them too. for that alone 3 stars and it was also a good listen so up to 4
3.6
Its was alright. Kinda the sound of radio safe rock in the late 80s
They had three of their biggest hits on one album, good for them.
Perfect for Karaoke. Otherwise nope.
I forgot how “proggy” this album started off; for a moment I thought it was Rush. Made me chuckle, considering the pop-rock vibe it really is all about. So cheesy in places, (“You lost more in my back seat, baby” in the bridge to “Never Say Goodbye” is 70s seduction cheese a decade too late 🙄), but I couldn’t care less. I have SO many fond memories of this album, coming my first year in college at F.I.T. in NYC. It’s just a silly, fun rock album, with anthems like “Wild in the Streets” built for yelling at the top of your lungs with a group of friends, which we did endlessly. Good memories indeed…
Most songs sound “samey” or do not stand out on their own; almost any song on this record could be a single since they sound nearly identical. There are great guitar riffs and usage of synths on the record, but the overall listening experience gets boring after a few songs.
This is 80’s rock and Bon Jovi. If you would go see Bon Jovi live this album would be 75% of the set. If you go to a disgusting Hair Ball or Rock of Ages cover-band shit show you would probably hear 3 songs off this album. And you probably would hear at least one poor sole doing their best to one of these at your local karaoke night.
Absolute tits combo of hair metal and arena rock. Catchy as all hell. Great hooks. Gang vocals galore. Fun shit. Def soundtracked a lot of STDs being spread in the late 80s. 3.5/5
Great stuff
Alright time for some radical candor: the very first type of music that I liked, other than like the Barney theme song, was 80's hair metal. The first albums I purchased were the Monsters of Rock and Monster Ballads compilation records. Poison, Whitesnake, Ratt, Def Leppard, etc. I won't say I'm necessarily proud of it, but not embarrassed either. And of course I still have a soft spot for this type of stuff. I recognize that this music is not great, hell it's barely even music in some sense, but nostalgia is the most powerful force on earth, and I will be god damned if I did not sing along to almost every word of most of the songs in this album and have the time of my life. So this is not a 5 (it's like a 2.5) to my brain, but in my heart and my balls I feel it is a 5, and that is what it is getting. I guess it's the bad medicine that I need ;)
I went into this album expecting it to have one or two good songs and be typical 80's hair metal. While it is the latter, it is absolutely filled with bangers... way more than I remember. This album genuinely surprised me with how good it was.
Yikes kicking it off with that oddly toned organ solo is ROUGH which makes me feel more comfortable when the butt-rock kicks in. After the initial opening rock song about rocking, subsequentially rolling is established, we got the 2 midwestern 1:15 AM dive bar classic jock jams that I am now, thanks to this list, listening to on purpose for the first time ever. Don't get me wrong, these songs earned that shit because they're VERY well written songs-- written by songwriter Desmond Child, the guy they called in on quite a few rock bands in the hair metal era when they needed something to say beyond "rocking is appealing to me, and also you should consider rocking as well". I'm glad to hear songs by Bon Jovi that are NOT the 3 singles, as I've never heard them, but I'm still not sure I'm interested in hearing them again. It's not that I hate hair metal, but something about Bon Jovi always felt unnecessary. Why do we need a "blue-collar New Jersey" branded hair metal guy? I'm not sure what I'm missing here but whereas 80's Ozzy, Crüe, GNR, even Def Leppard can still get me fired up on the right song, Bon Jovi just sounds like he's selling me something pre-packaged and I guess I need a better story here. When you look at the "flawed but passionate rocking rebel" archtype of the 80's hair metal era, JBJ plays the role, but just comes off like a guy that didn't struggle with much his whole life. I guess I could rewatch his origin story but from what I know, he didn't struggle with addiction, didn't party super hard, married his high school sweetheart, and acheived huge success early in life, and for the most part, kept it. Mind you, I'm not trying to glorify addiction or controversy, but part of what was so appealing about these personas was that their passions burned so brightly that they had difficult times managing a reasonable balance, hence the often larger than life identities. Their addictions, their physical appetites, their grandiosities all stemmed from feeling misunderstood and undervalued, so they created these gigantic personas to compensate. Bon Jovi just doesn't fit in, it's just what was popular at the time so he shook up the hairspray and slid into the leather pants.
Huge album. Pup Bon Jovi on the map.
A good album, I liked the songs Let It Rock, You Give Love A Bad Name and Lovin' On A Prayer the most.
Excellent
This just about sums up all that is wrong with the poodle rock that was so popular in the 80's. But it's catchy, he's a pretty boy and he made millions out of it. I so want to only give it 1 but something is making me give it a 2. Probably the same something that makes me sing along with it.
This really hasn’t aged well has it? Everything about it is pure hair-rock-cliche. The ‘love songs’ on here are just so corny. Did girls in the 1980s really want to hear that and feel loved? I wouldn’t know as whatever I was doing in the 1980s wasn’t working either 🤣
A band who I have seen live. I was dragged there by my friends, being a Goth at the time, what could possibly go wrong? The only song I enjoyed is on this album. 'Wanted Dead or Alive'. It's great, in a cheesy way. The other singles are very well known, and well done, but I just don't like Soft Rock, as it was a cultural thing back in the late 80's. But with the passage of time, I am now a fairer judge. So it gets 3 stars.
A strong contender for the cheesiest record of all time. And it's not gotten any better or more musically meaningful over time. However, in some ways, it's aged perfectly – that is, it still sounds just like it did when it came out, as an absolute satire of every bad '80s trend in instrumentation, studio production, power balladry and popular culture. But there's no doubting this hair band's sincerity. JBJ clearly thought he should have been take as seriously as the more substantive rock stars (not mentioning the obvious comp out of respect). Richie thought he was Jimmy Page. The record also manages to revive awful '70s arena rock tropes, including squalling guitar solos, singalong choruses, hand clapping, whistles and crowd noise, etc. ("Raise Your Hands" is the poster child for these undead excesses). And let's not even talk about the fashion sense and hair styles – what an embarrassment this is (or should be) for all involved (thankfully, one was not in the least). "Love is a social disease" is the cleverest lyric (not that it's a high bar) but the massively cheesy (and unnecessary) horns (which sound CGI-generated) of this particular track more than undercut the wit, or what passes for it. Lines such "Remember when we lost the keys / you lost more than that in my back seat baby" speaks to an earlier, perhaps more innocent time in America (or at least in the Garden State) but also preclude one from giving this band any benefit of the doubt (the guitar solos in "Never Say Goodbye" close the case). It's not even worth a moment of consideration that one might be missing something. And one hesitates to call this heavy metal, a mostly loathsome genre in one's view, because that would be an insult to metalheads. Critics who were unkind to BJ must ask themselves what else they could have done to stop this juggnernaut of bad taste, why they weren't even crueller. What a waste of time (other than being good for a chuckle) and certainly a waste of a slot in the RRHOF and in this esteemed list. 1.5 > 1 ... rounding down because one fears too many people still like this lot.
Loving’ On A Prayer is fun in the right setting. Otherwise these songs are annoying to me most of the time.
This is the best album by Mr. Bovine Joni. Great album.
Banger after banger after banger after...
It feels like I’m back at a middle school dance. Overall this album holds up better than I expected.
Ok - this has some banger songs on it. I feel like this is probably the perfect guilty pleasure album for suburban parents who grew up when hair bands were a thing. Can honestly say if any band started a set with Let It Rock or Raise Your Hands I’d probably laugh and sing along. Almost all the hits on one album too. Wanted Dead or Alive still holds up as a band on the road song. Damn it I don’t want to give it 4 stars, but I think it’s warranted.
One of the first cassettes I purchased with my own money and purchased Young MC’s Stone Cold Rhymin’ album on the same trip! I still listen to Young MC — Bon Jovi, not so much. Still this was a good blast from the past.
