The definitive Bon Jovi playlist

One of the better moments from the band's lukewarm sophomore album, 7800° Fahrenheit. "In and Out of Love" exhibits Bon Jovi's early, raw sound. While that did not generate major mainstream success, "In and Out of Love" is an example of those desperate days when Bon Jovi toiled to make a lasting name.

Whether a Bon Jovi fan or not, give the band its credit for longevity. As of 2022, the group has put out 15 studio albums since 1984. "One Wild Night" from 2000's Grammy-nominated Crush proved that Bon Jovi could still bring it. A party rocker, this track wasn't released as a single in studio form but enjoyed some popularity in live form via 2001's One Wild Night Live 1985–2001.

Bon Jovi ballads are a big part of the band's legacy. From 1992's Keep the Faith, "Bed of Roses" was not only a top-10 hit on Billboard's Hot 100 in the United States but an example of the group at least somewhat moving on from its glam-rock tendencies responsible for a superstar status to a more mature sound — essentially ingratiating itself to pure pop and adult contemporary audiences that had been its bread and butter ever since.

By 1988's New Jersey, Bon Jovi was a giant within the decade's popular hair/glam metal scene. This record solidified it with five top-10 hits — two hit No. 1, including this token '80s power ballad. The more slow-paced "I'll Be There for You," known for the harmonic work of Jon Bon Jovi and Sambora, rightfully has a place on this list, but there are arguably better ballads on the record.

Another power ballad from New Jersey and perhaps late Bon Jovi bassist Alec John Such's most notable performance during his time with the group. His subtle but impactful rhythmic bass work is the backbone of a track about young lovers in a passionate relationship that isn't approved by adult figures in their lives. It reached No. 9 on the Hot 100. In the realm of Bon Jovi power ballads, it's not celebrated as much as it probably should be.

The title track from the band's 10th studio album released in 2007. On the heels of Bon Jovi's  Grammy-winning collaboration with Jennifer Nettles on "Who Says You Can't Go Home," the group's rock sound took more of a country turn on Lost Highway, which featured appearances by Big & Rich and LeAnn Rimes. That country-rock vibe is evident on "Lost Highway," which was a further turn-off for old-school Bon Jovi fans but also an example that the group was pretty successful in taking musical chances.

Another solid title track. This time, from the group's ninth studio album in 2005. It's a song about tolerance and heavier than most other songs Bon Jovi would release in the following years. Though "Have a Nice Day" never cracked the Top 40 on Billboard's Hot 100 in the U.S., it was a top-10 hit in 14 other countries. Further proof that Bon Jovi was still an internationally successful act that didn't seem to slow down with adult contemporary, mainstream audiences.

The title cut from Bon Jovi's first fifth studio album. "Keep the Faith"  is our first mention of prominent pop rock songwriter Desmond Child. As we'll see, Child's association with the band in the 1980s was a major reason it became one of the biggest rock acts on the planet. This is one of several songs Child co-wrote with Jon Bon Jovi and former guitarist Richie Sambora. Child's work is big on characters, clichés, and metaphors while superbly polished and packaged for mainstream audiences.

After two records, Bon Jovi needed a hit and didn't get just one from 1986's Slippery When Wet but several of the group's most memorable tunes — thanks to the writing collaboration with Desmond Child. Heralded for officially taking hair/glam metal into the popular mainstream, the record spent eight weeks atop the Billboard 200 in the United States, went 12-times Platinum, and produced music videos that seemingly appeared every hour on MTV. "I'd Die for You" was not released as a single and might be considered a deep cut from the record. That said, it's a criminally underrated, unabashed, massively-popular, pop-rock example of the direction Bon Jovi's sound was headed.

By the time Keep the Faith came out in the early 1990s, Bon Jovi had solidified itself as a mainstream rock giant. While the band's sound "grew up" on this record, "In These Arms" can be best described as a more mature pop-rock number, similar to something heard on Slippery When Wet or New Jersey. That is OK because that's what Bon Jovi fans had come to expect and celebrate. Love it or hate it, the band had not abandoned the formula that got it to this point.

The good thing about a greatest hits album for a band is that it often offers an opportunity to include a new single. That was the case with Bon Jovi's 1994 Cross Road package. Most of the songs on this list are part of that record, but "Always" was a new standout ballad that peaked at No. 4 on the Hot 100. It was perfect for mainstream rock radio. The video, which featured established up-and-coming young Hollywood actors Jack Noseworthy, Keri Russell, Carla Gugino, and Jason Wiles, was an MTV regular.

