U2 and Bon Jovi: Separated at birth?

[jick]

I just thought comparisons in other posts to U2 and Depeche Mode are unfair. The more fair comparison is U2 and Bon Jovi because they share so many similarities. While Bon Jovi is greatly misunderstood by U2 fans, I wouldn't be surprised if U2 is also greatly misunderstood by Bon Jovi fans.

But if you look at the bottom of it all, their parallelisms are endless!

Bon Jovi: Around and still popular 20 years into their career
U2: Around and still popular 25 years into their career

Bon Jovi: career-making album "Slippery When Wet" released 1986
U2: career-making album "The Joshua Tree" released 1987

Bon Jovi: won album of the year in American Music Awards in 1987
U2: won album of the year in the Grammies 1988

Bon Jovi: Last "comeback" album at this late stage of their career sold 2 million US, 8 million worldwide
U2: Last "comeback" album at this late stage of their career sold 2 million US, 8 million worldwide

Bon Jovi: last album was promoted as a return to the Slippery When Wet era, although it was something totally new
U2: last album was promoted as a return to the Joshua Tree era, although it was something totally new

Bon Jovi: closed their Crush Tour with 3 straight sold out nights in Giants Stadium in front of their hometown
U2: closed the European leg of the Elevation Tour with 2 straight sold out nights in Slane Castle in front of their fellow Dubliners

Bon Jovi: Paid tribute to U2 when they sold out RDS Stadium in Dublin, by closing with "One"
U2: Paid respect to Bon Jovi by attending the Bon Jovi concert when they were at the same city and hanging out with Bon Jovi backstage

Bon Jovi: played NY benefit concerts America: Tribute To Heroes and Concert For New York
U2: play NY benefit concerts America: Tribute To Heroes

Bon Jovi: Rocked the house in 2002 with their Winter Olympics performance and NFL Opener performance
U2: Rocked the house in 2002 with their Superbowl performance

Bon Jovi: Sold 100 million records worldwide over their career
U2: Sold 100 million records worldwide over their career

Is there any band 20 years into their career as successful as Bon Jovi? Only U2.

Is there any band whose members are over 40 which is the unmarketable age for teenyboppers and yet still invited to play such high profile events like tribute concerts and sporting spectacles other than Bon Jovi? Only U2.

Is there any band other than Bon Jovi whose singer is already 40 yet all members of the female variety still find him ozzing with sex appeal? Only U2.

Bon Jovi's and U2's music are totally different. Their approach to songwriting is different. Their approach to song structures is different. Yet they still manage to have the same result. Two separate roads diverge. Two unique bands who defy all the odds and conventional wisdom as to how long a rock band is supposed to stay relevant.

Cheers,

J
The King Of POP

 

[Hitman]

Back in the days when I used to lurk around wire, it was Cheers J who was always making the U2 - Bon Jovi connections. I feel like I am 22 again! (Instead of 25)....

J, I do recall a number of posts where you claimed that Bon Jovi were far superior to U2. Do you still feel that way? Did you ever get to see the Elevation tour, btw?

Hitman

 

[JOFO]

I could find comparisons with a box of rocks and bon jovi too.

 

[doctorwho]

U2's supposed "comeback" album (as if one needs to comeback from a Platinum selling album) sold 4 million copies in the U.S. (not 2) and 11 million worldwide (not 8).

But I will give kudos to Bon Jovi for their endurance. Their music isn't really for me, and I think Jon Bon Jovi is a far better actor than singer/musician, but I'll give them their due.

 

[Whats The Story?]

I don't respect commercial success, no matter who the artist is, because its ultimately the music that counts in the short and long-term. I feel sorry for anyone who is a Bon Jovi fan! As for them being better than U2, please...like REM U2 have constantly oushed the boundaries of their music and made defining albums. Bon Jovi make the same songs repeatedly.

 

[david]

I think Bon Jovi and this guy:

Were seperated at Birth.

 

[walkon11]

I think Bon Jovi and this guy:

Were seperated at Birth.