Crisp, clear vocals and bombastic guitars are pleasing to the ear.
Hits hits hits.
Nice one.
First listen. Decent.
lots of hitd not my style
Solid album but also boomer-tier
Dull. Uninspiring. Even Livin’ On A Prayer is by the numbers. Plus one of the most toxic women I ever worked with is a massive Bon Jovi fan, to the extent of going over to New Jersey to see them. Not for me
Millie Bobby Brown’s Father-in-law sure made some bangers back in the day
On principal I have to drag this down
Livin on a prayer and you give love are still bangers. But yeah the rest are f150 rock
Hard to go wrong with this album, fun to listen to.
The first half of this album is stacked with 3 of the greatest hair metal bangers of all time, but inserted in the middle of those classics is an awkward and juvenile track about being so horny you need medical attention. The high points of this album are great, but when it dips into the middle-school stuff I have a hard time. What else should I expect from an album named Slippery When Wet, though? I'm rating as a 3 overall but if it stopped after track 5, probably a 4 instead.
Derivative, competent, if you like that sort of thing.
Corny, annoying, dated, especially the second half of the album. Can't deny Livin' on a Prayer slaps though.
Yeah this was good. Never really listened to Bon Jovi, I enjoyed it, hasn’t sparked any interest in perusing more of their stuff but maybe I’ll warm to them more in the future. Obviously a few bangers in there.
Livin' on a Prayer, You Give Love a Bad Name, Wanted Dead or Alive are three great songs. The rest is corny thrash. Has aged very poorly. 2*
I never really considered myself a fan of Bon Jovi, but my mind definitely changed with this record.This album is about as hair metal as it gets, but I think they did it the best. I really enjoyed the latter half of the album, after they played all the hits (which of course, are obviously good). The mixing was great, there was just enough guitar solos in there that it felt rock enough, and the lyrics were on point. This is a really good album, I can't see myself coming back to it in a hurry, just because I'm not huge on hair metal, but this is definitely a solid listen.
fantastic classic album with a lot of bangers!
A glorious representation of glam metal/pop metal complete with cheesy power ballads and rockin tunes. This album has most of Bon Jovi's best songs in one spot! Fantastic record! Favourite songs: Livin' On a Prayer, You Give Love a Bad Name, Wanted Dead or Alive, Raise Your Hands, I'd Die For You, Social Disease, Let it Rock, Wild in the Streets, Without Love Least favourite songs: Never Say Goodbye 5/5
I've never actually listened to a full Bon Jovi album before. I probably won't listen to another one either. Their biggest hits are on this album, — "You Give Love a Bad Name," "Livin on a Prayer," and "Wanted Dead or Alive" — and they still slap. As a soprano, the key change in "Livin on a Prayer" is difficult for me to sing, and it's always entertaining when some dude attempts it at karaoke. Jon Bon Jovi had one of the best voices in rock (I say had because it's gone now, thanks to overuse of steroid shots). Richie Sambora is a legendary guitarist, and there are some great performances on this album. Bon Jovi is hair metal adjacent, but they never went as hard as some other bands, and they also never quite reached the same levels of gross hedonism (not to say the album is completely devoid of cringe lyrics that haven't aged well). I think my biggest complaint about the album is that it gets too repetitive. A lot of the songs sound the same. The reprise of "You Give Love a Bad Name" on "Without Love" is obviously intentional, but the album as a whole has a very formulaic, familiar sound to it. That shouldn't surprise anyone, considering their 2000 comeback hit "It's My Life" sounds very typical of their hits on this album. Bon Jovi is definitely a band most enjoyed via a greatest hits album (in my opinion). I get why this album is on here, but it's just okay for me. 3/5
Hair rock of the 80s was great tbh, and some of the songs really do hold up well. Infant like the classics of course, and for an 8 week old managed to fist pump to the beat of living on a prayer, that’s pretty good eh? 4/5
Slippery When Wet I’ve always been very partial to Wanted Dead or Alive and the pop power of Livin’ on a Prayer is undeniable, as is that of You Give Love a Bad Name, although probably to a lesser extent. I was hoping that the rest of it would be a bit of cheesy fun, but it's basically either some kind of attempt at a Spingsteen knock off (Wild in the Streets), or it sounds like something from the closing credits of a forgotten 80s movie (I’d Die For You), or is the theme song for a cartoon that was created purely as a vehicle to sell a new toy range, like your Bravestars, your M.A.S.K.s etc. Raise Your Hands is the best example of this, so much so that I tried to think of the cartoon it would be from. I decided its called McCall Two Hands, about a space vigilante called Colt McCall who has two bionic hands that can detach and act independently, shooting grenades, guns and ropes and helping capture the baddies, who are led by his nemesis Caxton Duplantis, who is secretly also the Mayor of the planet Srixion 7, where this is set. Replace the chorus of Raise Your Hands with McCall Two Hands and it all comes together. I think the thing I’ve always felt with Bon Jovi is the sense that they seem take themselves very seriously and have a rather self important regard for the profundity of their music when in reality they are writing perfectly fine but pretty standard pop music - strip out the guitars, posturing and self regard and add some semblance of fun or joy, and a lot of these songs are really very similar to something that Max Martin might write for Britney or the Back Street Boys in the late 90s. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that at all, a lot of those 90s era pop songs are absolute bangers, but they generally aren’t pretending to be anything they're not, whereas it feel like these songs are designed to be as popular as can be, but with the transparent veneer of rock n roll rebellion and cool. Lyrically is where the disconnect between what they think they’re doing and the reality is really apparent. I can imagine JBJ sitting on an amp case in the studio, pensively writing his lyrics on a notepad, before declaring ‘I’ve got it!’ “Let it rock, let it go, you can't stop a fire burning out of control”, ‘Yes Jon! That sounds dangerous and rebellious and exciting! Let’s get to work!’. Exactly the kind of lyrics 14 year olds would love, but are ultimately a load of old and tired cliched, vapid piffle. Fire also does seem to be his only metaphor, appearing with some regularity. Also hopefully you can tell me what the technique is for that little squiggle guitar bit that Richie Sambora does ALL THE FUCKING TIME. Wanted Dead or Alive, Livin’ on a Prayer and You Give Love a Bad Name aside, there isn’t really much of interest here, ultimately I think the self importance overrides any enjoyment or sense of fun you might get from the 80s-ness. A shame, but it’s between a 2 and 3, probably closer to 2, those 3 good songs aside I can’t imagine coming back to it, unless I finish off my script for McCall Two Hands of course 💦💦 Playlist submission: Wanted Dead or Alive
- I'm giving it a 3 because Bon Jovi let Triumph the Insult Comic Dog on their tour bus to rip bongs and film ....
Very nostalgic album for me, though I can tell which songs my mom skipped. It's kind of crazy that in between Livin' On a Prayer and Wanted Dead or Alive is a song that starts with literal pornographic moaning. Regardless, the guitars are strong and driving and the drum beats/fills are excellent. A very solid 80s "hair metal" album.
