You Give Love a Bad Name

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Not to be confused with Shot Through the Heart (Bon Jovi song).
For the album by GG Allin, see You Give Love a Bad Name (album).

"You Give Love a Bad Name"
U.S. vinyl single picture sleeve (also used for the Slippery When Wet album)
Single by Bon Jovi
from the album Slippery When Wet
B-side"Raise Your Hands"
ReleasedJuly 23, 1986
Genre
Length3:42
LabelMercury
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Bruce Fairbairn
Bon Jovi singles chronology
"Silent Night"
(1985) 		"You Give Love a Bad Name"
(1986) 		"Livin' on a Prayer"
(1986)
Music video
"You Give Love a Bad Name" on YouTube
Alternative cover

"You Give Love a Bad Name" is a song by American rock band Bon Jovi, released as the first single from their 1986 album Slippery When Wet. Written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and Desmond Child about a woman who has jilted her lover, the song reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 on November 29, 1986, and became the band's first number-one hit. In 2007, the song re-entered the charts at No. 29 after Blake Lewis performed it on American Idol. Despite the lyrics of the chorus, the song should not be confused with "Shot Through the Heart", an unrelated song from Bon Jovi's 1984 self-titled debut album.[5]

Composition[edit]

The chorus tune of "You Give Love a Bad Name" was originally recorded by Bonnie Tyler under the title "If You Were a Woman (And I Was a Man)" with different lyrics commissioned by its producer Jim Steinman. Dissatisfied with its success in the US and the UK (which he attributed to reticence on the part of her label in promoting it), Desmond Child re-wrote the song with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora.[6]

Upon the release of the Ava Max song "Kings & Queens" in 2020, comparisons were drawn with that song, "You Give Love a Bad Name", and Bonnie Tyler's "If You Were a Woman (And I Was a Man)", and reviews highlighted Desmond Child's credit as a songwriter for "Kings & Queens".[7]

Reception[edit]

Cash Box called it a "jackhammer single" that could push Bon Jovi to massive success and said that "Jon Bon Jovi’s grinding vocal and the anthemic production spell A-O-R."[8] Billboard called it "hard rock, raspy and aggressive."[9] In a retrospective analysis, Chris Molanphy expressed his disgust at the song, calling its lyrics "sub-Meat Loaf" (Meat Loaf being best known for his work with Steinman).[10] However, he did credit it for introducing the genre of hair metal to the mainstream. He also noted in another commentary how the song shared many similarities with Steinman's songs due to Child's involvement, saying "Steinman might as well have [produced it]", due to Child using devices such as its verbose title and anthemic chorus, likening it to "'Bat Out of Hell' infused with Aqua Net".[11] It was placed at No. 20 on VH1's list of the "100 Best Hard Rock Songs".[4]

Music video[edit]

The music video for the song used all-color concert footage (the only all-color video song from Slippery When Wet) and photogenic shots primarily of Jon Bon Jovi, as well as other band members in concert. This video was filmed at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. Bon Jovi was now being managed by Doc McGhee, who realized that Bon Jovi needed a video for MTV. Doc hired video director Wayne Isham, who had directed videos for Doc's other band, Mötley Crüe. The two bands were competitive with each other and Mötley Crüe felt betrayed that Wayne would direct one of Bon Jovi's videos. Wayne had the band's name painted on the stage and made sure that the band did not see it until they began shooting. Bon Jovi had been opening for 38 Special but became a headlining act after the video debuted.

Awards and accolades[edit]

Award Nominee/work Category Result Ref.
1986 Billboard Video Music Conference Bon Jovi Best Overall Video Nominated [12]
Best Performance Group Nominated
Best Concert Performance Nominated
Best Audio Nominated
Best Longform Program Nominated

Track listings[edit]

  • 7-inch single
  1. "You Give Love a Bad Name" – 3:53
  2. "Raise Your Hands" – 4:17
  • 12-inch single
  1. "You Give Love a Bad Name" – 3:53
  2. "Raise Your Hands" – 4:17
  3. "Borderline" – 4:10
  • 7-inch picture disc single
  1. "You Give Love a Bad Name" – 3:53
  2. "Let It Rock" – 5:24
  1. "Let It Rock" – 5:24
  2. "Raise Your Hands" – 4:17
  3. "Without Live" – 3:32
  4. "You Give Love a Bad Name" – 3:53
  5. "You Give Love a Bad Name" (video) – 3:53

