Bon Jovi's legendary success continues to make history.
Bon Jovi hit a new milestone on YouTube. The music video for their classic song 'Livin' On A Prayer' has broken the 1 billion views barrier.
"Livin' On A Prayer" was released in October 1986 and was the second single from Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet album.
'Slippery When Wet' remains Bon Jovi's best-selling album to date. It also topped the Billboard 200 for eight weeks and has gone diamond.
The album contains three songs that dominated the following years: 'Wanted Dead or Alive', 'You Give Love A Bad Name' and, of course, 'Livin' On A Prayer'.
"Livin' On A Prayer" hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Bon Jovi's second consecutive No. 1 after "You Give Love A Bad Name." Bon Jovi was the first hard rock group to top the Hot 100 with two consecutive singles. "Livin' On A Prayer" has also gone triple platinum in the US market.
The music video for "Livin' On A Prayer", directed by Wayne Isham, was shot on September 17, 1986 at the Grand Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles and combines Bon Jovi's rehearsal and live performance footage.
At one point in the video, frontman Jon Bon Jovi jumps over the crowd with the help of a strap.
"Livin' On A Prayer" is one of the many music videos that predated the existence of YouTube and have managed to amass 1 billion views on the platform.
Other music videos include Guns N' Roses' "November Rain," which reached 1 billion views in July 2018, and their song "Sweet Child O' Mine," which hit the milestone in October 2019. Additionally, Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' surpassed 1 billion streams in July 2019.
In July 2021 Bon Jovi's 'It's My Life' also broke the barrier of 1 billion views on YouTube.
"Livin' On A Prayer," a song of encouragement for the working class, captured the economic hardship of the time. It focused on the fictional couple Tommy and Gina trying to keep their faith as they struggled to survive.
Bon Jovi's success continued after 'Livin' On A Prayer'. The band went on to earn five more No. 1 album, they returned in the new millennium with the album 'Crush' (200) and the song 'It's My Life', which refers to Tommy and Gina's persistence.
In 2009, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and in 2018 Bon Jovi was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Bon Jovi have established themselves as rock legends thanks to signature hits like 'Livin' On A Prayer' that will continue to resonate for decades to come.