I have not listened to this full album before and my knowledge of it is limited to the 2 or 3 biggest titles (mostly represented at the front of the track list) as well as one song which incites immediate laughter in me due to its connection to an autistic alcoholic stoner who was victim to people trolling him by exposing their genitals to him on skype As for the album itself it really melds into this odd rock opera about a boisterous pervert with hair like Daryl Hannah in Blade Runner, who consumes whatever vices are presented to them (I believe this is what they call hair metal). I can't really speak much to the individual tracks as they felt too similar. It's dumb but has a lot of energy in the performance, I don't really know what else to say
Let it Rock - opening with an electric organ is very cool. They rest of the track was quite good, standard 80s rock fare. You Give Love A Bad Name & Livin on a Prayer - Quintessential 80s arena rock, iconic. If you want to blow your voice out singing karaoke on the beers, Livin on a Prayer is the way to do it. Vocals and instrumentals just spectacular on both of these Social Disease - glad I had headphones on for the start of this one Wanted Dead or Alive - Incredible start to the song, very cool and I wish it continued along the same vein. Instrumentals are excellent throughout the rest of the track. I imagine the lyrics made very coked out 80s guys in Corvettes feel really cool. A lot of the songs in this album start in a very interesting and unique way and then Bon Jovi remembers he's making an 80s album and Hollywood movies need to use his songs for cheesy montage scenes for the next 10 years, and then again 30 years later but ironically. The album is like eating a whole cake that's all icing, it's so over the top and jacked up, it gives me a headache. Everyone likes icing though.
rushed review because i missed it and i can't be fucked putting in a lot of effort when the group hype has died down. it isn't bon jovi at their peak sex creep but it is still pretty good bon jovi. there are artists that have done it better, and bon jovi has done bon jovi better on other releases, but its still good buttrock.
YEA BABY BACK TO SEX OFFENDER MUSIC!!! IVE WAITED TOO LONG!!! Never listened to anything beyond Bon Jovi’s hits - his non hit music is the same shit really, just less catchy hooks to the same overdriven power chords and basic but groovy basslines. Gotta say let it rock got my feet tapping. The lyrics may as well be absent except for the element having a vocal track adds to the song. Creative complexity of finger painting. Really just music for fucking to. Man cunts in the 80s just did not know how to end songs. Just do a hard stop instead of fading out like a coward for real. We’re on the first hit now. More songs about fucking, an age old classic. You give love a bad name is obviously a hit and I’ve heard it so many times from a makita site radio being back announced by Dave and fucko before more chat about FOOTY. Fading out again like a coward for real man one of these songs needs to have an actual ending. This album is a bit of a hits album I was not aware livin on a prayer was on this too. Hearing this gives me flashbacks to drinking a lukewarm ice coffee on a concrete slab at some sort of industrial facility while some retarded tradesman talks about how much he hates paying tax. I really like the bassline in livin in a prayer. It’s so damn groovy. Bring back fucked up overdrive guitars. A relic of the 80s that has sadly gone out of fashion along with CFC hairspray and lead paint. So this song literally starts with sex noises. Random brass section kinda helps. I really can’t say anything bad about this music man. It might be music for fucking retards but I am proudly retarded. See they actually ended love is a social disease properly. No more fade outs. I am envisioning scooby doo 2 motorcycle jousting as soon as I hear that guitar sting. It permeates my brain like so much black mould. Raise your hands was eh. Without love slightly better. I feel like we’re getting into filler territory. Okay so Jon Bon Jovi was 24 in 1986 so this motherfucker is singing about prom 6 years after he would have graduated what a fuckin dork lmao. MFs at UQ talking about what OP they got in 4th year. Overall this album has some fuckin heaters, and some songs that could generously be described as filler. I liked this album, music by retards, for retards.
Jacob described this album to me as "Music for Retards", Still an alright album but. "Let It Rock" 6/10 Entertaining and fun guitars but forgettable "You Give Love a Bad Name" 9/10 Goated "Livin' on a Prayer" 7/10 Played to death, revived and then played to death a second time. Still good tho. Bonus points for being a working class song that's pro union, especially for such a massive hit. "Social Disease" 5/10 The beginning of True retard music, the writing on this track is awful "Wanted Dead or Alive" 7/10 Dad music as fuck. My Dad fucking hated Bonjovi, and Glam metal. He called it big hair metal. He would still get this stuck in his head though. Genuinely surprised there aren't more covers of this. It's begging for a Metallica cover I stg The next two both have decent guitar sections with horseshit writing and vocal performances "Raise Your Hands" 5/10 "Without Love" 5/10 "I'd Die for You" 6/10 I actually liked the vocal performance on this one. "Never Say goodbye" 3/10 This song made me thing of that video that went viral a little while ago of the two methheads that stole that Mercedes with the dash cam and mic on. This seems like a song they would romantically dance to. You know this has been played at some fuckwits wedding. "Wild in the Streets" 5/10 I forgot this one all ready and it's the last one I listened to. Average = 5.8 I'll give it 6/10
Honestly this shit rocks HARD, You give love a bad name, Livin'on a prayer, WANTED (wanteeeed) dead or alive, all fucking banger classics. Never listen to the whole album and honestly there wasn't a song I was like eh, all were pretty solid. Overall some great bangers on here and would happily listen to the whole album again, even if it is just for a few songs. 4/5.
There is the cringe/based horseshoe theory. Someone can be so based that they end up being cringe (Sam Hyde). The opposite is true of Jon Bon Jovi. A pioneer in the genre of cocaine pop-rock, Bon Jovi makes corny music that is so true to itself (cringe) that it comes around the horseshoe and becomes certifiably BASED in the truest sense of the word (being true to oneself and beliefs). I first became aware of this album's existence in Bill and Ted when they make a joke about this being Beethoven's favourite album. I first decided to listen to it when I was 14 and I heard 'Raise Your Hands' in Spaceballs in the scene where they introduce Lonestar and Barf in the Space Winnebago. 13 years later I have developed a disdain for Bon Jovi for being a corny hair-pop-rock band, and then later got over myself and learned to embrace his music for what it is. Let It Rock is a solid opener and a good representation of exactly what you're gonna get for the rest of the album. You Give Love A Bad Name was ruined for a long time for me by How I Met Your Mother (Gen Y brainslop garbage television for dickheads) but this song fucks. What really is there to say about Livin' On A Prayer? You can't say anything bad about this song? "Wah wah it shit talks unions" grow up, this isn't On The Waterfront, nobody can even understand the lyrics outside the chorus. Social Disease has great production and decent instrumentals but it drags on and the lyrics aren't really that special. Wanted Dead Or Alive AKA the song that plays at the funeral of a young man who died in a quadbike accident. This song is the musical manifestation of the cringe/based horseshoe theory. The lyrics are lame, the instrumentals make me think of a TapOut singlet and oakleys, but goddamn this song is so fucking good man. 'Loaded six string on my back'? Tom Waits wishes he could write shit like this. Raise Your Hands, because of my memory associating it with Spaceballs, is probably my favourite song on this album and is what plays in my head when I slam Fireball against the advice of my friends who care for me (fuck you). This album is frontloaded, the rest of the songs on the album are not bad. They are all technically competent songs, well-produced with decent instrumentals. The songs vary from pop-rock (Without Love) to ballad (Never Say Goodbye), it's just a bit forgettable. The album mainly suffers from a lack of consistency, not in quality but in theme. I don't think a song like Wild In The Streets should be on the same album as Livin' On A Prayer. Actually I looked up the producer of this album, Bruce Fairbairn, to see if he worked with Bryan Adams because this song (especially the guitar solo with the sliding piano) sounds like some shit he would do. Is this album commercial as fuck and creatively bankrupt? Yes. Is it enjoyed by people whose hairspray use is responsible for a hole in the ozone layer? Yes. But goddamn this album is a lot of fun. Also the album cover is a personal favourite and I am glad they didn't go with the original one (it's just a chick with massive tits).
This is basically a fondue tower - just a cascade of steaming hot '80s cheese. I knew almost all of these songs already, despite never intentionally listening to a single Bon Jovi song. Way to go, boys!
Slippery when wet. Like your Mum. No album on this list so far has made me cringe this much. It's just Springsteen blue collar nonsense but with Kiss doing the music. I skipped through most tracks as I could feel I was growing a mullet.
This is a hit machine for what it's trying to do. No notes, not my fav but don't mind listening to it, makes sense to be on here and be liked by people.
