"Livin' on a Prayer"
Single by Bon Jovi
from the album Slippery When Wet
B-side"Wild in the Streets"
ReleasedOctober 1986
Recorded1986
Genre
Length4:11 (album version)
4:23 (Rock Band 2 edit)
5:07 (DualDisc remix)
5:16 (Crossroads re-record version)
LabelMercury
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Bruce Fairbairn
Bon Jovi singles chronology
"You Give Love a Bad Name"
(1986)		 "Livin' on a Prayer"
(1986)		 "Wanted Dead or Alive"
(1987)
Music video
"Livin' on a Prayer" on YouTube

"Livin' on a Prayer" is a song by the American rock band Bon Jovi, and is the band's second chart-topping single from their third album Slippery When Wet. Written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and Desmond Child, the single, released in late 1986, was well received at both rock and pop radio and its music video was given heavy rotation at MTV, giving the band their first No. 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and their second consecutive No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit.[7]

"Livin' on a Prayer" is the band's signature song, topping fan-voted lists and re-charting around the world decades after its release. In 2013, the song was certified triple platinum for over 3 million digital downloads. The official music video reached 1 billion views on YouTube in January 2023.[8]

Song history

Jon Bon Jovi did not like the original recording of this song, which can be found as a hidden track on 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong. Lead guitarist Richie Sambora, however, convinced him the song was good, and they reworked it with a new bassline (recorded by Hugh McDonald uncredited[9][10][11]), different drum fills and the use of a talk box to include it on Slippery When Wet. The song spent two weeks at number one on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, from January 31 to February 14, 1987, and four weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, from February 14 to March 14. It also hit number four on the UK Singles Chart.

The album version of the song, timed around 4:10, fades out at the end. However, the music video game Guitar Hero World Tour features the song's original studio ending, where the band revisit the intro riff and end with a talk box solo; this version ends at 4:53. The original ending is also playable on the similar video game Rock Band 2, though edited in this case (thereby eliminating the talk box solo at the end). The version included on the 2005 DualDisc edition of Slippery When Wet has an extended version of the original ending, with a different talk box solo playing over the riff (possibly taken from an outtake of the song); this version, which fades out at the end like the standard version of the song, ends at 5:06.

After the September 11, 2001 attacks – in which New Jersey was the second-hardest hit state after New York, suffering hundreds of casualties among both WTC workers and first responders – the band performed an acoustic version of this song for New York. Bon Jovi performed a similar version as part of the special America: A Tribute to Heroes.

In 2022, Mike Reno, vocalist of the band Loverboy, revealed to Loudwire he is certain the backing vocals he recorded for this song are used.[12]

Reception and legacy

Billboard said that "metal muscle meets gritty reality in a tough, clanging rocker."[13] Cash Box said that "Solid chorus and ringing guitar highlight Jon Bon Jovi’s gutsy singing."[14]

In 2006, online voters rated "Livin' on a Prayer" No. 1 on VH1's list of The 100 Greatest Songs of the '80s. More recently, in New Zealand, "Livin' on a Prayer" was No. 1 on the C4 music channel's show U Choose 40, on the 80's Icons list. It was also No. 1 on the "Sing-a-long Classics List". After Bon Jovi performed in New Zealand on January 28, 2008, while on their Lost Highway Tour, the song re-entered the official New Zealand RIANZ singles chart at number 24, over twenty years after the initial release.[15]

Australian music TV channel MAX placed the song at No. 18 on their 2008 countdown "Rock Songs: Top 100". In 2009, the song returned to the charts in the UK, notably hitting the number-one spot on the UK Rock Chart.

