This Legendary '80s Rock Band Was Formed 43 Years Ago Today

On March 14, 1983, rock music changed forever when 21-year-old musician Jon Bon Jovi decided to form a band in Sayreville, New Jersey.

With guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, bassist Alec John Such, and drummer Tico Torres, the band quickly found local success and replicated this on the international stage with their self-titled debut record less than a year later.

Bon Jovi Became Icons of '80s Rock

Bon Jovi was released on January 21, 1984 and immediately thrust the group into the spotlight thanks to their hit single "Runaway", which broke into the Billboard Top 40 and carried their album into the Billboard Hot 100.

The group was comprised of a mixture of old friends and new talent, which helped form Bon Jovi's public image as a grounded band looking to have fun with music and not take themselves too seriously. This was a huge aspect of their branding throughout the '80s, and it's what allowed them to become such undisputed hometown heroes.

Bon Jovi's success continued throughout the '80s with singles like "Only Lonely", "In And Out of Love", and "Silent Night", which all performed fairly well on the charts. But it wasn't until their third studio album, Slippery When Wet, that Bon Jovi truly became the '80s rock icons they were destined to be.

The album was written over six months in Vancouver, Canada, and produced two No. 1 sigles—"Livin' On A Prayer" and "You Give Love a Bad Name". It became the best-selling and fastest-selling album of the year, and took home several industry awards.

Bon Jovi continued to release music throughout the following decades and, to this day, continue to tour the world performing their biggest hits. Their latest album, Forever, was released in 2024 and peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Top 200.