LMAO...why am I thinking Joe Dirt?

 

[Bono's shades]

I don't care how many records Bon Jovi have sold. I can't stand their music. It has all the depth of a puddle. They don't even deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as U2.

 

[Whats The Story?]

I don't care how many records Bon Jovi have sold. I can't stand their music. It has all the depth of a puddle. They don't even deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as U2.

Exactly.

 

[david]

When I think of a band to compare to U2 that has been around for at least 20 years, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers come to my mind before Bon Jovi does. Actually, I think R.E.M. comes before the RHCP's in that chain.

R.E.M. and RHCP's were mainly cult acts in the 80's that gathered a loyal following. Both bands had big break through albums, R.E.M. with Out Of Time, and RHCP's with Blood Sugar Sex Magik.


Both bands continue to make relevant music despite their ages and longevity in the music business.

I'd rather compare Bon Jovi with Aerosmith.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

Exactly.

thirded.

*waits for jick to create a thread that at least has correct facts to back up opinions*

 

[Whats The Story?]

Yeah, Bon Jovi are a one-trick pony sort of band really..They aren't real rock, its all very inoffensive and shallow. U2 are infinitely more comparable to bands like REM and RHCP like you say.

 

[Hawkmoon1021]

I just thought comparisons in other posts to U2 and Depeche Mode are unfair. The more fair comparison is U2 and Bon Jovi because they share so many similarities. While Bon Jovi is greatly misunderstood by U2 fans, I wouldn't be surprised if U2 is also greatly misunderstood by Bon Jovi fans.

But if you look at the bottom of it all, their parallelisms are endless!

Bon Jovi: Around and still popular 20 years into their career
U2: Around and still popular 25 years into their career

Bon Jovi: career-making album "Slippery When Wet" released 1986
U2: career-making album "The Joshua Tree" released 1987

Bon Jovi: won album of the year in American Music Awards in 1987
U2: won album of the year in the Grammies 1988

Bon Jovi: Last "comeback" album at this late stage of their career sold 2 million US, 8 million worldwide
U2: Last "comeback" album at this late stage of their career sold 2 million US, 8 million worldwide

Bon Jovi: last album was promoted as a return to the Slippery When Wet era, although it was something totally new
U2: last album was promoted as a return to the Joshua Tree era, although it was something totally new

Bon Jovi: closed their Crush Tour with 3 straight sold out nights in Giants Stadium in front of their hometown
U2: closed the European leg of the Elevation Tour with 2 straight sold out nights in Slane Castle in front of their fellow Dubliners

Bon Jovi: Paid tribute to U2 when they sold out RDS Stadium in Dublin, by closing with "One"
U2: Paid respect to Bon Jovi by attending the Bon Jovi concert when they were at the same city and hanging out with Bon Jovi backstage

Bon Jovi: played NY benefit concerts America: Tribute To Heroes and Concert For New York
U2: play NY benefit concerts America: Tribute To Heroes

Bon Jovi: Rocked the house in 2002 with their Winter Olympics performance and NFL Opener performance
U2: Rocked the house in 2002 with their Superbowl performance

Bon Jovi: Sold 100 million records worldwide over their career
U2: Sold 100 million records worldwide over their career

Is there any band 20 years into their career as successful as Bon Jovi? Only U2.

Is there any band whose members are over 40 which is the unmarketable age for teenyboppers and yet still invited to play such high profile events like tribute concerts and sporting spectacles other than Bon Jovi? Only U2.

Is there any band other than Bon Jovi whose singer is already 40 yet all members of the female variety still find him ozzing with sex appeal? Only U2.

Bon Jovi's and U2's music are totally different. Their approach to songwriting is different. Their approach to song structures is different. Yet they still manage to have the same result. Two separate roads diverge. Two unique bands who defy all the odds and conventional wisdom as to how long a rock band is supposed to stay relevant.

Cheers,

J
The King Of POP

Here's a few more comparisons....