I feel like this type of music has lost it's place in the world. It became a joke. It's fun, but once you've rocked out a little ironically it's over. Livin' on a prayer became a wedding reception song. Games like Rock Band are a great place for music like this. Wanted Dead or Alive is pretty fun.
3.3/5 listened 2x
No one should ever have to listen to this derivative, bland, tripe. 0/5 stars.
jugenderinnerungen pur - und sicher eines der besseren Bon Jovi alben.
Bon Jovi, Rock an der Schwelle zu Pop, gute Songs zur damaligen Zeit aber heute etwas verstaubt.
Cheeseball hair-band music. I'm so glad the era of metal pop has passed.
The worst part about listening to this album is that I couldn’t listen to it with fresh ears. Too many iconic rock anthems. Electrifying music. Certainly an album to listen to before you die. Standouts: You Give Love A Bad Name, Livin’ On A Prayer, Wanted Dead Or Alive, Raise Your Hands, Without Love, and Never Say Goodbye.
Always a dilemma when an album has a few really great hit songs but the rest is meh. Want to give it a 3.5. Will need to decide if Living on a Prayer knocks it up to a 4.
Solid, but I prefer 2000’s Bon Jovi in their country-rock phase. The hit singles are all fantastic. I didn’t care much for the album tracks.
This is full of bangers! Livin on a prayer slaps even Cubs fans secretly think so :) At the time and for many years this music was just amazing. But now it hours different. We blame Disney princesses for problematic views in relationships but I would say this type of music influenced me and generations way more! All it takes is an I love you and that excuses all bad behavior. Or sex in my back seat makes up for our flight and me being a jerk. Not saying a don't love it but maybe just problematic
This album has so many hits. Are they cheezy and cliche or is it sentimental and catchy? It doesn't really matter, I'm still going to sing along to Living on a Prayer in any bar. Bon Jovi was my first rock concert (Skid Row opened).
Well this was quite nostalgic. This was the first “official” album I ever owned on cassette tape and I was so damn proud of this thing, lol. Was fun to hear the lesser known songs again. It’s probably been almost 35 years. Wowza. Lots of classics on here, but aside from the tried and true, it’s not THAT outstanding of an album. It still has plenty of the typical hair band sound. Want to give it a 5 just because of my connection to it, but musically I gotta knock it down a star.
4/5
Overall good.
3.5/5. Pretty cool when Oilers fans were belting Livin on a Prayer in unison right before the Oilers scored a goal.
6.5/10
A true New Jersey poet.
Mr Bonvine Joni really understood what it took to make a good classic rock song back in the 80s. Some light synth guitar with one short solo for each hit song. Some grandiose production and vocals. Not every song on this album landed but to have 3 hits that go down as all time classics in one album, that's pretty impressive.
Heh heh heh. What a stupid album. Stupid. GLORIOUS. Album. Why all the Bon Jovi hate on here? Obviously they're not achingly hip, or genre defining or using revolutionary production values. But let's neck some shots, strap on some leather strides, swish our outrageously long hair and punch the air with a group mates enjoying an assault of power chords and songs about girls. If you can't enjoy that, then you're the problem, not the music
This is my first time listening to Bon Jovi and I don’t know what I expected. The instrumentation on ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’ is every Western-y. Bon Jovi sings really well, so I understand the appeal. It’s not my favorite genre but definitely don’t hate it. The introduction to ‘Social Disease’ is wilddd and caught me off guard.
Back in the day, to like Bon Jovi was to be considered a pussy and you don’t like real music. It still kinda is that way but Bon Jovi got you through relationships. Especially the Bed of Roses years. All in all, this is a solid late 80’s album. I dare anyone to not like at least one song from this album. You have ballads, sing alongs and just rock on here. Choice cut: Livin on a Prayer
Njhg
You Give Love A Bad Name // Livin’ On A Prayer // 2.5/5
Apple music did not like
Boring butt rock
This was difficult to get through because it's just so cheesy, and I can only listen to Mr. Bovine Joni for so long. Not my thing but I get why people at the time were into it.
There are some songs I like on this - but the album as a whole is absolutely atrocious. The vocals sound like a nasty exhaust pipe. I think the album succeeds when it gets quieter, but unfortunately everything seems to be chucked in together as loud as possible. The kick drums, synths, power chords, and synths all feel so overindulgent; its like taking a five course meal and drinking it as a smoothie. I do think I might like the album a bit more if it was better mixed though. Best Song: Living on a Prayer Worst Track: I'd Die For You
Best Song: Wanted Dead or Alive Worst Song: Wild in the Streets
Rated July 29th 2024 It's hard to give a honest score to this album when you work retail.
I went into this Bon Jovi album with the same preconceived notions as the AC/DC album. The only difference is I was caught off guard by how much I enjoyed this album. If there's one thing that absolutely turns me off a song, it's hearing it over and over again (especially in things like mainstream comedies, sporting events, or ADVERTISEMENTS). So when I say that upon revisiting this album, I found both 'Livin' on a Prayer' and 'You Give Love a Bad Name' to be unconditionally enjoyable, I'm saying a lot. Also oddly enough I thought Bon Jovi came out in the 70s but after listening to this thing, the late 80s glam rock era certainly makes itself known - it gives this album a lot of soul in a weird way like on the song 'I'd Die For You'. There are some other decent songs here of course, like 'Wanted Dead Or Alive', though I don't like it as much as I did as a kid (feels like a slow burn in the context of the rest of the record). As for new songs, 'Without Love' was a sweet track with some deeply layered synth-tinged production that I loved. I'm just happy I got through this thing without getting annoyed even once - maybe I should start binning these exaggeratedly negative ideas I have of these huge old bands. Cause Bon Jovi can certainly rock.
I was going to give this a 4. It 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 (looking at you Cohen and Dylan fans). Cheesy, yes. But cheese is fucking awesome.
4/5. This was a great album after some depressing and slow albums but also, as its own, crazy how this was still very enjoyable. It doesn't have to be serious or even innovative to be good music. Sometimes, it can just be nice to listen to and that's it. Plus, like the obvious inspiration of Aerosmith, The Who, and Rolling Stones, there are also some very heartfelt songs right next to sexy rock songs. 5 years ago, I would have said I hated Bon Jovi but only because it was popular. That's always the incorrect reason to not like something. There were some songs I might skip but overall, a pretty good one front to back. Best Song: Wanted Dead Or Alive, Livin' On A Prayer, I'd Die For You
There are some records that I don’t think I am capable of giving a totally fair shot to. This is one of those. The music I listened to as a teen killed the hair metal category and this is one of those hair metal albums that seem like cheesy music to me. Don’t get me wrong, I will enjoy when the hits come on at a party or bar. So context matters. But all in all I struggle with the music as like I’ve said above it all feels a little excessive and put on.
great album with some absolutely great songs but, lyrically allot of the songs had simalar meaning.(I WOULD RATE 4.5 soo nearly a 5)
Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Poison, etc. all basically collapse into a single point in my mind. Over processed glam rock with 80s tropes beaten to death. Ya know, I don't have a ton of love for the Bon Jovi sound, but in isolation You Give Love A Bad Name is a pop rock jam. Hook is catchy as hell and the instrumentals are all very solid. Livin' On a Prayer on the other hand, I am so tired of. Most interesting point here is the vocoder/talk-box work. Otherwise, Bon Jovi just sounds like he is going to crap himself. Also doesn't help that I have heard this about 10000 times. Social Disease, while having an intro that I'd rather not play in public, is one of the better songs so far. Though I feel like the horns are unnecessary and give a new wave-ish vibe (a la Huey Lewis' Hip to Be Square). Raise Your Hands is the vapid sort of song whose only purposes is to tuck into live shows and call out the name of the host city for a little extra applause. Hell they even pumped in simulated crowd noise into the mix... Welp, I made it through and I don't feel like a better person for it. This particular style of music really doesn't connect for me. Something about the vocals really rubs me like they are trying too hard. Add also the 80s bombastic production where songs feel overstuffed with elements, and it makes for a bad time mm'kay. 2 / 5.
