The band consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarists John Shanks and Phil X, percussionist Everett Bradley,[1] and bassist Hugh McDonald.

In 1986, the band achieved widespread success and global recognition with their third album, Slippery When Wet, which included three Top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, two of which reached No.

[12][14] Still in his teens, Bon Jovi played in the band John Bongiovi and the Wild Ones at clubs such as the Fast Lane and opening for local acts.

[14] By mid-1982, out of school and working part-time at a women's shoe store, Jon Bon Jovi took a job at the Power Station Studios, a Manhattan recording facility where his cousin Tony Bongiovi was co-owner.

[20][21] He spoke with DJ Chip Hobart and to the promotion director, John Lassman, who suggested Jon let WAPP include the song "Runaway" on the station's compilation album of local homegrown talent.

[citation needed][22] Jon was reluctant, but eventually gave them the song, which he had re-recorded in 1982 (following a rough early recording in 1981) with local studio musicians whom he designated The All Star Review – guitarist Tim Pierce, keyboardist Roy Bittan (from Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band), drummer Frankie LaRocka, and bassist Hugh McDonald.

[citation needed] Tapped to play lead guitar for a short tour supporting "Runaway" was Bon Jovi's friend and neighbor, Dave Sabo ("The Snake"), though he never officially joined the band.

[citation needed] Jon saw and was impressed with hometown guitarist Richie Sambora who was recommended by fellow bassist Alec John Such and drummer Tico Torres.

Bruce Fairbairn was chosen to produce and, in early 1986, Bon Jovi moved to Vancouver, Canada to spend six months recording a third album.

[32] Slippery When Wet was named 1987's top-selling album by Billboard,[33] and "Livin' On A Prayer" won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Stage Performance.

[citation needed] Determined to prove that the success of Slippery When Wet was not a fluke, Bon Jovi released their fourth effort, New Jersey, in September 1988 which peaked at number one in the U.S., Canada, UK, Ireland, New Zealand and Australia.

[citation needed] Upon resolving their issues, they headed back into the Vancouver Little Mountain studios with Bob Rock to work on the band's fifth album in January 1992.

[citation needed] The album turned away from heavy drums and wild guitar solos, but instead introduced a more mature sound of Bon Jovi and contained more serious lyrics.

[32] Bon Jovi embarked on an extensive international world tour for the album, visiting countries the band had never seen before and headlining stadiums in South America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

[citation needed] In October 1994, Bon Jovi released a greatest hits album titled Cross Road, with two new tracks: "Always" and "Someday I'll Be Saturday Night".

With a video filmed in Thailand, "This Ain't a Love Song" reached top twenty on the Billboard Hot 100, and was the only significant U.S. hit from the album.

And on October 21, 2001, Bon Jovi performed at the monumental Concert For New York at Madison Square Garden, raising relief funds and honoring those who worked to save lives during the attack.

[citation needed] On February 11, 2007, Bon Jovi and Jennifer Nettles won the Grammy Award, for "Best Country Collaboration with Vocals" for "Who Says You Can't Go Home".

[citation needed] To promote the new album, Bon Jovi made several television appearances, including the 6th annual CMT Awards in Nashville, American Idol, and MTV Unplugged, as well as playing at the Live Earth concert at Giants Stadium.

[citation needed] The album's third single, "Till We Ain't Strangers Anymore", features LeAnn Rimes and won the CMT Music Award for the Collaborative Video of the Year in 2008.

[citation needed] Starting with the 10 shows to open the brand new, Newark, New Jersey Prudential Center, the band toured Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the U.S. and then Europe, finishing in the summer of 2008.

That month they also recorded a cover of the song "Stand By Me" with Iranian singer Andy Madadian, to show solidarity for those affected by political unrest in Iran.

Bon Jovi was also ranked second on Forbes magazine's list of the world's highest paid musicians, earning an approximate $125 million income that year.

[59] On November 27, 2012, Bon Jovi released a new live video album, called Inside Out, made up of content from shows at the O2 Arena, MetLife Stadium, and Madison Square Garden.

[61] On April 2, 2013, Sambora departed the band's ongoing tour for unspecified "personal reasons"; Session guitarist Phil X filled in after previously replacing him for several 2011 dates.

[63] Torres was also sidelined briefly due to emergency gallbladder surgery; he was replaced by Rich Scannella from Bon Jovi's solo band, the Kings of Suburbia, from September 20 to October 6.

[citation needed] On July 31, 2015, Bon Jovi released twin lead singles "We Don't Run" and "Saturday Night Gave Me Sunday Morning" for the compilation album Burning Bridges.

[71] On December 13, 2017, it was announced that Bon Jovi would be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018,[72] after winning the 2017 fan ballot with over 1.1 million votes.

[75] On April 29, 2018, the band performed at the BMO Harris Bradley Center, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the last ticketed event at the venue before the start of demolition in the summer of 2018.

[82] Critics and social media users discussed the quality of Jon Bon Jovi's vocal performances during the tour, with many believing that it was poor.