Bon Jovi’s ‘Slippery When Wet’ wasn’t just a breakthrough for the band, but a breakthrough for music in the 80s. Released in 1986, it was both relatable and accessible for fans of hair metal, pop, and hard rock – appealing to the appetites of the masses.
Marrying catchy and infectious hooks with stories about the working class and a power ballad or two (for good measure), ‘Slippery When Wet’ attained legendary status and many of these tracks have remained timeless to rock fans around the world.
“That was our Thriller,” Bon Jovi told the Arizona Republic in 2013. “That was our Born in the U.S.A. That was our defining record, the one that they’ll write about when we’re dead. And it’s very hard to live up to that success, no matter who you are. But I have no problem looking back on ‘Livin’ on a Prayer,’ ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’ and ‘You Give Love a Bad Name’ and saying, “Yeah, they’re still a part of the set. They’re still a part of the patchwork of pop culture.”
Join Robin LaRose on Thursday, August 18th @ 6 p.m. as he takes you back to 1986 with Bon Jovi and ‘Slippery When Wet’ only on Rock 101 – Vancouver’s Greatest Hits!
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