10 Hated '90s Rock Songs That Are Actually Really Good
1. Jon Bon Jovi - Blaze of Glory
For most singers, pretending to be a cowboy once on record would be enough. Not so Jon Bon Jovi. After traversing the fictional plains on Bon Jovi’s hard rocking “Wanted Dead Or Alive”, he returned to the ranch solo with the far shinier, Young Guns II-soundtracking “Blaze Of Glory”.
The song was a hit, but was the final nail in the coffin for Bon Jovi as a serious rock musician. The song is pure cowboy cosplay, with tossed off references to living rough and winning (but never instigating) shootouts.
And yet, it’s unbelievably fun. Bon Jovi’s double-tracked vocals soar across the chorus like an eagle over the desert. The western slide guitar is cliched but so fitting - proper commitment to the bit. And with Jon going solo, Richie Sambora is replaced on six string by the late Jeff Beck, a hired gunslinger back for one last job.
The video shows just how much fun Jon Bon Jovi was having in his rootin’ tootin’ guise, and it’s impossible to begrudge him that. Listen to “Blaze Of Glory” and you’ll want to be a cowboy too.