Bad Medicine (song)

Last updated

"Bad Medicine"
Bad Medicine (song).jpg
Single by Bon Jovi
from the album New Jersey
B-side "99 in the Shade"
ReleasedSeptember 12, 1988 (1988-09-12)
Genre Glam metal [1] [2] [3]
Length
  • 5:16 (album version)
  • 3:54 (single version)
Label Mercury
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Bruce Fairbairn
Bon Jovi singles chronology
"Never Say Goodbye"
(1987)		"Bad Medicine"
(1988)		"Born to Be My Baby"
(1988)
Music video
"Bad Medicine" on YouTube

"Bad Medicine" is a song by American rock band Bon Jovi. It was written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and Desmond Child, and was released on September 12, 1988, as the lead single from the band's fourth album, New Jersey (1988). The song reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, Bon Jovi's third single to do so, and became a top-10 hit in Australia, Canada, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.

Contents

Critical reception

Cash Box said that "producer Bruce Fairbairn and Jon Bon Jovi fashion gang harmonies around a typically monumental guitar sound." [4]

Music video

There are two videos for the song, one with the band live in concert, and a more well-known live video which begins with a crowd of young people waiting in line to get into the video shoot. Before being let in, one of the security guards asks if there are any questions, and Sam Kinison asks if the video will "be the same of video slop that we get from these glam rock pretty boys". When he answers "yes", Kinison rallies the crowd to hijack the cameras and "make a better Bon Jovi video than these guys can." The members of the crowd are given hand-held cameras and invited onstage to help shoot the video. In an alternate cut of this video, Kinison has photos of various celebrities with their mouths cut for him to impersonate them while promoting the band. [5]

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [27] Platinum70,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ) [28] Gold15,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [29] Silver200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.
United KingdomSeptember 12, 1988
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
 Vertigo [30]
United StatesSeptember 14, 1988
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • mini-CD
  • cassette
 Mercury [31]
JapanOctober 10, 1988Mini-CD [32]
February 25, 1989Mini-album [33]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>New Jersey</i> (album) 1988 studio album by Bon Jovi

New Jersey is the fourth studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi, released on September 19, 1988, by Mercury Records. The album was produced by Bruce Fairbairn and recorded at Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The album was the follow-up to the band's third album, Slippery When Wet, and reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart in its second week of release after debuting at number eight. It remained at the top for four consecutive weeks and was Bon Jovi's last album to do so until Lost Highway (2007). The album was named after the birth state of Jon Bon Jovi, New Jersey.

<i>Keep the Faith</i> 1992 studio album by Bon Jovi

Keep the Faith is the fifth studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi, released on November 3, 1992, by Mercury Records. It is Bon Jovi's last studio album to feature all five original band members as bass guitarist Alec John Such was dismissed from the band in 1994, though it was not his last release with the band. It is Bon Jovi's first album to not be produced by either Lance Quinn or Bruce Fairbairn. The album was produced by Bob Rock and was recorded at the Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia. Keep the Faith marked a change to a "more serious interpretation of the band's pop-metal groove". It is also Bon Jovi's longest album to date, clocking in at 66 minutes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wanted Dead or Alive (Bon Jovi song)</span> 1987 single by Bon Jovi

"Wanted Dead or Alive" is a power ballad by American band Bon Jovi. It is from their 1986 album Slippery When Wet. The song was written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora and was released in 1987, as the album's third single. During a February 20, 2008 encore performance in Detroit, Jon Bon Jovi told the crowd about running into Bob Seger at a Pistons game. As he introduced his song "Wanted Dead or Alive", he said it was inspired by Seger's "Turn the Page" hit and called the song the band's anthem. The song peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 13 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, making it the third single from the album to reach the Top 10 of the Hot 100. As a result, Slippery When Wet was the first glam metal album to have 3 top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'll Be There for You (Bon Jovi song)</span> 1989 single by Bon Jovi

"I'll Be There for You" is a song by American rock band Bon Jovi, released as the third single from their 1988 album, New Jersey. The power ballad was written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora. The single reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number five on the Album Rock Tracks chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Give Love a Bad Name</span> 1986 single by Bon Jovi

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bed of Roses (Bon Jovi song)</span> 1993 single by Bon Jovi

"Bed of Roses" is a song by American rock band Bon Jovi, first appearing on their fifth studio album, Keep the Faith (1992), then released as a single on January 11, 1993 by Mercury and Jambco. Jon Bon Jovi wrote the song in a hotel room while suffering from a hangover and the lyrics reflect his feelings at the time. The song contains drawn out guitar riffs and soft piano playing, along with emotive and high vocals by Jon Bon Jovi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bon Jovi discography</span>