U2-Consistantly challenge their audience by continually evolving, and putting out sonically daring, spiritually uplifting, original Rock N' Roll.

Bon Jovi-Consistantly churn out the same dated 80's mallrat shlock rock, with all the depth that could fit into a thimble, co-written by hacks who are brought on board to move more units.


U2-Their back catalog still has relavance today and garners a large amount of airplay across all radio formats.

Bon Jovi-has only 2 or 3 of their Tinkertoy tunes played on MOR stations. I don't think they ever get play on Modern or Classic rock.


U2-Beautiful Day was a big hit for U2 because the power of the song and a reminder to the public that great rock and roll still exsisted.

Bon Jovi-It's My Life was a hit because Jon Bon Jovi is good looking. (Do you really think he would have ever gotten a record deal if he wasn't?)


U2-Everything that was right about Rock N' Roll for the last 20 years.

Bon Jovi-Everything that was wrong about Rock N' Roll for the last 20 years.


Now if it was an in-depth analysis between U2 & Poison, that i could understand.

 

[Whats The Story?]

Re: Re: U2 and Bon Jovi: Separated at birth?

Here's a few more comparisons....


U2-Consistantly challenge their audience by continually evolving, and putting out sonically daring, spiritually uplifting, original Rock N' Roll.

Bon Jovi-Consistantly churn out the same dated 80's mallrat shlock rock, with all the depth that could fit into a thimble, co-written by hacks who are brought on board to move more units.


U2-Their back catalog still has relavance today and garners a large amount of airplay across all radio formats.

Bon Jovi-has only 2 or 3 of their Tinkertoy tunes played on MOR stations. I don't think they ever get play on Modern or Classic rock.


U2-Beautiful Day was a big hit for U2 because the power of the song and a reminder to the public that great rock and roll still exsisted.

Bon Jovi-It's My Life was a hit because Jon Bon Jovi is good looking. (Do you really think he would have ever gotten a record deal if he wasn't?)


U2-Everything that was right about Rock N' Roll for the last 20 years.

Bon Jovi-Everything that was wrong about Rock N' Roll for the last 20 years.


Now if it was an in-depth analysis between U2 & Poison, that i could understand.

Hehe classic! Perfectly sums up my thoughts

 

[JOFO]

Re: Re: Re: U2 and Bon Jovi: Separated at birth?

Hehe classic! Perfectly sums up my thoughts

mine too.

 

[Vox02]

ATYCLB has sold almost 4 million copies in US and 11 million worldwide, and their Elevation Tour sold out arenas in US and Europe in EVERY date.

Bon Jovi is still a popular live act in Europe ( they can fill some stadium dates in UK or Germany ) but in US remains 2 or 3 times below U2.

In terms of album sales Bon Jovi also remains below U2, with an estimated 75 million copies sold worldwide, while U2 has sold between 100-120 million copies worldwide.

Vox

 

[Zoomerang96]

jick, before i destroy you, i want to say i really like your pro-pop threads. i agree with everything you say about u2's finest. well almost finest.

but for you to come here and compare bon jovi to u2, while citing INCORRECT "facts" makes you look even worse than simply saying you like them.

bon jovi sucks balls, and licks taint on occasion. u2 kisses in clean areas.

seriously i cannot understand how u2 fans like such SHITTY music like creed and bon jovi and what not.

 

[Whats The Story?]

Yeah I know what you mean. My friends at university had shocking taste in music! Bands like Bon Jovi, Creed were deemed as "classic" by these people. I was the only one with taste!

 

[Inshakor]

I have to defend Bon Jovi here. I am not a fanboy of any band. U2 is my favorite band but that dosen't mean I have to hate bands that take a different approach. I really like Bon Jovi. I really like Creed too but I'll save that for another post.

Allow me to break down a comparison of Bon Jovi and U2 in terms of their abilities. Understand that I am defending a band that is very much hated here. If I were at a Bon Jovi site and people were bashing U2 then I would make many more positive points toward U2 then I do here.

