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Bon Jovi is a rock outfit that was successful during the big-band days in the 80s but managed to stay relevant through a tough time for rockers and managed to find even greater success in recent years.
New Jersey native Jon Bon Jovi formed the studly outfit in 1983 with guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, bassist Alec John Such and drummer Tico Torres. With the exception of the departure of Such in 1994, the lineup has remained untouched since the bands conception.
The group first found success with two albums the early 80s, but they really hit the big time with "Slippery When Wet" in 1986. The album included the rock classics 'You Give Love a Bad Name," "Wanted Dead or Alive" and "Livin on a Prayer" the latter of which is a barroom staple. The group toured behind the album with a number of other hair bands, and released "New Jersey" in 1988. The group was also a massive hit, with five Top Ten singles - "Bad Medicine" "Born to Be My Baby," "Lay Your Hands on Me," "Ill Be There for You" and "Living in Sin."
After the massive success, the group took a short break to refocus on their role in the world of rock. The group matured with 1992s "Keep the Faith." Less heavy metal and more lyrical content gained the rockers a number of hit singles, including "Bed of Roses," "Keep the Faith" and "In These Arms." The next album was a greatest hits collection "Cross Road," which included the new singles "Always," which went platinum in the U.S., and "Someday Ill Be Saturday Night."
The group took another break between albums, and released "Crush" in 2000. The album included the smash-hit "Its My Life" and "Thank you For Loving Me." In 2002, after a big tour behind "Crush," they released "Bounce." The album included the title track and another hit single, "Everyday."
In 2004, the 10th anniversary of the bands inception, Bon Jovi and the boys released the playfully titled boxed set "100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Cant Be Wrong," paying homage to Elvis Presleys collection of a similar name. The set featured four CDs with 38 unreleased and 12 rare tracks, in addition to a DVD.
The groups ninth studio album was also a hit. "Have a Nice Day" featured the hit title track as well as "Who says You Cant Go Home." A duet version with Jennifer Nettles of the country outfit Sugarland introduced Bon Jovi to the country charts, and it also earned him a Grammy Award for "Best Country Collaboration with Vocals."
While the band was always big into touring, the "Have a Nice Day Tour" was planned to be a shorter outing across the globe, but they eventually decided to lengthen it with a long trek around the U.S. The bands most recent album was "Lost Highway," released in the summer of 2007. The album was a success, and the group followed it with a tour.
The hair bands of the 80s and 90s could have learned a thing or two from Bon Jovi - take some time between albums to regroup and explore and a long, successful career will follow!
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