Bon Jovi was the New Jersey band led by Jon Bon Jovi that entered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a performer in 2018. The group combined hard-rock energy with pop accessibility, helping define the arena-rock sound of the 1980s.
The band formed in 1983 in New Jersey around singer Jon Bon Jovi, guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, and drummer Tico Torres. Its breakthrough came with the 1986 album Slippery When Wet, which produced “You Give Love a Bad Name,” “Wanted Dead or Alive,” and “Livin’ on a Prayer.” The band followed that success with New Jersey in 1988.
Bon Jovi’s sound later broadened beyond glam metal. “It’s My Life” introduced the band to a new generation in 2000, and “Who Says You Can’t Go Home” connected its rock identity with country influences. Def Leppard, Journey, and Aerosmith are also major arena-rock acts, but Bon Jovi is the group associated with the 2018 induction described here.