Jon Bon Jovi recalls the early days and how Livin' on a Prayer changed everything

Nothing is as easy as it first seems in the world of rock’n’roll. And so it was when Bon Jovi burst onto the global music scene, seemingly fully formed and ready for the fame that would follow.

However, the true story had far more twists and turns, both in the lead-up to the release of the chart-topping Slippery When Wet (1986)  and in the aftermath of the album as the band blazed a trail around the globe, lighting up stadiums as well at MTV with their brand of working-class New Jersey hard rock.

Ask frontman Jon Bon Jovi these days what was the turning point and he points to the song that was the second  single to follow the release of the album, which went on to sell about 12 million copies in the United State alone.

“Livin’ On A Prayer,”  is how the now 53-year-old responds to our question asking if can he recall the exact moment when he first felt fame had arrived. “Many people look back at their career and look for the tipping point. For us it was Livin’ On A Prayer. That changed our career and brought us to the next level.”

Slippery When Wet, the band’s third album, showcased a stream of hits that would become the band’s signature tunes in the decades that have followed. Apart from Livin’ On A Prayer, the singles You Give Love A Bad Name and Wanted Dead or Alive still receive heavy rotation on all modern forms of media, while belting out any of these tunes remains a rite of passage in the rooms that lead off to those darkened karaoke house hallways throughout Asia.