Jon Vs. Bono: Jon has a larger range than Bono. Bono can barely hit A's now (Colors that have never been seen). Jon can still easily hit B's. Now I know people are going to say that Bono's more about emotion than ability and that may be true but the fact is Jon can hit the notes. Jon also looks cooler. Bono is cool but Jon is cooler in an American way. He's from New Jersey. If you were in a fight who would you rather have at your back? Bono does however write better lyrics in my opinion. I say this one is a draw.

Edge Vs. Richie: This is a hard one. It is clear that ability is on Richie's side. Now people are going to say that the Edge has more technical ability and this is true but when is comes to pure guitar playing power Richie wins. If the two were handed acoustics Richie would win. If they each had thousands and thousands of dollars of equipment then the Edge might win. One thing you should know is about the Edge's use of a delay (echo) pedal. We hear all these notes being played when in fact the Edge is playing far less. Other guitar players will notice that the Edge does get repetative. Compare Richie's guitar to that of classic rock, to the likes of Jimmy Page and Eddie Van Halen. I say this one goes to Richie.

Adam VS. ???? Well U2 definitely wins since Bon Jovi fired their base player back in the mid 90's. Now people will argue that Bon Jovi is a weak band because they do not have all original members. I disagree. Bon Jovi is a don't take crap kind of band. When one gets high and mighty they remove him for the good of the band.

Keyboards??? Definately goes to Bon Jovi since U2 doesn't have a memeber dedicated to the keys. Edge is a decent player but I'm a better keyboard player than the Edge and yes I once a played a keyboard solo after I played a guitar solo while holding a pick in my hands.

Drums--Tico Vs. Larry. Tough one since I don't know much about drums. I say a draw

Songwriting ability: Bon Jovi always takes a more traditional approach when structuring their songs than U2. U2 creates better songs for the most part but that doesn't mean than Bob Jovi's songs are bad. One attack against Bon Jovi is that all their song sound the same. This is not true. The only similarities I found between It's my life and living on a prayer were the use of the talkbox and the lyrics about Tommy and Geena. One thing that Bon Jovi clearly wins at is love songs. U2 doesn't really have too many. With or Without You, I guess you could call One a love song but I like to think of it as more of a song for Humanity. I consider Always, Bed of Roses, and Thank You for Loving Me to be three of the best love songs of all time. And for those who say Jon doesn't have passion. Listen to Always. It sounds as if he was bleeding when he recorded it. Other than Crush and Slippery there aren't any Bon Jovi albums that I can listen to without skipping any tracks. U2 have many.
I say U2 wins.

Performing power: I went to a Bon Jovi concert a few days before I went to my first U2 concert. Both were at the pond in Anaheim and my seats were similiar. Bon Jovi couldn't get the crowd going like U2 could. U2 definately wins here.

THE VERDICT: U2 WINS BUT that doesn't mean Bon Jovi is a bad band. In fact they are a great band and they deserve more respect around here.

One more thing. If U2 were to put out a song similiar to It's My Life people here would be saying how much U2 rocks and how they are such a great rock band and that the Edge is such a great guitar player. I remember people saying how much New York rocked when ATYCLB was released. If Bon Jovi was to put out a song like Please or even Lemon people here would say it sounded like their same old 80's stuff. It's the 21st century and people still won't accept something because it's different--Sad

 

[Hawkmoon1021]

I have to defend Bon Jovi here. I am not a fanboy of any band. U2 is my favorite band but that dosen't mean I have to hate bands that take a different approach. I really like Bon Jovi. I really like Creed too but I'll save that for another post.

Allow me to break down a comparison of Bon Jovi and U2 in terms of their abilities. Understand that I am defending a band that is very much hated here. If I were at a Bon Jovi site and people were bashing U2 then I would make many more positive points toward U2 then I do here.

