Can we handle this discussion?

they have pretty much got the hard-hitting-pop-rock-big-chorus thing sewn up. you name me another band who produce the same music as them who have sold 100million.

who are you to say what satisfies a bunch of people you don't know?

opinion.
100million albums and yet not an artist, some going that is.

20 years + is plenty of time when you're still selling 20million albums every 3-4years. they certainly aren't anywhere near obscure.

in what sense? they are all fantastic musicians; which very few can deny after hearing them fully. songwriting-wise, something attracted you to them, evidently....

i think this is the most sensible thing in your post.

Remember hair bands from the 80s? Many of them had hard-hitting-pop-rock-big-choruses. "She is my Cherry Pie blah blah blah". "Here I am rock you like a hurricane". Many, many. So, what Bon Jovi does musically is ordinary. Yet many other hair bands are dead and Bon Jovi are alive and well.

And about their sales ... I wonder how much they would have sold if Meatloaf had been their frontman instead of Jon and Jon had only written songs (I'm sure they'd have sold some but I wonder how much). Also they are very persistent. They don't give up. They keep on coming back and they do endless promotion again and again. Good sales do not come because of quality of their music. It's because of mostly other things. On the other hand I do like thier songs better than many other songs. I just don't understand why. I don't know what makes Bon Jovi music special to me. They do what others do or did.

Well, if they keep on putting out records like Bounce and TLFR, they will become obscure very soon. And I'm afraid their back catalogue is not good enough to keep them big no matter what they do today (think the Stones).

P.S. I want to discuss this because I don't know what to think. You know I don't have a definite opinion on the issue.

I think they are underrated these days as they were overrated when they had their climax. Saying this you can guess that I think they had already their career climax. I'd say it lasted from 87/88 to 95. It's My Life was a corner pillar in their career, but I think for the most people it was more of a on hit wonder. It was just an IN-song at the time. (Those who discovered the band through It's My Life, please don't feel insulted.)

I just think that there's a difference in what you do when you try to make it big and what you do when you are big. I mean, the band doesn't have to prove itself to the public - in the way when they were starting out. They know what they can and 'the world' knows it, too. 100 million records sold is proof enough. They are not praised every here and there, but I think they get enough respect nowadays.

I don't need them to deliver big hits. Times have changed, more than Bon Jovi have. I like their music and style from the first release until the twisted hits of TLFR. If they get another climax in the future I won't mind, but I don't wait for it. I will stick to them as long as they keep up their style, which, again, I think, has evolved but not changed that much. If it brings another big time, hell, cool, but I wouldn't like to see them making it big again just for the sake of it. They are big enough for me. Bon Jovi is a mark and I just don't think they are able to ruin completely what they built up in their first decade.

Apart from the hits I was never a big Stones fan, but hell look at their career, they are doing quite well. One day in the future there will be no Bon Jovi, I guess we all know that. Therefore I appreciate what they deliver and that they have the muse to go on, well, I'm just a fan. Maybe I would not have become a fan through Bounce, but since I know it's a Bon Jovi release I rather tend to like it than to look over it. I mean, if I hadn't known Bon Jovi before I could have missed it, but as a fan I'm glad it's there.

Reading again what I just wrote, it sounds like I don't like the recent stuff, but that's not true. I just mean, it is not their biggest time nowadays, but I can still feel their style in their releases what makes me like them a lot. I already see the replies... blind follower. Well, I decided long ago to be a Bon Jovi fan and it took me years. It's not easy to change my attitude there. And it's the least important to me if they are #1 with every release. Knowing that there was a time where they were HUGE, sort of officially, is enough for me. For me, they still are.

MTV innitially supported Bounce and it didn't sell to well.I think what they are doung now is good.The public needs time off so that when the new release arrives people can apreciate it a lot more that to just be Jaded with a new release every year. Jon and Richie as songwriters are very well among the best, and will continue to be.And as far as the rolling Stones Comparison goes, they all lokk up to the stones a lot so I imagine if the guys achive the same kind of carre as the Stones they would all be quite satisfied.and so will I.

They are not overrated. No one could say anything else

pretty mcuh agree with wot richiew said.

i perosnally think that is tosh, are u a MTV mark?

just wondered wot is wrong with bounce or TLFR? bounce did pretty well and TLFR is perhaps their most introspective artistic album to date...i kinda seem confused by this post cos bon jovi have been on a huge roll and will be celebrating the 20yr box xset plus 100mill mark...not as if they are on the wane or struggling in any shape or form