In 2010, it was chosen in an online vote on the Grammy.com website over the group's more recent hits "Always" and "It's My Life" to be played live by the band on the 52nd Grammy Awards telecast.[16][17]

In the Billboard Hot 100 50th Anniversary list, "Livin' on a Prayer" was named the 46th greatest rock song of all time.[18] After the song was released for download, the song has sold 3.4 million digital copies in the US as of November 2014.[19] Louder Sound and Billboard ranked the song number four and number two, respectively, on their lists of the 10 greatest Bon Jovi songs.[20][21]

The song, including its original ending, is also playable on the music video games Guitar Hero World Tour and Rock Band 2. The song was re-worked and made available to download on November 9, 2010, for use in the Rock Band 3 music gaming platform to take advantage of PRO mode which allows use of a real guitar / bass guitar, and standard MIDI-compatible electronic drum kits / keyboards in addition to up to three-part harmony or backup vocals.[22][23]

In November 2013, the song made its return to the Billboard Hot 100 at number 25, due to a viral video.

In 2017, ShortList's Dave Fawbert listed the song as containing "one of the greatest key changes in music history".[24]

In 2021, Rolling Stone ranked the song at number 457 in their updated list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[25]

Lyrics

The song describes two characters, Tommy and Gina, a working-class couple who struggle to make ends meet. Tommy loses his job as a dockworker due to a strike while Gina works as a diner waitress. The storyline was loosely based on real-life events that Jon Bon Jovi and songwriter Desmond Child experienced in the 1970s. Before becoming successful artists and songwriters, Desmond Child and his then-girlfriend, singer-songwriter Maria Vidal, lived together. They had already begun their music careers, but worked day jobs; Child was a taxi driver in New York while Vidal worked as a waitress in a diner named "Once Upon A Stove", similar to Gina in the song. The owner, manager, and other employees of the diner nicknamed Vidal "Gina" due to her slight physical resemblance to Italian actress and photographer Gina Lollobrigida.

"It deals with the way that two kids – Tommy and Gina – face life's struggles," noted Bon Jovi, "and how their love and ambitions get them through the hard times. It's working class and it's real… I wanted to incorporate the movie element, and tell a story about people I knew. So instead of doing what I did on 'Runaway', where the girl didn't have a name, I gave them names, which gave them an identity... Tommy and Gina aren't two specific people; they represent a lifestyle."[26] Tommy and Gina are also referred to in Bon Jovi's 2000 single "It's My Life".

In a 2002 interview, Bon Jovi said that he wrote the song as a response to the Reagan Era, adding, "trickle-down economics are really inspirational to writing songs".[27]

Music video

The music video was filmed on September 17, 1986, at the Grand Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, California and was directed by Wayne Isham.[28] It starts with a silhouette of the band walking down a hall, followed by shots of the band rehearsing, filmed in black and white, then playing in front of a crowd, in color.

In the beginning of the video, Jon has a harness attached by professional stunt coordinators and stunt spotters, and during the final chorus, he soars over the crowd on wires attached to the harness.

Alternative versions

Bon Jovi have reworked the song several times, including an acoustic live version that served as a precursor to the MTV Unplugged series and a re-recorded version of the song, "Prayer '94," which appeared on U.S. versions of their Cross Road hits collection.[29]

Personnel

Bon Jovi

Additional musicians

Charts

Sales and certifications

Certifications and sales for "Livin' on a Prayer"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[73] 11× Platinum 770,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[74] Gold 50,000^
Germany (BVMI)[75] Gold 250,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[76] Platinum 50,000‡
Japan (RIAJ)[77]
Digital single 		Platinum 250,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[78] 3× Platinum 1,800,000‡
United States (RIAA)[79] 3× Platinum 3,400,000[19]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

In May 2013, the song was featured in a segment on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. In this segment, a man and his wife were at a gas station when they were suddenly offered a free tank of gas in exchange for singing a song. The husband, Will Sims II, responded by singing "Livin' on a Prayer". The video of the segment went viral,[80] prompting Jon Bon Jovi to record a video personally thanking the couple for having "so much fun" with the band's song.[81]