Jon Vs. Bono: Jon has a larger range than Bono. Bono can barely hit A's now (Colors that have never been seen). Jon can still easily hit B's. Now I know people are going to say that Bono's more about emotion than ability and that may be true but the fact is Jon can hit the notes. Jon also looks cooler. Bono is cool but Jon is cooler in an American way. He's from New Jersey. If you were in a fight who would you rather have at your back? Bono does however write better lyrics in my opinion. I say this one is a draw.

Edge Vs. Richie: This is a hard one. It is clear that ability is on Richie's side. Now people are going to say that the Edge has more technical ability and this is true but when is comes to pure guitar playing power Richie wins. If the two were handed acoustics Richie would win. If they each had thousands and thousands of dollars of equipment then the Edge might win. One thing you should know is about the Edge's use of a delay (echo) pedal. We hear all these notes being played when in fact the Edge is playing far less. Other guitar players will notice that the Edge does get repetative. Compare Richie's guitar to that of classic rock, to the likes of Jimmy Page and Eddie Van Halen. I say this one goes to Richie.

Adam VS. ???? Well U2 definitely wins since Bon Jovi fired their base player back in the mid 90's. Now people will argue that Bon Jovi is a weak band because they do not have all original members. I disagree. Bon Jovi is a don't take crap kind of band. When one gets high and mighty they remove him for the good of the band.

Keyboards??? Definately goes to Bon Jovi since U2 doesn't have a memeber dedicated to the keys. Edge is a decent player but I'm a better keyboard player than the Edge and yes I once a played a keyboard solo after I played a guitar solo while holding a pick in my hands.

Drums--Tico Vs. Larry. Tough one since I don't know much about drums. I say a draw

Songwriting ability: Bon Jovi always takes a more traditional approach when structuring their songs than U2. U2 creates better songs for the most part but that doesn't mean than Bob Jovi's songs are bad. One attack against Bon Jovi is that all their song sound the same. This is not true. The only similarities I found between It's my life and living on a prayer were the use of the talkbox and the lyrics about Tommy and Geena. One thing that Bon Jovi clearly wins at is love songs. U2 doesn't really have too many. With or Without You, I guess you could call One a love song but I like to think of it as more of a song for Humanity. I consider Always, Bed of Roses, and Thank You for Loving Me to be three of the best love songs of all time. And for those who say Jon doesn't have passion. Listen to Always. It sounds as if he was bleeding when he recorded it. Other than Crush and Slippery there aren't any Bon Jovi albums that I can listen to without skipping any tracks. U2 have many.
I say U2 wins.

Performing power: I went to a Bon Jovi concert a few days before I went to my first U2 concert. Both were at the pond in Anaheim and my seats were similiar. Bon Jovi couldn't get the crowd going like U2 could. U2 definately wins here.

THE VERDICT: U2 WINS BUT that doesn't mean Bon Jovi is a bad band. In fact they are a great band and they deserve more respect around here.

One more thing. If U2 were to put out a song similiar to It's My Life people here would be saying how much U2 rocks and how they are such a great rock band and that the Edge is such a great guitar player. I remember people saying how much New York rocked when ATYCLB was released. If Bon Jovi was to put out a song like Please or even Lemon people here would say it sounded like their same old 80's stuff. It's the 21st century and people still won't accept something because it's different--Sad

Technical ability doesn't mean much to me. The Ramones play 3 chords & still blow BJ out of the water. The Goal is Soul, and that is something Bon Jovi is serious lacking.

But this is just my opinion, nothing personal. Millions of people love BJ, and any music that makes you feel good is good music.

Oh, BJ would never be able to put out a song like Please or Lemon.

 

[david]

I've never heard Jon Bon Jovi sing in a falsetto. I've never even heard him sing in a different range. All I've ever noticed about his singing is that his voice has always sounded the same. He has that weird New Jersy sounding voice. I'll give him credit, his voice hasn't changed since I first heard him in 87, that could be taken as either good or bad.

