Pandemic Playlist: Top 5 Bon Jovi tracks will tide you over until their delayed album releases in the fall
Hey there, music-loving friends. As the coronavirus pandemic eases its grip on our planet, there is a silver lining that is slowly and steadily emerging. According to experts, there is a chance that the quarantine period might be lifting imminently, now that the curve has been sufficiently flattened. Some parts of the world will be cautiously creeping back to business as usual soon, so it's hoped that the worst has now passed, and by next month the entire world will be back on track.
There's always a chance that the second wave of infections might upend our plans and relegate us to another long period of waiting it out from our homes, but let's stay optimistic! Speaking of waiting, fans of the beloved band Bon Jovi were crushed last month when they found out that the New Jersey-based rock group had postponed the release date of their upcoming 15th studio album, 'Bon Jovi: 2020'.
It was supposed to drop this weekend, May 15, but Jon Bon Jovi and company have now pushed the record's release to the fall, in view of the COVID-19 outbreak. So in order to tide their loyal fanbase over, here's a list of our Top 5 Bon Jovi tunes that are sure to keep you satiated and content until we get a fresh batch of tunes from the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers. These are all evergreen classics, so we're sure you'll enjoy today's nostalgic pandemix!
Pandemic Playlist - Bon Jovi Edition
'Wanted Dead Or Alive'
This vintage hit from 1986's 'Slippery When Wet' has one of the best guitar intros of all time, making it the perfect way to kick off our playlist. As evidenced by the song's lyrics, the track was inspired by the cult heroes of the old Wild West days. Jon Bon Jovi loved how these figures were both hated and loved at the same time, i.e. wanted dead or alive with bounties on their heads.
Jon also liked to draw parallels with these outlaws and his hard-living rock band, saying that both referred to "a young band of thieves, riding into town, stealing the money, the girls, and the booze before the sun came up." That sounds about right considering how hard this legendary band used to party!
'Bed Of Roses'
This 1992 power ballad is one of those supremely well-written songs that makes everyone who hears it wish they had written it themselves for their significant other. Jon Bon Jovi famously wrote this track while nursing a hangover in his hotel room, which explains the bleary-eyed opening mood of the song. It's chockfull of immortal, heartfelt lines, and displayed a newfound maturity in Bon Jovi's sound after their glam metal heyday.
Also, every time that huge singalong chorus comes around, you can't help but harmonize with Richie Sambora's falsetto on "I want to be just as close as your holy ghost is."
'Always'
This 1994 swooner is probably Bon Jovi's most famous love song, sending millions of women into a screaming frenzy every time he performed it live. The fact that the official music video has racked up well over half-a-billion hits on YouTube is a testament to its enduring legacy. What immediately stands out every time you listen to this song is Jon Bon Jovi's extraordinary supercharged vocals, and of course, those indelible lyrics - "I'll be there / Forever and a day, always / I'll be there till the stars don't shine / 'Til the heavens burst and the words don't rhyme / I know when I die you'll be on my mind / And I'll love you, always."
'Living On A Prayer'
This 1986 Billboard chart-topper is without question Bon Jovi's signature tune, and it's also their most popular song as voted by fans. This power ballad about the young couple Tommy and Gina features the innovative use of a talk box and also contains one of the greatest key changes in history. If you thought this song was hard to sing, just wait till you get to the end where the vocals ascend into the stratosphere!
The optimistic lyrics are also timely and timeless, given the current state of the world we're living in, making it a love-filled anthem for our down-on-its-luck planet - "Woah, we're halfway there / Woah-ho, living on a prayer / Take my hand, we'll make it I swear."
'It's My Life'
Let's wrap up this feel-good list of Bon Jovi classics with another one of their signature tunes from 2000. 'It's My Life' was an anthem for the new millennium, peaking at No. 1 in the charts all across Europe, and it's also Bon Jovi's most viewed music video on YouTube, with a staggering 836 million views. The lyrics of the song include a callback to the protagonists of 'Living On A Prayer', with the lyrics "For Tommy and Gina, who never backed down" underlined by Richie Sambora reutilizing the unmistakable sound of the talk box on this song as well.
The blue-eyed crooner of 'My Way', Frank Sinatra, also earned a shout-out on this track because he was one of Jon Bon Jovi's idols - "Like Frankie said, 'I did it my way' / I just want to live while I'm alive / It's my life."
Pandemic Playlist is a daily list of songs that will keep you entertained instead of feeling drained while you're isolated at home. Look out for a fresh selection of great tunes from MEAWW to refresh your mood every day!