In 2019, Grammy Award-winning singer Michelle Williams performed the song on the second US series of The Masked Singer.[82]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Atributted to multiple references:[1][2][3][4][5][6]

References

  1. ↑ "Smashed Hits: Livin' On A Prayer". BBC News. November 27, 2013. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
  2. ↑ Beaujour, Tom; Bienstock, Richard; Eddy, Chuck; Fischer, Reed; Grow, Kory; Johnston, Maura; Weingarten, Christopher R. (August 31, 2019). "50 Greatest Hair Metal Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
  3. ↑ Sleazegrinder (December 4, 2015). "The 20 Best Hair Metal Anthems Of All Time Ever". Louder Sound. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  4. 1 2 Browne, David (September 6, 2001). "Why are Bon Jovi suddenly musical saints?". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  5. ↑ Breihan, Tom (February 3, 2021). "The Number Ones: Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer"". Stereogum. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  6. ↑ Deusner, Stephen (February 18, 2017). "We're all livin' on a prayer: How a hair band anthem from the least cool '80s rockers became a classic". Salon. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  7. ↑ "AllMusic (Bon Jovi charts & awards) Billboard singles".
  8. ↑ ""This is unbelievable": Jon Bon Jovi celebrates one billion streams of "Livin on a Prayer"".
  9. 1 2 Brodén, Victor (July 23, 2014). "On Bass: The Song Guys". Premier Guitar. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
  10. 1 2 Setaro, Shawn. "Inside The Business Of Bon Jovi With Bryan Reesman". Forbes. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
  11. ↑ McDonald, Hugh. "Hugh McDonald Official Website – Discography". Internet Archive. Archived from the original on March 2, 2012. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Loverboy's Mike Reno Reveals Backing Vocal on Bon Jovi's 'Livin' on a Prayer'". Loudwire. February 9, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Reviews". Billboard. December 13, 1986. p. 61. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. December 13, 1986. p. 8. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  15. ↑ "RIANZ". Archived from the original on March 17, 2011. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  16. ↑ "More GRAMMY Performers, Presenters Announced". April 30, 2017.
  17. ↑ "Beyonce Swift Boated".
  18. ↑ "It's Only Rock & Roll: Top Billboard Hot 100 Rock Songs". Billboard. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  19. 1 2 Appel, Rich (November 26, 2014). "Revisionist History, Part 5: Bon Jovi's 'Prayer' Answered, 'Caroline' Is Sweeter Than 'Sugar'". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  20. ↑ Dome, Malcolm (June 26, 2016). "The Top 10 Best Bon Jovi Songs". Louder Sound. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  21. ↑ Weiss, Dan (October 24, 2017). "Bon Jovi's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  22. ↑ Kohler, Chris (November 9, 2010). "Bon Jovi Rock Band Tracks Upgraded with Pro Keys, Guitars". Wired. Retrieved November 9, 2012.
  23. ↑ Snider, Mike (June 10, 2010). "Rock Band 3: What's New, What's Notable". USA Today. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  24. ↑ "The 19 greatest key changes in music history". ShortList. October 1, 2017. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  25. ↑ "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 15, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  26. ↑ Dome, Malcolm (July 2006). "We'll make it, I swear…". Classic Rock #94. pp. 45–46.
  27. ↑ "Bon Jovi Calls George Bush as 'lunatic'!".
  28. ↑ "mvdbase.com – Wayne Isham technician videography".
  29. ↑ Cross Road (liner notes). Bon Jovi. Mercury Records. 1994. P2-26013.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  30. ↑ McDonald, Hugh. "Hugh McDonald Official Website – Discography". www.huey-mcdonald.com. Archived at the Wayback Machine of Internet Archive. Archived from the original on March 2, 2012. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
  31. 1 2 "What Makes This Song Great? Ep.111 BON JOVI "Livin' on a Prayer"". YouTube. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  32. ↑ "Loverboy's Mike Reno Reveals Backing Vocal on Bon Jovi's 'Livin' on a Prayer'". Loudwire. February 9, 2022.
  33. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). Sydney: Australian Chart Book. p. 41. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  34. ↑ "Bon Jovi – Livin' On A Prayer" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  35. ↑ "Radio2 top 30: 7 february 1987" (in Dutch). Top 30. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  36. ↑ "Top Singles – Volume 45, No. 23, March 14, 1987". RPM. Archived from the original on October 5, 2013. Retrieved October 7, 2012.
  37. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  38. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Livin' On A Prayer". Irish Singles Chart.
