You know what album came out 36 years ago today? You owned it. You can deny it but you owned the cassette. MAYBE the vinyl. If one of two singles comes on at a bar right now, you will sing every word until the music fades out and then complain about how much you hate them. Bon Jovi released Slippery When Wet on this date, August 18th back in 1986.
Now, Jon Bon Jovi still has great hair. Chances are we had better hair back in 1986. Your best chance for getting away with liking Bon Jovi back then was to have a girlfriend so you can justify seeing them live but then you had to hope you didn’t lose her to backstage passes.
Now, since grunge emerged and then we all grew up… a little… Bon Jovi just stopped being cool. If you still thought he was cool after 1999, that stopped when he wore a turtleneck on stage at the Garden for the 12/12/12 concert. Rock stars don’t wear turtlenecks. However, we STILL got pumped up when he did “Living On A Prayer”. In 2022, that song might be as corny as they come. It was corny in 1986 but back then we didn’t care.
It is amazing though isn’t it, that one song, one power rock anthem can make ANYONE drop their guard and pump their fist like it was their last day on earth. That’s why music is so amazing…. because at THAT moment, all that matters is the moment you’re in. That’s why we can trash Bon Jovi today, but party like its 1989 to “Livin’ On A Prayer” tonight.
(IMAGE: AP Newsroom)