10 Greatest Hair Metal Albums Of All Time
5. Slippery When Wet - Bon Jovi
The real strength of the hair metal genre came in their unlimited supply of hooks. Unlike bands like Judas Priest who pummeled the riffs into your head time and time again, these acts coming from the Strip had choruses that could get stuck in your head, and just maybe get played on the radio. Despite the overwhelming presence of bands on the West Coast, the true ruler of the hair metal movement actually came from the mean streets of New Jersey.
Exploding onto the scene with their first single Runaway, Bon Jovi really came into their own when they recorded Slippery When Wet, which became the crossover album for many pop fans. In his first major collaboration with songwriter Desmond Child, Jon Bon Jovi led his band of Jersey buds into rock history off the strength of songs like Livin on a Prayer and You Give Love a Bad Name. Even though there were plenty of pop hooks laced throughout every single track, there was just enough edge leftover from the group's early days so they wouldn't lose any goodwill with their hard rock audience.
While Bon Jovi himself was the star of the show, the contributions of guitarist Richie Sambora were amazing, as he put a blues-flavoured spin on the classic hair metal sound. Whereas most hair metal acts either keep their integrity or just sell out to the masses, Slippery When Wet proved that it's okay to be both.