  39. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Bon Jovi" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  40. ↑ "Bon Jovi – Livin' On A Prayer" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  41. ↑ "Bon Jovi – Livin' On A Prayer". Top 40 Singles.
  42. ↑ "Bon Jovi – Livin' On A Prayer". VG-lista.
  43. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  44. ↑ "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969–1989 Acts (B)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  45. ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  46. ↑ "Bon Jovi – Livin' On A Prayer". Singles Top 100.
  47. ↑ "Bon Jovi – Livin' On A Prayer". Swiss Singles Chart.
  48. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  49. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  50. ↑ "Bon Jovi Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  51. ↑ "Bon Jovi Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
  52. ↑ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending FEBRUARY 14, 1987". Cash Box magazine. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  53. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Bon Jovi – Livin' on a Prayer" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  54. 1 2 "Bon Jovi: Livin' on a Prayer" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
  55. ↑ "Bon Jovi Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
  56. ↑ "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  57. ↑ "Bon Jovi Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  58. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  59. ↑ "Top 100 Singles". Music Week. London, England: Spotlight Publications: 24. January 24, 1987.
  60. ↑ "Australian Music Report No 701 – 28 December 1987 > National Top 100 Singles for 1987". Kent Music Report, via Imgur.com. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  61. ↑ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  62. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1987 (Flanders)" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  63. ↑ "Top 100 Singles of '87". RPM. Archived from the original on July 13, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2012.
  64. ↑ "European Charts of the Year 1987: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 4, no. 51/52. December 26, 1987. p. 34. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  65. ↑ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1987" (in Dutch). Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  66. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1987" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  67. ↑ "Top Selling Singles of 1987". Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  68. ↑ "Top Pop Singles of '87". Billboard.biz. Retrieved October 7, 2012.
  69. ↑ "Top Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 99, no. 52. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 26, 1987. p. 16. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  70. ↑ "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1987". Cash Box magazine. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  71. ↑ "2008 Year-End UK Charts" (PDF). Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  72. ↑ "Hot Rock Songs – Year-End 2013". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  73. ↑ "Singles Accreditations Report - Nov 2023" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  74. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Bon Jovi – Livin' on a Prayer". Music Canada.
  75. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Bon Jovi; 'Livin' on a Prayer')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  76. ↑ "Italian single certifications – Bon Jovi – Livin' on a Prayer" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved September 24, 2018. Select "2018" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Livin' on a Prayer" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  77. ↑ "Japanese digital single certifications – Bon Jovi – Livin' on a Prayer" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved February 28, 2021. Select 2017年8月 on the drop-down menu
  78. ↑ "British single certifications – Bon Jovi – Livin' on a Prayer". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  79. ↑ "American single certifications – Bon Jovi – Livin' on a Prayer". Recording Industry Association of America.
  80. ↑ "Gas Pump Couple Join Leno On 'Tonight' For An Encore [Video]". Inquisitr. The Inquisitr. May 12, 2013. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  81. ↑ Bon Jovi, Jon (May 12, 2013). Thank you very much for having so much fun with the song! -JBJ. Johannesburg, South Africa: YouTube. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  82. ↑ Komonibo, Ineye (December 5, 2019). "The Butterfly On The Masked Singer Was Revealed – & It Was The Show's Most Touching Moment". Refinery29. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
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