American rock band Bon Jovi has released 16 studio albums, three live albums, five compilation albums, five EPs, 66 singles, 14 video albums, and 71 music videos. Bon Jovi has sold over 130 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling bands of all time. As of 2018, the band has sold 21.8 million albums in the US Nielsen SoundScan era. Billboard ranked Bon Jovi as the 45th Greatest Artist of all time, achieving 6 No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 & 4 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. According to Recording Industry Association of America, Bon Jovi has sold 34.5 million albums in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">This Ain't a Love Song</span> 1995 single by Bon Jovi

"This Ain't a Love Song" is the lead single from American rock band Bon Jovi's sixth studio album, These Days (1995). The rock ballad is an example of the strong rhythm and blues influence that Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora wanted the album to have. Released in May 1995 by Mercury, it reached number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number two on the Canadian RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart, number six on the UK Singles Chart, and number one on the Finnish Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keep the Faith (Bon Jovi song)</span> 1992 single by Bon Jovi

"Keep the Faith" is a song by American rock band Bon Jovi. It was written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and Desmond Child. It was released on October 7, 1992, as the lead single from Bon Jovi's fifth album, Keep the Faith (1992). It is characterized by its driving bass line and is a live staple for the band. "I Wish Everyday Could Be Like Christmas" appeared as a B-side to the song in the United States. In the US, the song reached number one on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart and peaked at number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100. Worldwide, "Keep the Faith" topped the charts of Norway and Portugal and reached number five in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Born to Be My Baby</span> 1988 single by Bon Jovi

"Born to Be My Baby" is a song by American rock band Bon Jovi. It was written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and Desmond Child. It was released on November 24, 1988 as the second single from their fourth studio album New Jersey. It peaked the following year at number 2 on the Cash Box Top 100, 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 7 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, number 22 in the UK, and number 30 in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Always (Bon Jovi song)</span> 1994 single by Bon Jovi

"Always" is a song by American rock band Bon Jovi. The power ballad was released in September 1994 by Mercury as a single from the band's first official greatest hits album, Cross Road (1994), and went on to become one of their best-selling singles, with a million copies sold in the US and more than three million worldwide. The song reached number four on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming their 11th and last top 10 hit. It was an international hit, peaking at number one in Belgium, Canada, Ireland and Switzerland, number two in Australia and the United Kingdom, and number four in Germany. The music video for the song was directed by Marty Callner. "Always" was bass player Alec John Such's final single with the band before he left in late 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">In These Arms</span> 1993 single by Bon Jovi

"In These Arms" is a song by American rock band Bon Jovi, released on May 3, 1993 by Mercury and Jambco, as the third single from the band's fifth studio album, Keep the Faith (1992). The song was written by band members Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and David Bryan, and produced by Bob Rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everyday (Bon Jovi song)</span> 2002 single by Bon Jovi

"Everyday" is a song by American rock band Bon Jovi. It was released on August 19, 2002, as the lead single from the band's eighth studio album, Bounce (2002). The song was written and produced by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and Andreas Carlsson. "Everyday" was nominated at the 2003 Grammy Awards for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midnight in Chelsea</span> 1997 single by Jon Bon Jovi

"Midnight in Chelsea" is a song by American rock singer Jon Bon Jovi, released as the first single from his second solo album, Destination Anywhere (1997), in June 1997. The song is written and produced by Bon Jovi and Dave Stewart, and is Bon Jovi's highest-charting solo single in the UK, reaching number four on the UK Singles Chart. The song also charted at number 29 on the US Billboard Adult Top 40, number 30 on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 chart, and number 11 in Canada. Its highest peak was in Spain, where it reached number one for two weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Something for the Pain</span> 1995 single by Bon Jovi

"Something for the Pain" is a song by American rock band Bon Jovi. It was released on September 5, 1995, as the second single from their sixth studio album, These Days (1995). It charted at number 15 in Canada, number eight on the UK Singles Chart, and number four in Finland. In the United States, the song was released as a double A-side with "Lie to Me" and peaked at number 76 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lie to Me (Bon Jovi song)</span> 1995 single by Bon Jovi

"Lie to Me" is a song by American rock band Bon Jovi. It was released on November 13, 1995, as the third single from their album These Days.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">These Days (Bon Jovi song)</span> 1996 single by Bon Jovi