Unapologetically 80's power ballads with some fairly shallow lyrics. That being said, I enjoyed this album for what it is. High energy, easy to listen to, and pretty much the right length. Feels like a good album to listen to while drinking 3 dozen beers in a van in October...
Holy dad rock. I was obviously jamming along to the ultra catchy hits that are at the beginning of the album. But once those 3 were finished it turned into an extremely generic glam rock album. Giving this a 3 because the top heavy hits saved it from the depths of a 2.
So much glam metal and punk recently... This album has some songs I never go out of my way to listen to but are featured prominently at karaoke/nights out. Always some good singalongs. Couple below avg brings it to a 3.
Never been the biggest Bon Jovi fan, but the hit making on this album is undeniable.
Jovi Bon. Pop metal at it's most average.
многообещающее синтезаторное начало. классический глэм рок. ну такое, мне не оч. скип на начале второго трека
Incredible album. Livin’ on a Prayer, Shot through the Heart, Wanted Dead or Alive, and Raise Your Hand are on this one.
Please no. The songs that have some semblance of decency have been so overplayed that I can't help but run for the hills when I hear the first note. The rest are just bad. And not all hair metal is bad. Give me Def Leppard over Bon Jovi any day of the week.
If hair metal is going to be on this list it might as well be John Bon
I really dislike Bon Jovi's brand of pop rock ballads, but Wanted Dead or Alive is class
Bon Jovi make me very happy and I'm not afraid to admit it any more
Such a great 80’s rock album.
impressive how this album has some of the biggest, best hits of the 80s that literally sound so modern even to this day and then it has the most stuck in the glory days songs ever back to back. Makes it hard to rate but i’ll put it down the middle. 1.) you give love a bad name 2.) wanted dead or alive 3.) livin on a prayer sorry that it’s just the popular ones, they’re popular for a reason!
I always thought that Bon Jovi were another overrated American stadium glam-rock band more interested in their appearance than their music. That said, this album is not too bad and it contains some of their biggest hits including "You Give Love a Bad Name", "Livin' on a Prayer", and "Wanted Dead or Alive".
Hard rock de Bon Jovi. Megahits a gogó. Vinilo.
Livin' On A Prayer.
Ah boyyy, look I had high hopes and it was close to a 3 but too much of it gave me too much second hand embarrassment. I guess that's my problem but these are my stars to give.
Social Disease is kinda weird on the intro
So iconic he became a caricature of himself.
Banger after banger from Millie’s father-in-law. “Livin’” and “You Give Love” AND “Wanted” on one album is crazy!
Classic Rock. Cant go wrong with Bon jovi
I hated this as a 15 year old and it hasn’t gotten any better. 1 point boost for Wanted Dead or Alive. While I still hate it, it does have a slight bit of creativity to it. The rest of the album is garbage.
From Adam: Immediately played Boston - More Than a Feeling after the bon jovial album was over and I’m like, “One small step for man…. One giant leap for mankind…” From Drew: I think my biggest criticism of this album is that it’s not timeless. It’s too much of its time. Maybe thats what makes it good though. A historical marker of sorts From Adam: Sure. Could be a positive. And a good reason to listen to it at least once. I think for me it’s the monotony of the super basic major chord progressions. It’s crazy predictable, plus his voice is so silly… I think I used to have patience for this voice, but it’s just so uninteresting. It’s like American Idol voice without the talent of the best ones… From Drew: Fuck this album I can’t do it. I made it to living on a prayer. The next song had horns!
It was kind of fun to go back and revisit this album, however, it’s not something that will make its way back into my regular rotation, primarily because I’ve heard it so many times since I was a kid. Despite its undeniable classic status, it feels like it’s more of a nostalgic trip than a staple for my current playlist.
The hits are radio rock fodder, but pleasant enough. I wanted there to be some underrated jam on this album, but no dice. Maybe I'm being too harsh here, but this is the definition of 80s rock mediocrity. I must admit I am a sucker for that synth keyboard.
Very much an album of two halves. The first half is banger after banger (even accounting for the massively overplayed living on a prayer) The second half is just a lot of filler, half arsed Bruce Springsteen lite songs. Gutted after how good the first half was!
Pretty much as expected. I didn't hate it and occasionally got my head bobbing, but I wouldn't seek it out.
Oh, Bon Jovi. I have a complicated relationship with Bon Jovi's music. There are a couple Bon Jovi songs that I really enjoy: "Run Away" and "Bad Medicine," neither of which appears on this album. I used to listen to a lot of classic rock and eighties music on the radio, and those two songs never got as much airplay as the singles from this album. I've never listened to this album from start to finish before, but I know those four singles really well. And that's where my complicated relationship with Bon Jovi emerges. These songs got tons of airplay when I listened to a lot of classic rock and eighties on the radio. I assume they still do. I usually have no desire to listen to the singles off of this album, especially "You Give Love a Bad Name." But the only reason that I'll usually avoid those songs is because I've heard them so much, which is no fault of Bon Jovi, and honestly speaks to the lasting popularity of this album. I'll still fuck with "Livin' on a Prayer" if I'm in the right mood, but that's it. Well, enough chit chat, let's get into the album. For starters, I liked this album a lot more than I thought I would. Yes, I'm still not really into the singles on this album, but some of the other songs, especially those on Side B, were surprisingly fun. The guitar playing on "Raise Your Hands" was some of my favorite on the whole album, and the backing vocals gave the song a massive sound. "Without Love" and "I'd Die For You" had some fantastic keyboard playing, which really set them apart from the rest of the album. "I'd Die For You" has a really gritty feel to it (okay, gritty for Bon Jovi) that I really enjoyed. It feels like it could have been used in a movie that took place at night in a major city in the eighties. "Wild In The Streets" had some great keyboard playing too, although I could have done without the cheesy sexual lyrics. For the record, the line 'remember when we lost the keys, and you lost more than that in my backseat baby' has to be one of the most cringeworthy lines in all of popular music. Woof. I did enjoy the ballad-y guitar playing though. Speaking of ballads, "Wanted Dead Or Alive" is pretty fun as well. The song really kicks into another gear about half way through, and it hits its stride, thankful to some excellent backing vocals. I still don't care for "You Give Love A Bad Name" though. I can't tell if it's my over-familiarity with the song, or if it's just legitimately bland and predictable. Last, but not least, there's "Livin' On A Prayer." That opening bass line and the talk box are awesome, and the when the keyboard kicks in, it just perfects the sound. I think my problem with this song is that I hate hearing other people sing along to it, and good luck hearing this song in a setting where there aren't other people around. Jesus, this song really does attract the most insufferable people. Alright, this is really good album. I had a lot of fun listening to it, and I really appreciated the keyboard playing on it. That's enough to set Bon Jovi ahead in a crowded field of one-hit wonders that were cranking out hair metal jams during the late eighties. This album isn't without its faults, but in terms of its place in pop culture history, it's definitely worthy of this list. It was a smash hit when it came out, and it's had some incredible staying power over the years. I never thought I'd write a full-blown essay on a Bon Jovi album, but here we are.
Good rock!
Quintessential 80s. This is all the hits. This is exactly what I expected. I still hate it. More and more the 80s across many genres is my least favourite era.
While at times feeling like an absolute relic of the 80s, this has some timeless songs that never grow old.
A fun party album with some good singles and polished production, but not as interesting or dynamic as other glam metal contemporaries
I hate hair metal. but some of these songs are SO darn popular. I'm torn!