 

[U2DMfan]

in 2005 U2 will go into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
in 2005 Bon Jovi will still be a butt-rock hair band.

in 2010 or sometime thereafter, U2 will release a THIRD Best Of Collection spanning 3 decades of thought provoking emotional, political , spiritual, creative, and powerful music,
in 2010 or sometime thereafter, Bon Jovi will still be a butt-rock hair band.




I will concede that Bon Jovi was the better of that pitiful genre of hideousness, but subsitute Jon Bongiovi for Dee Snider and tell me they would still be around today.

I encourage the originator of this thread to check out the old Livin On a Prayer video with the high wire gayeity, that came outthe year before Joshua Tree, nice comparisons, ace.

 

[jick]

Back in the days when I used to lurk around wire, it was Cheers J who was always making the U2 - Bon Jovi connections. I feel like I am 22 again! (Instead of 25)....

J, I do recall a number of posts where you claimed that Bon Jovi were far superior to U2. Do you still feel that way? Did you ever get to see the Elevation tour, btw?

Hitman

I never ever said Bon Jovi was better than U2. I did say in the past that there are some things U2 can pick up from Bon Jovi, but hey even U2 can pick up something from the Backstreet Boys or whoever. You always learn from what's around you. But overall,I like U2 much much more than Bon Jovi.

Cheers,

J
The King Of POP

 

[jick]

U2's supposed "comeback" album (as if one needs to comeback from a Platinum selling album) sold 4 million copies in the U.S. (not 2) and 11 million worldwide (not 8).

But I will give kudos for Bon Jovi for their endurance. Their music isn't really for me, and I think Jon Bon Jovi is a far better actor than singer/musician, but I'll give them their due.

I stand corrected. I think I ws cutting and pasting without editing. U2 did sell 4 million in the US, and I would even guess 12 million worldwide.

Nevertheless, as much of a chart statistician you are, I am sure you would readily admit, that any band that sells 2 million US and 8 million worldwide in around 20 years as being a band are not your ordinary run-of-the-mill rock band. I don't have sales figures with me handy but I doubt REM or Depeche Mode's latest albums could come close to 8 million worldwide.

Cheers,

J
The King Of POP

 

[jick]

I don't care how many records Bon Jovi have sold. I can't stand their music. It has all the depth of a puddle. They don't even deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as U2.

Disliking someone's music is just a matter of taste or preference. There is no wrong or right.

But sales figures, concert attendance, and public appearances are tangible and real facts and this is what I base my post on.

One guy can say Bon Jovi's music sucks, another guy can say it rocks. One guy can say U2 make the same music every year, another guy can say the opposite. Yet there is no wrong or right since it is opinion.

Comparisons based on hard facts are tangible and measurable though and that ismy basis.

Cheers,

J
The King Of POP

 

[jick]

When I think of a band to compare to U2 that has been around for at least 20 years, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers come to my mind before Bon Jovi does. Actually, I think R.E.M. comes before the RHCP's in that chain.

R.E.M. and RHCP's were mainly cult acts in the 80's that gathered a loyal following. Both bands had big break through albums, R.E.M. with Out Of Time, and RHCP's with Blood Sugar Sex Magik.


Both bands continue to make relevant music despite their ages and longevity in the music business.

I'd rather compare Bon Jovi with Aerosmith.

Red Hot Chilli Peppers? I didn't even know they were around for 20 years already!

REM is already a dinosaur band, not played in mainstream anymore. But the Chilli Peppers still are, but I really never knew they were around for 20 years already.

Thanks for your insights. Bon Jovi does make relevant music too. You should keep an eye out for their new album Bounce, the initial reviews are all praises for it although I haven't heard any song from it yet.

Cheers,

J
The King Of POP

 

[jick]

Yeah, Bon Jovi are a one-trick pony sort of band really..They aren't real rock, its all very inoffensive and shallow. U2 are infinitely more comparable to bands like REM and RHCP like you say.

"One-trick pony" and "inoffensive and shallow" - now that's another way of stating what I previously stated:

"Their approach to songwriting is different. Their approach to song structures is different. Yet they still manage to have the same result. Two separate roads diverge. Two unique bands who defy all the odds and conventional wisdom as to how long a rock band is supposed to stay relevant."


