Bon Jovi was the 2018 Rock Hall performer inductee presented by Howard Stern.
Bon Jovi entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Performers category in 2018, and radio personality Howard Stern presented the band. The induction recognized the group’s sustained impact on arena rock, power ballads, and mainstream hard rock, as well as its unusually broad international audience.
Formed in New Jersey in 1983, Bon Jovi broke through with the 1986 album Slippery When Wet. Songs such as “You Give Love a Bad Name,” “Livin’ on a Prayer,” and “Wanted Dead or Alive” helped define the polished, hook-heavy sound associated with 1980s arena rock. The band continued recording and touring across multiple decades.
The other choices were also part of the 2018 performer class: The Moody Blues, Dire Straits, and The Cars. That is why the presenter detail matters. Howard Stern’s name identifies Bon Jovi specifically, rather than the entire 2018 induction class.