As expected. Cheese as all hell
Slippery When Wet is a quintessential example of blue-collar rock from the 1980s. Filled with anthemic tracks like Livin' on a Prayer and You Give Love a Bad Name, the album captures the raw energy and rebellious spirit of the era. Jon Bon Jovi's emotive vocals and the band's gritty guitar-driven sound define its appeal. However, it's the prominent use of keyboards that gives it a distinctly 80s feel, which makes it feel dated. Despite this, the album's commercial success catapulted Bon Jovi to international fame, cementing its place in rock history as an enduring classic of its time. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 3 STAND OUT TRACK - Wild in the Streets
I'm kind of over Bon Jovi, but you have to give it up for them - this is a great album. I'll still listen when it's on the radio.
This album is crazy as I never realized that most of the Bon Jovi songs I know come from this album. Overall I like the more pop renditions of heavy metal stylings
Not really for me, but you can't argue with its slickness and energy!
unbearable. I finally understand buttrock though. even buttrock is a perfect expression of some part of human experience. buttrock is for when you feel aggressively normal. it's unbearable to listen to in one sitting even if you are aggressively normal, is the problem
really not interested in butt rock and im glad its over
This album is both very mid and huge. Songs are super famous and everybody knows them, but the quality is not the highest. No experiments, just safe pop metal music. 3/5
I understand this meant a lot in the 80s. But seriously? Bon Jovi?
pure cheese
The guitar work elevates this from a 1 star rating. Horrible cliched karaoke fodder.
I remember when I was a teen learning that Bon Jovi was the first band to use focus groups to develop their music. I never learned if it was true or not, but it always soured me on them.
I've heard Livin' On A Prayer a million times. It's a certified white boy classic. Truly nothing quite like it. When you really sit down and listen to it and all it's siblings on the album, you get a good feel for how absolutely incredible Bon Jovi is at making a keyboard sound like a 4 years old is just smashing the keys over and over and over until you shoot yourself in the head. There's a certain kind of art to that, you know?
This is a well made and recorded record. That is everything nice I can say about it. I don’t like this at all. So inauthentic sounding. Just the worst parts of the 80’s. Music made for car commercials featuring a pickup truck driving over random piles of dirt and rocks to show how “off road” the four wheel drive is followed by that same truck driven in the city with the whole family riding to show the comfort and luxury followed by the truck pulling a trailer of 2x4s or an ATV to show the towing capacity. This album makes me want to listen to more Bruce Springsteen, the superior New Jersey artist. I understand why someone might like this so it escapes a 1.
A 80's classic. These musics never gets old.
Quite the banger
Nope.
It's a time capsule w one super clunker (social disease) and just a string of hits. Not my bag, nothing i'd ever put on myself but I grew up in North Jrz was in HS when this came out and pretty much could sing along to all of these. If you gotta do an 80s hair band this (and Poison) is the one
Slippery When Wet had two number-one hits, You Give Love A Bad Name and Livin’ On A Prayer, and the rest of the album is good rocky stuff, including the theme from Deadliest Catch, of course... "Wanted Dead or Alive". I really like the balance of slow and upbeat rock songs on this album. It offers a great mix of well-known hit songs and lesser-known gems. Bon Jovi really nailed it with this one!
Obvious hits aside, this album offers nothing more than generic 80s big hair rock. The hits are timeless and for that reason it notches the score from a 2 to a 3.
Thoughts before listening: Well I guess this should at least be fun to listen to. Bon Jovi is one of those bands that you know are cheesy as hell, but you can't help singing along to the hits. I know this is one of their most popular albums so I'm sure there will be tons of well known songs. Review: "I've seen a million faces and I've rocked them all". Man this is such an over the top cheesy 80s pop hard rock album, but "Livin' On a Prayer" and "Wanted Dead or Alive" are great. Those 2 songs have remained mainstays of classic rock radio, sports arenas, and karaoke nights for a reason. They're big and dumb epic rock songs and there's nothing wrong with that. The other big hit on this album "You Give Love a Bad Name" doesn't quite rise above the cheeseball aspect, and I'd say the same for the album cuts. There's nothing on here that's pulling me in like those 2 main hits. 2-stars
Als 10-jarige 6 uur per dag willows hakken in Draynor Village met Living On A Prayer en It’s My Life… 6 uur op repeat. Volgens mij beseffen de boomers in de reviews niet hoe deze muziek peak camp is. Neem het niet serieus. Bon Jovi en z’n muziek zijn een karikatuur van een rockster. En ik ben er van overtuigd dat de AI muziek generators die nu opkomen getraind zijn op 1000en uren Bon Jovi muziek. Als je een ‘hard/arena rock’ nummer genereert en die tegenover I’d Die For You zet, kan 80% van de jeugd niet raden wat AI is en wat niet
As expected
Didn't like it, but I can't in good conscience give it any lower. Very slick, well produced album of incredibly annoying songs. Dead Or Alive in particular does my head in.
cheesiest 80's shit ever, but full of iconic songs
The best songs are the ones written by Desmond Child. The only sole Bon Jovi written song is "Dead or Alive". The rest of their song are extremely mid. I didn't like this 35+ years ago when I was 12 and I still don't like it lol
Day165 - i won’t let my dislike sway my review. 3 huge songs that everyone knows, but it’s really such over produced pop. albums like this i wish you could give half stars cause 3.5 seems fair
My “Born in the USA” review can be applied to this, pretty much verbatim. Must be a Jersey thing.
I had had all I could take of Bon Jovi by the time this album was released. Not exaggerating when I say that I heard Shot Through the Heart ever day of lunch during high school.
This album is full of bangers. I like every song.
Horrible stuff
I grew up with many of these songs, so it's somewhat surprising how little I can stand them at this point. Any soft spot I may have is more tumorous than endearing.
Some absolute bangers on here
The ugly, broken, second hand 4x4 truck of music that your dad just can't leave behind
STANDOUTS: Let It Rock You Give Love A Bad Name Livin' On A Prayer Wanted Dead Or Alive Raise Your Hands Without Love OVERALL: 4/5; I feel like this is Teenage Dream for the 80s straights.
Huge sounding album with some all time anthems
Favorite Tracks: Livin’ On A Prayer You Give Love A Bad Name Wanted Dead Or Alive
Definitely has some bangers but there is not enough consistent excellence to merit 5 stars.
Very boring!
At the very least there are 3 all time classic song that were inescapable in the 80s. The rest of the album is fine. This type of hair metal has never really been my thing. But I do like those three hits. 3/5
I've heard most of these songs throughout my life, but never listened to the album as a whole. Makes me want to don some acid wash jeans and a mullet to cruise for girls on my Harley.
Some great nostalgic tracks on this. The hits will be heard again whether you like it or not. 3.9
The sing-along hits are fun, the rest is alright.
This reminds me so much of my middle school years!
I will confess this album does bring back some good memories. However, this is a really dumb, idiotic collection of songs that hurt my brain to the point I may have to see a doctor because this album causes concussions. Advil required.
Knew this album had some hits but was surprised at how many of these songs I knew and how quickly the album went by.
Some rock hits, karaoke central, overall falls flat
One of my favourite albums growing up as a kid. Wanted dead or alive from young guns!!! Love it
Enjoy me some Bon Jovi. That hair!!
A lot of a bangers
I realize with this project I'm gonna have to listen to a lot of albums and artists I'm not remotely interested in. This is one of them.
Wait a minute. I think this is supposed to be on the list of 1001 albums that you should listen to, to make you die.
amazing album
I hate this with every fibre of my being. This album in particular is especially offensive, but really most of this kind of thing from that era is intolerable. It's not Bon Jovi's fault, there are a ton of classic songs on here and the ones I know, I know quite well. It's just that this stuff has been played endlessly on mediocre classic rock station and dive bars. It's just cringe at this point. If I never heard Dead or Alive again in my lifetime, it won't be soon enough.