Charts[edit]

Sales and certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[39] 5× Platinum 350,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[40] Gold 50,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[41] Platinum 90,000‡
Germany (BVMI)[42] Gold 250,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[43] Platinum 100,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[44] 2× Platinum 1,200,000‡

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Popoff, Martin (2014). The Big Book of Hair Metal: The Illustrated Oral History of Heavy Metal's Debauched Decade. Voyageur Press. p. 110. ISBN 978-0-7603-4546-7.
  2. ^ Huey, Steve. "You Give Love A Bad Name - Bon Jovi | Song Info". AllMusic. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  3. ^ "Reviews > Singles > Pop > Recommended > Bon Jovi – You Give Love a Bad Name (3:53)". Billboard. Vol. 98, no. 35. August 30, 1986. p. 83. ISSN 0006-2510.
  4. ^ a b Stosuy, Brandon (January 5, 2009). "VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs". Stereogum. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  5. ^ Schonfeld, Zach (May 10, 2018). "Every Bon Jovi Album, Ranked: Celebrating 'Slippery When Wet,' 'New Jersey,' and All the Rest". Newsweek. IBT Media. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  6. ^ Curtis Child (August 15, 2013). "Desmond Child Special". YouTube. Google Inc. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
  7. ^ "Single Review: Ava Max – Kings & Queens". A Bit of Pop Music. March 13, 2020. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  8. ^ "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. August 23, 1986. p. 11. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  9. ^ "Reviews". Billboard. August 30, 1986. p. 83. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  10. ^ Molanphy, Chris (June 4, 2012). "First Worsts: Remembering When Bon Jovi Gave "Hair Metal" A Bad Name". The Village Voice. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  11. ^ Molanphy, Chris (October 16, 2020). "If a Hit Had Operatic Drama—From Meat Loaf to Celine Dion—Chances Are, Jim Steinman Made It". Slate Magazine. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  12. ^ "Billboard Video Music Conference" (PDF). Billboard. November 1, 1986. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  13. ^ "Australian Top 50 (ARIA) Singles Chart: Week ending 29th March, 1987". Retrieved September 18, 2015 – via Imgur.
  14. ^ "Bon Jovi – You Give Love a Bad Name" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  15. ^ "Bon Jovi – You Give Love a Bad Name" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  16. ^ "Radio2 top 30: 13 december 1986" (in Dutch). Top 30. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  17. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0759." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  18. ^ "European Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 3, no. 38. September 27, 1986. p. 13.
  19. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  20. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – You Give Love a Bad Name". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  21. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Bon Jovi" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  22. ^ "Bon Jovi – You Give Love a Bad Name" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  23. ^ "Bon Jovi – You Give Love a Bad Name". Top 40 Singles.
  24. ^ "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (B)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  25. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  26. ^ "Bon Jovi – You Give Love a Bad Name". Singles Top 100.
  27. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  28. ^ "Bon Jovi Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  29. ^ "Bon Jovi Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
  30. ^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending DECEMBER 6, 1986". Cash Box. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  31. ^ "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
  32. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1986 (Flanders)" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved October 13, 2015.
  33. ^ "Top 100 Singles of '86". RPM. July 17, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2023 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  34. ^ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1986" (in Dutch). Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  35. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1986" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved October 13, 2015.
  36. ^ "Top Pop Singles". Billboard. December 27, 1986. p. Y-21. Retrieved October 7, 2012.
  37. ^ "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1986 – TOP 100 POP SINGLES (As published in the December 27, 1986, issue)". Cash Box magazine. Retrieved November 11, 2015.
  38. ^ "Top 100 Singles of '87". RPM. July 17, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2023 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  39. ^ "Singles Accreditations Report - Nov 2023" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  40. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Bon Jovi – You Give Love a Bad Name". Music Canada.
  41. ^ "Danish single certifications – Bon Jovi – You Give Love a Bad Name". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  42. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Bon Jovi; 'You Give Love a Bad Name')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  43. ^ "Italian single certifications – Bon Jovi – You Give Love a Bad Name" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  44. ^ "British single certifications – Bon Jovi – You Give Love a Bad Name". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
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