Track Rankings 2012 - These Days

Aaaannnd we're back! After a fair delay, voting opens once again! This time it's for the heavily talked about These Days. While the album did not produce much hype in the States, it did quite well in most other places - most notabely Japan and the UK. To date, it is the band's highest selling studio album in Japan, and is the most successful album in terms of singles in the UK. All five singles hit the top 10 in the UK, with the exception of Hey God which came pretty close at #13.

These Days was rated as the best Bon Jovi album by Jovitalk members in 2008. This year is was rated as the second best.

Let voting begin once again!

2008 Results
01. These Days [290]
02. Hey God [267]
03. Something To Believe In [254]
04. My Guitar Lies Bleeding In My Arms [226]
05. This Aint A Love Song [224]
06. Damned [198]
07. Something For The Pain [190]
08. Lie To Me [152]
09. (It's Hard) Letting You Go [150]
10. If That's What It Takes [127]
11. Hearts Breaking Even [125]
12. Diamond Ring [83]
13. All I Want Is Everything [82]
14. Bitter Wine [68]

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2012 Rankings

• Albums
• Bon Jovi
• 7800° Fahrenheit
• Slippery When Wet
• Keep the Faith
• Crush
• Bounce
• Have a Nice Day
• Lost Highway

Do I love These Days album? Yes. Do I think it is slightly over rated by die hards? Yes.

14pt] My Guitar Lies Bleeding
13pt] Something For The Pain
12pt] This Ain't a Love Song
11pt] (It's Hard) Letting You Go
10pt] Damned
9pt] Hey God
8pt] Something To Believe In
7pt] These Days
6pt] Hearts Breaking Even
5pt] Diamond Ring
4pt] Lie To Me
3pt] If That's What It Takes
2pt] All I Want Is Everything
1pt] Bitter Wine

The top four are all interchangable depending on my mood. It is a great album and it feels terrible giving such low scores to Diamond Ring and Lie to Me, because I really do like those songs.

Savvi - are you teasing me by leaving New Jersey so late!!!

As stated in the New Bon Jovi Album thread I didn’t get the hype of These Days. I like it but theres too many slow songs on it. Jovi got miserable. The US disliked it and this era was the bands biggest in the UK. The song Always helped them get a head of steam in the UK and on that back of that song and These Days they sold out 3 nights at Wembley Stadium. The first single from These Days spelt trouble for me. It could and should have been a statement of intent if they had released Hey God first. But they didn’t. They played it safe with the average TAALS (which compared to Always was so poor). Hey God was released as the band were winding down the tour and it was an afterthought. Something For The Pain was the 2nd single and again was average then the painful Lie To Me was released. Three really poor single choices.
These Days represents funny times in my life. I left a job I loved for a job I hated and split with my first ever girlfriend after 7 years together. I really didn’t need Jovi to be miserable and wanted a thumping album but I didn’t get it from Jon & Co. The album left me deflated. When I listen to it now it brings back those memories but I still think it’s not a great album. It was the start of their patchy albums. As great as Always was, everything after hasn’t been as consistent from the band. Enough of me going on here are my scores:

14. Hey God
13. Hearts Breaking Even
12. Damned
11. My Guitar Lies Bleeding In My Arms
10. Something To Believe In
09. These Days
08. (It's Hard) Letting You Go
07. If That’s What It Takes
06. All I Want Is Everything
05. Bitter Wine
04. Something For The Pain
03. This Aint A Love Song
02. Lie To Me
01. Diamond Ring

14. Something To Believe In
13. Lie To Me
12. This Ain't A Love Song
11. These Days
10. Damned
09. (It's Hard) Letting You Go
08. My Guitar Lies Bleeding In My Arms
07. Hey God
06. All I Want Is Everything
05. Hearts Breaking Even
04. Diamond Ring
03. If That's What It Takes
02. Bitter Wine
01. Something For The Pain

14. My Guitar Lies Bleeding In My Arms
13. Hey God
12. These Days
11. Something To Believe In
10. (It's Hard) Letting You Go
09. This Ain't A Love Song
08. Damned
07. Lie To Me
06. Diamond Ring
05. Hearts Breakin Even
04. If That's What It Takes
03. All I Want Is Everything
02. Bitter Wine
01. Something For The Pain

I love this album, but I agree it's a bit overrated. That said, it's still a brilliant record.

14. These Days
13. Hey God
12. Something for the Pain
11. Something to Believe In
10. (It's Hard) Letting You Go
9. Damned
8. This Ain't a Love Song
7. All I Want is Anything
6. If That's What It Takes
5. Lie to Me
4. Heart Breaking Even
3. Bitter Wine
2. My Guitar Lies Bleeding in My Arms
0. Diamond Ring.

This will be a tough one! The first album release I experienced in real time as I was hooked in by Always. Listened to the TD tape for hours on my paper round. The more-liked tracks I find are the most over-rated like Something To Believe In & Diamond Ring. I think Hearts Breaking Even is a lovely little song, and I love the accordion type section in If That's What It Takes. Wish they got some more love live.
It was amazing how much promotion the album got over here- Jovi were really massive in the UK. Songs always on the radio, all over MTV everything. It was great times. Shame that eventually died off as radio then MTV deserted them and left them to VH1 and Absolute for nostalgia purposes mainly after Crush & Bounce.

14pts These Days
13pts If That's What It Takes
12pts Hey God
11pts My Guitar Lies Bleeding
10pts Hearts Breaking Even
9pts This Ain't a Love Song
8pts Something For The Pain
7pts Lie To Me
6pts Damned
5pts (It's Hard) Letting You Go
4pts Something To Believe In
3pts Bitter Wine
2pts All I Want Is Everything
1pt Diamond Ring

A great album and for me it's not overated at all. It's still the album that I call my favourite.

14 - These Days
13 - Something To Believe In
12 - My Guitar Lies Bleeding In My Arms
11 - Damned
10 - Hey God
09 - This Aint A Love Song
08 - Something For The Pain
07 - Hearts Breakin Even
06 - Lie To Me
05 - If That's What It Takes
04 - It's Hard (Letting You Go)
03 - Diamond Ring
02 - All I Want Is Everything
01 - Bitter Wine

14. Something To Believe In
13. These Days
12. Hey God
11. (It's Hard) Letting You Go
10. Damned
9. All I Want Is Everything
8. This Ain't A Love Song
7. Something For The Pain
6. Hearts Breaking Even
5. My Guitar Lies Bleeding In My Arms
4. Diamond Ring
3. Bitter Wine
2. If That's What It Takes
1. Lie To Me

Hmmm.... not an easy one to figure out for me. It's easy to pick my least favourite 3, but from there it gets kind of difficult and can change on a day to day basis.

14pt) As My Guitar Lies Bleeding In My Arms
13pt) Hey God
12pt) Something to Believe In
11pt) These Days
10pt) Damned
9pt) All I want Is Everything
8pt) This Aint A Love Song
7pt) Hearts Breakin' Even
6pt) If That's What It Takes
5pt) Something for the Pain
4pt) (It's Hard) Letting You Go
3pt) Lie To Me
2pt) Diamond Ring
1pt) Bitter Wine

Yep, changed my top 6 a few times and I'm still not happy with my selection.