"These Days" is a song by American rock band Bon Jovi. It was released on February 26, 1996 by Mercury Records, as the fourth single from their sixth studio album, These Days (1995). It was written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, and produced by them with Peter Collins. The single peaked at number seven in the United Kingdom and reached the top-10 also in Lithuania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hey God</span> 1996 single by Bon Jovi

"Hey God" is a song from American rock band Bon Jovi's sixth studio album, These Days (1995), released as the album's fifth and final single on June 24, 1996. Although it did not chart in the United States, it became a moderate hit in Canada and several European countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miracle (Jon Bon Jovi song)</span> 1990 single by Bon Jovi

"Miracle" is the second solo single by American rock singer Jon Bon Jovi. It was released in 1990 from his debut album, Blaze of Glory, the soundtrack album from the film Young Guns II. The song charted at No. 12 on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box and No. 20 on the Album Rock Tracks charts.

<i>The Circle</i> (Bon Jovi album) 2009 studio album by Bon Jovi

The Circle is the eleventh studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi. Released on November 10, 2009, the album was produced by John Shanks. The album debuted at number 1 in several countries, including the U.S., where it sold 163,000 copies in its first week.

References

  1. ↑ "The Ultimate Hair Metal Party Playlist". Kerrang!. April 5, 2018. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  2. ↑ Smith, Troy L. (April 4, 2018). "Bon Jovi's 25 greatest songs". Cleveland.com. Retrieved March 4, 2021. If there was a song that showcased just how larger than life Bon Jovi had become by the time "New Jersey" dropped, it was "Bad Medicine." To be clear, the single was in line with the glam metal every rock band was doing in the late 1980s. Bon Jovi was just doing it better.
  3. ↑ "The Number Ones: Bon Jovi's "Bad Medicine"". Stereogum. June 9, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021. Bon Jovi did something similar when they used New Jersey as the title for their first album after their insanely popular 1986 album Slippery When Wet. With that title, Bon Jovi put their roots front and center, making the implicit point that they weren't one of those Sunset Strip glam metal bands. But for the first single from that album, Bon Jovi dropped maybe the most straight-up Sunset Strip glam metal song of their career.
  4. ↑ "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. September 24, 1988. p. 12. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  5. ↑ Bon Jovi (June 17, 2009). Bon Jovi - Bad Medicine (Alternate Version). YouTube . Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Bon Jovi – Bad Medicine". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  7. ↑ "Bon Jovi – Bad Medicine" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  8. ↑ "RPM 100 Singles" (PDF). RPM . Vol. 49, no. 8. December 10, 1988. p. 6. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  9. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 5, no. 43. October 22, 1988. p. 24. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  10. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN   978-951-1-21053-5.
  11. ↑ "Accès direct à ces Artistes" (in French). Infodisc.fr. Archived from the original on September 20, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2012.Select BON JOVI then press OK.
  12. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Bad Medicine". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  13. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 44, 1988" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  14. ↑ "Bon Jovi – Bad Medicine" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  15. ↑ "Bon Jovi – Bad Medicine". Top 40 Singles.
  16. ↑ "SA Charts 1965 – 1989 Songs A–B". South African Rock Lists. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  17. ↑ "Bon Jovi – Bad Medicine". Singles Top 100.
  18. ↑ "Bon Jovi – Bad Medicine". Swiss Singles Chart.
  19. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  20. ↑ "Bon Jovi Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  21. ↑ "Bon Jovi Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
  22. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2014). Cash Box Pop Hits 1952-1996 . Sheridan Books, Inc. ISBN   978-0-89820-209-0.
  23. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Bon Jovi – Bad Medicine" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  24. ↑ "Top 100 Singles of '88" (PDF). RPM . Vol. 49, no. 10. December 24, 1988. p. 9. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  25. ↑ "End Of Year Charts 1988". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  26. ↑ "Billboard Top 100 – 1988". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  27. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  28. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Bon Jovi – Bad Medicine". Radioscope. Retrieved December 17, 2024.Type Bad Medicine in the "Search:" field.
  29. ↑ "British single certifications – Bon Jovi – Bad Medicine". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  30. ↑ "New Singles". Music Week . September 10, 1988. p. 31.
  31. ↑ Gett, Steve (August 20, 1988). "Bon Jovi Bows 'N.J.' Album". Billboard . Vol. 100, no. 34. p. 76. PolyGram is to release 'Bad Medicine' as the album's leadoff single Sept. 14.
  32. ↑ "バッド・メディシン | ボン・ジョヴィ" [Bad Medicine | Bon Jovi] (in Japanese). Oricon . Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  33. ↑ "バッド・メディシンWith Live | ボン・ジョヴィ" [Bad Medicine with Live | Bon Jovi] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.