I wouldn't be surprised if non-U2 fans would label U2 as one-trick ponies and writing about nothing but political stuff. That's because they aren't familiar with the rich catalogue of U2's songs. Same thing for non Bon Jovi fans. I do remember posting in the past in another previous message board how Bon Jovi's song "Dry County" could have easily been something Bono would have written. Meanwhile, the soaring chorus of "Kite" could have easily have been something Bon Jovi sang. As I said, both bands have very very very different approaches, so it is highly improbable that a fan of one band would "get" what the other band is all about. But the end result based on sales figures and logevity and concert attendance is remarkably similar. There are more than two ways to skin a cat.

Cheers,

J
The King Of POP

 

[jick]

Re: Re: U2 and Bon Jovi: Separated at birth?

U2-Their back catalog still has relavance today and garners a large amount of airplay across all radio formats.

Bon Jovi-has only 2 or 3 of their Tinkertoy tunes played on MOR stations. I don't think they ever get play on Modern or Classic rock.

U2-Beautiful Day was a big hit for U2 because the power of the song and a reminder to the public that great rock and roll still exsisted.

Bon Jovi-It's My Life was a hit because Jon Bon Jovi is good looking. (Do you really think he would have ever gotten a record deal if he wasn't?)

As to your first point, Bon Jovi doesn't need the modern rock audience when they are still good enough to appeal to the top 40 audience.

Beautiful Day was a big hit because it had what Edge said was a "quintessential U2 riff" which Bono almost wanted Edge to pull the plug on. It is this economical ringing guitar sound that characterized U2 and the 80's. The one in the background as U2 do the a-Ha "touch me" portion of Beautiful Day. U2 were about to drop it but Edge insisted they keep the riff. The song made fans remember the 80's U2 they knew so well. The rest is history.

It's My Life reintroduced the vocal "owww owww" effects of Sambora which was previously seen in Livin' On A Prayer, Bon Jovi's biggest hit from the 80's. It also incorporated references to Tommy and Gina, the two principal characters in Livin' On A Prayer.

So to cut a long story short, both U2 and Bon Jovi gained success with their singles by helping remind fans of their storied past songs. Once again, another parallelism I failed to mention in my previous post. Thanks for bringing this up. There are many ways to skin a cat, and U2 and Bon Jovi get to skin the cat.

Cheers,

J
The King Of POP

 

[jick]

ATYCLB has sold almost 4 million copies in US and 11 million worldwide, and their Elevation Tour sold out arenas in US and Europe in EVERY date.

Bon Jovi is still a popular live act in Europe ( they can fill some stadium dates in UK or Germany ) but in US remains 2 or 3 times below U2.

In terms of album sales Bon Jovi also remains below U2, with an estimated 75 million copies sold worldwide, while U2 has sold between 100-120 million copies worldwide.

Vox

I think Bon Jovi sold something like 36 million in the US while U2 have sold 44 million in the US. Meanwhile, U2 has sold 105 million worldwide, while Bon Jovi 100 million (definitely not 75 million!). So if you deduct the US sales from the worldwide sales, Bon Jovi has actually had more success around the world than U2.

I do agree that Bon Jovi's popularity isn't as high in the US anymore. With so many American manufactured pop acts, Bon Jovi have long decided not to compete for the US market and to go for the rest of the world nowadays, and they are successful. I think many in this forum are Americans and thus they don't understand Bon Jovi's popularity outside America.

In Europe, Bon Jovi is still a stadium act. Bon Jovi have also always opened their tours abroad, so by the time they hit America they aren't that "hot" anymore, unlike U2 who always open in America first.

Once again, different roads but the same destination.

Cheers,

J
The King Of POP

 

[zooropamanda]

more to the point, why would u want to compare them?

i just really hate when i attempt to type bon jovi it always comes out as bono jovi. yeah, that really bugs me.