★½
OK pop music.
Utter crap
3 mega hit songs, outside of that pretty forgettable songs. They aren’t bad, but not something I would go back and listen to regularly.
This might as well be a Bon jovi greatest hits album. So many classic songs, no filler tracks everything is super clean and interesting. Guitar solos are epic, production is top notch, this album is S teir for SURE
Catchy and fun, but not my style
01) Let It Rock - 8,0 02) You Give Love A Bad Name - 10,0 03) Livin' on a Prayer - 10,0 04) Social Disease - 7,0 05) Wanted Dead or Alive - 10,0 06) Raise Your Hands - 8,0 07) Without Love - 7,5 08) I'd Die for You - 8,0 09) Never Say Goodbye - 8,5 10) Wild in the Streets - 7,5 TOTAL: 8,45 (85/100) Current ranking: 48/203 Ah, eighties hair metal. I listen to some of these songs and think to myself how could this ever be so popular? Three monster hits certainly increase the rating of this album. The other seven songs are solid for their time, not so much from today's perspective.
First half good with some bangers, second half was meh
lotta bangers for one album
Enjoyed it at the start as growing up in the 80's it sparked nostalgia. Soon got bored and realised why I no longer listen to Bon Jovi
If you ever need an album to envisage American High School in the 80's (The good, the bad and the incredibly suspicious), listen to this. Also: headphones on for the start of Track 4 if you're in a public place.
Very bland 80s stuff, throwing in some questionable 80s glam lyrics... I would give 1.5 if I could, but Dead or Alive is a great song so I feel okay with giving it a 2. Definitely not without merit, but not a great album in my mind.
Fucking kill me already
I appreciate other music more because I listened to this. It is must listen because it makes me enjoy music that isn't this album.
It’s actually spelled Bongiovi. I got through the first few songs but it’s honestly just typical overproduced 80’s nonsense. The man can sing and Richie Sambora can kinda riff but this is the soundtrack to teasing your hair to Mars and jumping in some guys T top Camaro for a cruise down Broadway. Pop rock as fuck with no real purpose except to party with someone named Sharon and smoke Newport 500s. No thanks.
Milquetoast. Putting any more effort into describing it would do a disservice to my brain.
Ah yes, the album that made me give up on "metal" for over 20 years. After heavy rock slowly morphed into hair metal through the '80s, we get this. It's the culmination of "metal" becoming bullshit pop music. It's basically the antithesis of everything I believe in musically. This is throwaway industry garbage that can only be enjoyed through a very thick lens of nostalgia.
This album is objectively bad, but its kind of towing that line between good / bad and bad / bad. For instance, the lyrics are bad. They mean nothing. "We have each other and that's A LOT!" Come on. But I don't think there is person on this continent that can resist "WOAAAAAHOOOOW LIVIN ONA PRAAAYYERRR." Its good / bad. I think what's interesting to me about this record and I guess modern music in general, is the quick move to appropriate and capitalize on something that is working. Bon Jovi is just kind of a mix everything edgy about the former decade. He's got the sex appeal of Tom Petty, but he isn't cool and sexy. Its feels exploitative. The freaking porn sounds at the beginning of Social Disease. It's so cheesy. And then he's leaning into the psych / blues elements of Led Zeppelin or The Rolling Stones, but it never quite stands up to anything they ever did. Again, Wanted Dead or Alive is fun to sing along to but it's meaningless. It has no soul, it's a caricature of Stairway to Heaven or Midnight Mile. I think where Bon Jovi wins, is when he makes things loud. And no, he didn't event that. Black Sabbath did, but he is good at it. Its indulgent. Its kind of irresistible. It also kind of sucks. Its good / bad.
I could just copy and paste my Def Leppard review from a few months back, as I feel the same way about this. It's bland over-produced rock music made for stadiums, it sounds souless to me. The singles are fun, but that's probably nostalgia talking. The rest has nothing to offer me, lyrically or musically. It's the rock equivalent of listening to Taylor Swift or Ed Sheeran, it's really not for me.
80s memories...
Huge yeet dispensable AOR.
Not that good
Always loved this album, just such good energy and some classically fun james!
I can't believe that a singer as big as Bon Jovi would rip off the hit "Squidward on a Chair" for his infinitely worse song "Livin' on a Prayer". Truly disgusting behavior.
Some classic 80s arena rock
Just about my least favorite musical style. Where did hair metal go? I think it just evolved into new country. Good god.
Not my thing!
I'm gonna rate this a 4. Why? I think this list should in some way serve as a cross section of all music. 1001 albums should give the listener exposure to a bit of everything. Such a list should include at least 1 selection from the hair metal era of the mid 80s, maybe not for its inspiration, its complexity, or its quality; but because it was such a product of its time. If you are going to pick one album this is it.
...sigh... Most of you probably didn't live through this. *I* did. Inescapable. Competent pop-rock. If not for the singles, it's party rock noise. Meh.
I like Bon Jovi but this has a lot of filler on. Strangely some of the better songs weren't singles, though. It's pretty average even by BJ standards.
banger after banger.
It's perfect. It's so many of the Bon Jovi classics in one package. I'd actually be hard pressed to name a Bon Jovi song I know that ISN'T on this album.
i know living on a prayer and you give love a bad name and those are popular for a reason but generally not my vibe
I know this is not meant to be particularly deep, but it could stand to be clever and more sincere. By the end of this album, I'm left feeling exhausted and a little gross while thinking of other albums that better represent this genre.
This project has no right being as good as it is.
Fun
Ive never liked glam. I did like "You Give Love a Bad Name" and "Living on a Prayer" . Still not good
Classic
-Oh no, not Bon Jovi! Maybe it will be something different from the hits I've heard?Well shit, all three songs I could think of are there, and it's... not that bad actually. Wish I had listened to this album as a teenager, then maybe it would have had a tiny chance. Feels like something produced by 80's business men, perhaps well made in detail, but lacking any semblance of soul or depth. And that voice gets old fast. Best song of the album: Living on a prayer. Worst: Never say goodbye
Cracking songs, cracking hair, what's not to love?
Nice coming off of the Queen album onto this. A handful of recognizable tracks compared to the single Queen track. I think this is a fairly listenable album. My gripe with something like this album is this: it feels like they are really trying to go hard vs. ACTUALLY being hard.
Good album. Some classic Bon Jovi
Not a big fan of Bon Jovi, but I do appreciate this album and his music.
Slaps. Many great songs we will listen to forever.
One of the Iconic bands of the late 1900s and early 2000s. 5/5
I don't know if I would consider this whole album essential listening. I love the songs I already knew (You Give Love A Bad Name, Livin' On A Prayer, Wanted Dead Or Alive) so was hoping to find some new lesser known songs to love. Instead, I think I know why I only know those few songs. That said it's not necessarily a bad listen, just that the songs other than the hits are imo mostly forgettable. I think the only new to me song that stood out was Raise Your Hands, but I'm not sure it stood out enough to be a new favorite.
Wow, flashback! Where do I even begin? I was unhealthily obsessed with Bon Jovi, specifically Jon Bon Jovi, when I was a girl in high school. To me, he was the sexiest most incredible man alive and I wanted him to be mine real bad. I loved his hair and his smile and his raspy scratchy voice. I loved his squinty eyes and his tight little ass. Omg, he was my dream!! I therefore know every single word to every single Bon Jovi song on every single album of theirs from the self-titled debut all the way through to Crush. This is by far their best stuff, but honestly all 80s and early 90s Jovi still slaps. It’s so corny but comfy like a favourite old pair of boots too. Cowboy boots. I don’t listen to them regularly anymore because I’ve long outgrown my crush, but Jon can still get today, he is a fox at any age. Rating generously for the memories.
