Bon Jovi

Everything about Bon Jovi is huge—the choruses, the sales numbers, the riffs, the arenas—and they earned their place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with explosive tunes that command singalongs. But when Jon Bon Jovi formed the band with guitarist Richie Sambora, bassist Alec Such and drummer Tico Torres in New Jersey in 1983, the biggest thing about them was their hair. They were a glammy pop-metal outfit who found themselves going from their local clubs to touring alongside Scorpions and Kiss on the strength of both their heartthrob looks and the 1984 Top 40 hit “Runaway” and its relentlessly catchy, New Wave keyboard line. With 1986’s Slippery When Wet, which broadened their arsenal with twangy power ballads (“Wanted Dead or Alive”) and working-class rock anthems in the Springsteen mould (“Livin’ On a Prayer”), they became MTV staples and global icons. As they aged ever-gracefully, Jon dabbled in acting—he had a recurring part on television’s Ally McBeal, among other roles—and the band continued reaching younger fans with 2000’s Max Martin-assisted “It’s My Life”, while later taking a stab at country on 2007’s Lost Highway, which featured guest spots from Leann Rimes and Big & Rich. But it’s the enduring lyrics of struggle and heartache and the eminently shoutable hooks that keep the fans coming in droves, whether or not they were alive for the days of spandex.