I agree with you. Before Bon Jovi came along, I was not a music fan. Then I heard Bad Name on the radio and I was hooked. This is before I had MTV at my house, so I had no clue what they looked like. And when we did get mtv, and I saw the video, I thought to myself "Man, what a bunch of weird looking guys.." yeah, I was a dork. Anyhow...I became a fan of Bon Jovi, and a fan of rock music in general. They helped open my eyes to the world of music.

The one thing that I can say that has kept me a fan of Jovi was the uplifting message of their songs. Granted not all of their songs have a positive feel behind it, but you get my meaning.
So to those have complained about hearing the optimism in their music...go listen to somebody else. When I am feeling moody...I tend to listen to other things. Bon Jovi has always been my "pick me up" music. I feel so alive when I listen to it.
Oh yeah, Norm, I am a big fan of the Beatles to.