The year was 1984, and Jon Bon Jovi finally released an album. The catalyst behind the project was "Runaway," a raw, almost new-wave glam rocker.  Its demo, which initially featured E Street Band pianist Roy Bittan on keyboards, earned airplay on WAPP 103.5FM "The Apple." Known for its rapid keyboard opening, "Runaway" was a top-40 hit for Bon Jovi and officially kicked off Jon's and the band's professional careers. Over the years, "Runaway" has been overshadowed by the more dynamic mainstream cuts from Slippery When Wet and New Jersey, but Jon Bon Jovi has done a solid job of preserving its important legacy.

Also from the band's self-titled debut, "She Don't Know Me" is likely best known as the one song in the Bon Jovi catalog not written by any current or former band member. It was penned by Mark Avsec, a former funk band Wild Cherry member. The tune was not a top-40 hit but a highly underrated pop-rock number with a catchy groove. Its music video also features some of the best hairstyles  — and ample amounts of blue denim — in the band's storied fashion history.

Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and Desmond Child came together to pen what became the first single from Slippery When Wet, which also happened to be the band's first No. 1 hit in the United States. From the memorable opening collective shout of, "Shot through the heart, and you're to blame / Darlin', you give love a bad name" to the campy concert-themed video, Bon Jovi delivered its breakthrough moment. From there, it was essentially off to the races, thanks to a tune about a jilted lover that turned a middling rock band into international superstars. 

One of Jon Bon Jovi's Springsteen's moments and a highly underrated track from New Jersey. A story about friendship, growing up, loyalty, and dreams. "Blood on Blood" was not released as a single but is the longest song on New Jersey at more than 6 minutes. It's a track that proved the band could move beyond the formulaic hair/metal sound, though it was another Desmond Child offering that still fit the pop-rock vibe of the time.

In the same MTV-fueled spirit of "You Give Love a Bad Name," "Bad Medicine" is a campy rocker and first single from New Jersey. It was another No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit for a band that had comfortably found its spot among the biggest rock acts of the time and proved that it was more than capable of building off the success of the Slippery When Wet breakout from two years prior. Of course, the track might be best remembered for featuring late comedian Sam Kinison in the music video. 

"Born to Be My Baby" is not a ballad. Just a deliciously cheesy pop rocker that is well worthy of the guilty-pleasure status and tasty enough to be regularly played by a love-sick 16-year-old boy in the late 1980s pining for the girl he believed was the one. Another New Jersey gem, "Born to be My Baby" hit No. 3 on the Hot 100 but still seems like a Bon Jovi track that deserved more attention and acclaim. If anything, it was a perfect example of what the band's sound represented at the time. It wasn't even included on the Cross Road greatest hits release.

It took roughly 17 years, but a Bon Jovi song finally earned a Grammy nomination. "It's My Life" is not only the undisputed highlight of the Crush album but a tune that proved Bon Jovi would remain prominent into another decade — or century, in this case. A mature rocker spanned various pop and rock radio formats, armed with a video that earned regular air time when MTV opted to play music. Its lyrics also nod to some of Bon Jovi's past song characters while simultaneously reaching a new generation of fans.

A creative twist on the obligatory "road" song. "Wanted Dead or Alive" has an outlaw vibe and might be the one Bon Jovi tune that showcased Richie Sambora's musical talent within the confines of the group. It reached No. 7 on Billboard's Hot 100 and helped usher the wave of hybrid acoustic/plugged-in tracks from hair/glam metal bands that became part of the appeal of the genre during the 1980s. The unplugged performance of the track by Jon Bon Jovi and Sambora at the MTV Music Video Awards took its popularity to even greater heights.

Released on Halloween 1986, "Livin' on a Prayer" was Jon Bon Jovi's "Born to Run." "You Give Love a Bad Name" made the band relevant, but this iconic track about Tommy and Gina trying to make it in a harsh world not only proved Bon Jovi wasn't a one-hit wonder but had plenty of potential going forward. It was the group's second-straight No. 1 single, signature song, and a fantastic crowd sing-a-long number. (Especially in a bar, when the volume is turned down in time for patrons to deliver their own "ah-ah!!") Simply put, with "Livin' on a Prayer," Bon Jovi was "halfway there" to superstardom