Njihov debitantski album je postao hit, ponajviše zahvaljujući hit singlu "Runaway". Odmah sljedeće godine izdaju drugi album 7800 Fahrenheit koji se prodaje u zlatnoj nakladi. Unatoč ogromnom uspjehu, nisu bili zadovoljni, željeli su više, tako da su se sljedećem albumu "Slippery When Wet" maximalno posvetili i uspjeli u naumu da steknu status superzvijezda. Taj je album označio prekretnicu u njihovoj karijeri, ne samo zbog ogromne naklade, nego i zbog cjelokupnog pomaka u dotadašnjem glazbenom stilu grupe. Dok su u početku zvučali kao heavy-metal bend, sada su unijeli dašak pop-a i vizualno gurnuli Jona u prvi plan čime su stekli širok krug poklonika, posebice djevojaka. Album se prodao u devet milijuna primjeraka samo u Americi. Za pjesme na tom albumu su prvi put koristili usluge profesionalnih kantautora koji su im napisali legendarne pjesme kao "Livin' on a Prayer", "You Give Love a Bad Name" i "Wanted Dead or Alive". To su radili i ubuduće, pa žanju uspjeh i s kard-rock baladama. Sljedeći album "New Jersey" snimljen je po sličnoj formuli i bio je malo manje uspješan od svog prethodnika. Nakon turneje po izlasku albuma neko su se vrijeme odmarali.
Za to vrijeme Jon je pripremio album "Blaze of Glory" koji je objavljen 1990. godine kao soundtrack album za western film "Young Guns II". Dva hit-singla, "Blaze of Glory" i "Miracle", donose mu nominaciju za Grammya. Slijedeće godine grupa Bon Jovi objavljuje album "Keep the Faith" koji ne ostvaruje očekivani uspjeh. Njihova je glazbena i vokalna izvedba bila na istoj razini kao i na prethodnim albumima, ali publika ih jednostavno nije tako oduševljeno prihvatila. Unatoč "neuspjehu" album je imao izvanredan singl "Bed of Roses". Nakon tog albuma odlučili su da je vrijeme za objavu kolekcije hitova:" Cross Road".
1995. godine objavljuju album "These Days" koji je rađen po sličnom receptu kao i prethodni albumi tako da je rezultirao zasićenosću kod publike. Jon 1997. godine izdaje drugi solo album "Destination Anywhere". Tri godine kasnije bend se regrupirao i snimio album "Crush" koji je prodan u multiplatinastim nakladama.
Rijetko koji bend iz heavy metal generacije 80-ih je preživio do danas, barem ne na tako uspješan način kao što je to pošlo za rukom grupi Bon Jovi koja se kameleonski transformirala iz heavy-metal benda s lošim imageom u vizualno i zvukovno posve prihvatljivu i autorsko-ivođački respektabilnu pop grupu na granici hard-rocka i s izraženim senzibilitetom za obične ljude, ljubav i život.
It's My Life
Bon Jovi ( Album : Crush )
This ain't a song for the broken-hearted
No silent prayer for the faith-departed
I ain't gonna be just a face in the crowd
You're gonna hear my voice
When I shout it out loud
Chorus:
It's my life
It's now or never
I ain't gonna live forever
I just want to live while I'm alive
(It's my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said
I did it my way
I just wanna live while I'm alive
It's my life
This is for the ones who stood their ground
For Tommy and Gina who never backed down
Tomorrow's getting harder make no mistake
Luck ain't even lucky
Got to make your own breaks
Chorus:
It's my life
And it's now or never
I ain't gonna live forever
I just want to live while I'm alive
(It's my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said
I did it my way
I just want to live while I'm alive
'Cause it's my life
Better stand tall when they're calling you out
Don't bend, don't break, baby, don't back down
Chorus:
It's my life
And it's now or never
'Cause I ain't gonna live forever
I just want to live while I'm alive
(It's my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said
I did it my way
I just want to live while I'm alive
Chorus:
It's my life
And it's now or never
'Cause I ain't gonna live forever
I just want to live while I'm alive
(It's my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said
I did it my way
I just want to live while I'm alive
'Cause it's my life!
Destination Anywhere
Bon Jovi ( Album : Jon Bon Jovi: Destination Anywhere )
Hey babe, it's me parked outside your house
I know that he's asleep, so listen to me now
Darlin', i'm tired of living just in your dreams
I'm getting out
You know we both sold our souls
We're just growing old, in this sleepy, dead-end town
Destination anywhere
Name the place and i'll be there
Pack a bag a we're out of here - let's run
Baby, we both been running uphill for too long
We both settled for something, got nothing
And we both know it's wrong
Go on admit it we lived it, i'm leaving -
Get your boots and come on
I got my coat and my keys, i need you next to me, then i'm gone
Destination anywhere
Name the place and i'll be there
Pack a bag a we're out of here - let's run
Destination anywhere
Left of right, i don't care
Maybe we'll just disappear like the sun
When these wheels spin, they can all eat our dust
As far as i'm concerned, this whole town's lost
It's nuts
We won't be here when they put us down
It's our big chance and i'm calling you now
They'll never let us go unless we try
I'm tired of living just to die
We're getting out of here, destination anywhere
Destination anywhere
Name the place and i'll be there
Pack a bag a we're out of here - let's run
Destination anywhere
Left of right, i don't care
Maybe we'll just disappear like the sun, come on, come on, come on
Never Say Goodbye
Bon Jovi ( Album : Slippery When Wet )
As i sit in this smokey room
The night about to end
I pass my time with strangers
But this bottle's my only friend
Remember when we used to park
On butler street out in the dark
Remember when we lost the keys
And you lost more than that in my backseat
Remember when we used to talk
About busting out - we'd break their hearts
Togheter - forever
Never say goodbye, never say goodbye
You and me and my old friends
Hoping it would never end
Never say goodbye, never say goodbye
Holdin' on - we got to try
Holdin' on to never say goodbye
Remember days of skipping school
Racing cars and being cool
With a six pack and the radio
We didn't need no place to go
Remember at the prom that night
You and me we had a fight
But the band they played our favorite song
And i held you in my arms so strong
We danced so close
We danced so slow
And i swore i'd never let you go
Togheter - forever
Never say goodbye, never say goodbye
You and me and my old friends
Hoping it would never end
Never say goodbye, never say goodbye
Holdin' on - we got to try
Holdin' on to never say goodbye
I guess you'd say we used to talk
About busting out
We'd break their hearts
Togheter - forever