Bon Jovi’s Signature and Popular Songs – Recommended Classics
Since their debut in 1984, every release has been a massive hit, racking up sales that have etched their name into music history.
Even beyond the 2020s, BON JOVI remains one of the most famous rock bands in the world, still actively performing.
In Japan in particular, they’ve enjoyed strong popularity since their early days, and are known for the deep bond that connects the band and their fans.
In this article, we’ve gathered BON JOVI’s signature tracks—timeless classics and fan favorites, both old and new—that have continued to be loved across generations.
Whether you’re new to Bon Jovi or someone who used to listen back in the day, we hope you enjoy!
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Bon Jovi’s signature and popular songs – recommended classics (1–10)
RunawayBon Jovi
Bon Jovi’s landmark debut single! It’s the opening track of their debut album, BON JOVI, released in 1984, and even now, well into the 2020s, it remains a beloved live staple.
In Japan, the song is known as “Yoake no Runaway” (Runaway at Dawn), and that Japanese title was also used for the album itself.
The instant David Bryan’s strikingly memorable keyboard intro kicks in, you can’t help but want to shout, “Here it comes!” It’s also worth noting as an important piece of history that Bon Jovi’s popularity first caught fire here in Japan before it did back in their home country.
Rewatching the music video, the members’ intense direct gazes into the camera, the perfectly posed stances, and the era-defining fashion feel wonderfully fresh-faced.
If you only know them as rough-and-ready guys cranking out classic American rock, be sure to check it out as well!
In These ArmsBon Jovi
From a music history perspective, the early 1990s marked a turning point: a new wave of so-called alternative rock and grunge swept in, and many bands that had enjoyed commercial success in the ’80s faltered across the board.
In such a turbulent era, the fact that Bon Jovi—one of the quintessential bands of the ’80s—survived without being swallowed by that tide suggests they held fast to their convictions and steadily built an honest musical career.
This classic track from their 1992 album Keep the Faith is quintessential Bon Jovi: a straight-ahead slice of American rock untouched by passing trends, and a standout song that clearly captures the band in its mature phase.
Something For The PainBon Jovi
Released in 1995 and included on their sixth album, These Days, this track was later issued as a single.
It’s a somewhat subdued, seasoned number with a melodic yet distinctly wistful atmosphere.
It’s also unusual in that, after the guitar solo, guitarist Richie Sambora takes over lead vocals.
For Bon Jovi, the song feels less tightly constructed and more rough-around-the-edges, which reflects the spirit of the ’90s.
If you’ve only ever listened to Bon Jovi’s ’80s material, it may feel refreshingly different.
In that sense, including the music video—featuring many characters modeled after famous ’90s musicians—the song offers a glimpse into the distance between Bon Jovi and the era of the 1990s, making it a valuable piece in their catalog.
Bon Jovi’s Signature and Popular Songs – Recommended Classics (11–20)
These DaysBon Jovi
The song opens with an intro featuring a melancholic guitar arpeggio and piano tones, and is delivered with calm, restrained vocals throughout.
It’s the title track from These Days, their sixth album, released in 1995.
What’s particularly interesting is that, even as Bon Jovi were enjoying worldwide success with their first greatest hits album, Cross Road, released in 1994, their original album at this time showcased a mature sound with an overall darker tone.
In Japan, it topped the Oricon charts and demonstrated its popularity with total sales of 1.3 million copies.
It’s a melodic and understated classic that lets you appreciate a different side of Bon Jovi from their catchy, straightforward mainstream style.
Lay Your Hands On MeBon Jovi
It’s the opening number of the 1988 masterpiece album New Jersey, named after the band’s hometown.
With its extended intro perfectly suited to kicking off the album, this classic is also known as a staple in their live shows.
The hard-hitting guitar riff and flowing keyboard tones, the anthemic, sing-along-ready melody—and, of course, the rock-solid rhythm section that underpins it all—are superb.
The dramatic production, characteristic of a stadium band, vividly conjures up the crowd’s excitement and mass sing-alongs.
If you’re feeling a bit down today, try using this song as your BGM to lift your spirits!
AlwaysBon Jovi
Among Bon Jovi’s many superb ballads, this one is surely among their most famous—easily a contender for the top spot.
Released in 1994, it was included as a new track on Bon Jovi’s first greatest-hits album, Cross Road, which sold over 15 million copies worldwide, and it became a hit as the lead single.
It’s a classic rock ballad: deeply emotional vocals, a memorable piano phrase, a poignantly melancholic guitar solo, and the addition of strings in the latter half that elevates the whole arrangement.
Bands that can write such straightforward, honest ballads really are formidable, aren’t they? Incidentally, this song was originally written by Jon Bon Jovi to be used in the film The Web, but for various reasons it was shelved.
It’s a relief—even for non-fans—that a masterpiece like this didn’t end up buried forever.
Someday I’ll Be Saturday NightBon Jovi
From the very first line it brings you to tears—a moving masterpiece packed with the essence of Bon Jovi’s quintessential American rock.
Written specifically for the smash-hit 1994 best-of album Cross Road, it’s also a staple of their live shows.
The light acoustic guitar backing, the composed band ensemble, and the superb melody that powerfully delivers its positive lyrics—all of it lifts your spirits just by listening.
In May 2020, Jon Bon Jovi performed it on YouTube, acoustic guitar in hand, for a benefit virtual concert.
A true classic remains loved, unchanged, in any era.