I was expecting to enjoy it but obviously ic changed. Not for me now
Was never really a fan of Bon Jovi - all his stuff seems pretty much the same to me. It’s not bad, certainly better than a lot of the albums on this list, but it’s not play list worthy
Siempre los he odiado
Yes this album is dated. Yes it’s completely corny. Yes it sounds like it was written by a 14 year old that’s only ever watched the movie road house. And yet, it still rips somehow. It’s fun to sing along to and makes for great karaoke; what more do you need? Sure it gets old after one listen and gets by on more than a fair bit of nostalgia but hey if, like me, you haven’t heard the big hits in a couple years its fun to revisit
Nostalgic, thereby a little biased. Raised on this kind of music. Let it rock has a great chorus, living on a prayer a super good song. Dead or alive aswell.
If you’re going off karaoke songs alone then this album is 5 stars. If you’re going off 80s popularity. Also 5 stars. However this album has some flaws but overall it’s a fun strong album to perfect of its era. There are a few ballads in there that maybe could’ve been omitted but again it’s the 80s. I wouldn’t change a thing but this is a solid album. 8.3/10
Obviously I haven't listened to this album in its entirety in the past. It was probably always the same three songs. "Wanted Dead or Alive", "You Give Love a Bad Name" and especially "Livin' on a Prayer" kept popping up on party playlists. These songs are indeed fun at a party. The rest is insignificant and boring. But now I understand better why my brother, who sees himself more in the heavy metal corner, reacted rather sourly when he was compared to Bon Jovi. 2/5
Rocking out with your cocking out. Music for meatheads, and the girls who wanted vanilla hair metal. Except Wanted Dead Or Alive - that is epic. East coast cowboys....
Not my jam at all, but not a *bad* record. I guess it can be liked if it's your style. But for me there's nothing to go back to
Love it
first listen in entirety. im not gonna go out of my way to put on and listen to Bon Jovi but this was quite good. Not really my thing but great for the radio.
bangers
Good album from hair metal era with huge hits
BON JOVI FOREVER!!!!!!!!!! I may be biased but Bon Jovi is the GOAT and my favorite band of all time!!!!
1-2, всичките ме дразнят
Arena rock typically ain't my bag but there are some pretty groovin tracks on here. Defs has its mundane moments and ridiculous moments, but I found this surprisingly tolerable. Fav track: wanted dead or alive 3.5
As far as comically overblown arena cock-rock goes, this is probably as good as it gets. The hooks are incredibly sticky whether you like it or not. Its ridiculous, but not entirely offensive... dare I say kind of fun... Fave track: Livin' on a Prayer
For the record, when I’ve mentioned ‘bad and boring slabs of party rock’ in my previous reviews, this is surprisingly not what I’ve been what I’ve been talking about. I’m kinda surprised myself, I thought for sure Bon Jovi would be worse than this, but I actually ended up enjoying Slippery While Wet quite a bit. I think the difference between this and the Def Leppard album that I repurposed my intro from, is that Bon Jovi are more musically diverse, there are more recognisable parts to the songs, and that the songwriting is much better. It’s not Springsteen level, which is clearly where Jon Bon Jovi is getting his cues from, but I guessed a watered down Springsteen is still much better than the watered down AC/DC (I guess, they’re closest in terms of lyrical content) of Def Leppard. The characters and situations are more heartfelt and real, and even the most Def Leppard-esque song lyrically, You Give Love A Bad Name, is only peripherally misogynistic, and is made up for by the more realistic portrayals of women in other songs on the album. I was also surprised at how much I liked the big singles. I’ve heard them all a million times, but always out in the wild, in clubs or on the radio. Sitting down and actually listening to Livin’ On A Prayer and Dead Or Alive really cemented why they were big for me. They’re well crafted, well performed, and equally heartfelt and silly, which is an oddly winning combination. So, I think I’m converted. I think I’d check out more Bon Jovi after this. Who knew?
On behalf of the sane people from the Garden State, you suck Jon.
yeah, yeah , yeah - - living on a prayer!
2.5 Surprised to see this is listed as Metal/Hard Rock with no mention of Pop. Pop isn't necessarily a negative for me, but I would call this soft metal if anything. Not moved by anything other than the usual suspects. I admit I may not be giving those three track their due based on sheer oversaturation, but there's only so many times one can listen to them before you die. Cool guitar though.
Listening to this album again immediately transported me back to my high school days driving around in my clunky standard transmission Volvo station wagon. I loved this album, knew - and still know - every word by heart. The nostalgia, the guitar riffs, the talkbox, the heart and soul, the crush I had on Richie Sambora... it's all still there.
This was my first full Bon Jovi album, and it's clear from the hits on it why it was included on this list. I previously thought his work more as post-hair metal / post-glam metal, but the tracks outside the three super-hits make it clear this is right there along with REO Speedwagon, Poison, and Journey. I'm glad to have heard the full album once. I'll listen to tracks 2, 3, and 5 when they get airtime, but I don't see going out of my way to listen to the others again. While they're well done, they simpily don't spark my interest enough, and I have other artists and albums that I prefer to scratch that itch with. 2.9
I generally dislike 80's music, and the quality tails off towards the end of the album, and sometimes the music feels basic...but damn Bon Jovi's got some bangers. I didn't expect to like this album in its entirety as much as I did. 3.5.
I enjoy this record, I don't think it is a 5er, but my wife does and I am grateful to skew the numbers on her behalf. She, like this album, is pretty great.
Honestly, I was ready for a lot worse than this.
Not the biggest Bon Jovi Fan, but man, this album is fun... And at least 4 top hits on it that most people will recognize, which is incredible... Musically it is great, all instruments are clearly audible and complement each other beautifully. Easy rating...
Got Wild In the Streets when I listened to this one and now I’m Wanted Dead or Alive.
How can you deny what this album did in 86-87? Radio monster
Meh. It had some of those recognizable overplayed songs. They're a guilty pleasure. I was a huge Young Guns fan, so hearing Wanted Dead or Alive was a treat.
The type of shit my little brother used to listen to when we were younger. I liked a couple songs but most were way too similar and boring.
Bruce Springsteen + Motley Crue + N*Sync = this album. Consummately poppy, but heavy enough to trick the luddite "metalhead" of yore. Lightning in a bottle, especially for the record stores.
This is a great rock album. John has great vocals with solid guitar and drums. Best album that we have had in a while.
This album did not give itself a bad name.
Quintessential 80's. While I don't love hair bands and hair metal, this is a pretty solid album. They have three all time classics that are mandatory to sing along to and a couple surprises that I really liked in "Raise Your Hands" and "I'd Die for You". Yes, most of it is cheesy, over the top, and extravagant but that's what makes it fun. Sometimes that's all music needs to be is just fun. Their hair was kinda ridiculous though I could not imagine having to deal with that much hair all the time. Also their guitarist Sambora was surprisingly really good. Like really, really good. Did not expect that from a hair metal group.
ahhh-an excellent example of hair metal band gone pop. big guitar riffs, drum solos, hooks, and hair. they did it well. great album to work out to
Ja goud man! Tuurlijk een paar knallers ertussen ook maar de rest ook heeelijk
Als ik nog 1 extra nummer zou kennen was het een 5. Nu dik een vier. Erg lekker
Couple of familiar tunes here. Very poppy.
Yeah fine it's pretty good
All the hits. The epitome of 80s pop rock.
"pop metal", according to Spotify. Good fun, great voice
lotta bangers on here
Make me feel like I am 10 years younger.
Este rock pop de los 80 esta bien muerto y nadie lo extraña, pero por un brevísimo momento en la historia de la música se llevó todo el dinero y todas las chicas
First concert I ever went to was Bon Jovi so I can’t hate this and am definitely incredibly biased