Login
Login

You Give Love a Bad Name

{{Short description|1986 single by Bon Jovi}}

{{Distinguish|Shot Through the Heart (Bon Jovi song)}}

{{For|the album by GG Allin|You Give Love a Bad Name (album)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2023}}

{{Infobox song

| name = You Give Love a Bad Name

| cover = YouGiveLoveABadName.jpg

| alt =

| caption = U.S. vinyl single picture sleeve (also used for the Slippery When Wet album)

| type = single

| artist = Bon Jovi

| album = Slippery When Wet

| B-side = Raise Your Hands

| released = July 23, 1986

| recorded =

| studio =

| genre =

  • Glam metal{{cite book|last=Popoff|first=Martin|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HjRcBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA110|title=The Big Book of Hair Metal: The Illustrated Oral History of Heavy Metal's Debauched Decade|date=2014|publisher=Voyageur Press|isbn=978-0-7603-4546-7|page=110|author-link=Martin Popoff}}{{cite web|last=Huey|first=Steve|title=You Give Love A Bad Name - Bon Jovi {{!}} Song Info|url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/you-give-love-a-bad-name-mt0010624602|access-date=July 14, 2021|publisher=AllMusic}}
  • hard rock{{cite magazine|title= Reviews > Singles > Pop > Recommended > Bon Jovi – You Give Love a Bad Name (3:53) |magazine= Billboard |date= August 30, 1986 |volume= 98 |issue= 35 |page= 83 |issn= 0006-2510 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=GSQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT87}}{{cite web|last=Stosuy|first=Brandon|date=January 5, 2009|title=VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs|url=https://www.stereogum.com/43591/vh1s_100_greatest_hard_rock_songs/franchises/list/|access-date=April 22, 2019|website=Stereogum}}

| length = 3:42

| label = Mercury

| writer =

| producer = Bruce Fairbairn

| prev_title = Silent Night

| prev_year = 1985

| next_title = Livin' on a Prayer

| next_year = 1986

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|KrZHPOeOxQQ|"You Give Love a Bad Name"}}}}

{{Extra album cover

| header = Alternative cover

| type = single

| cover = Bon Jovi You Give Love A Bad Name.jpg

| border =

| alt =

| caption =

}}

}}

"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 {{abbr|No.|Number}} 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.{{cite web|last=Schonfeld|first=Zach|date=May 10, 2018|title=Every Bon Jovi Album, Ranked: Celebrating 'Slippery When Wet,' 'New Jersey,' and All the Rest|url=https://www.newsweek.com/bon-jovi-new-jersey-slippery-when-wet-hall-fame-893785|access-date=March 13, 2019|website=Newsweek|publisher=IBT Media}}

Composition

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.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MNGFa-rto0 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/1MNGFa-rto0 |archive-date=December 21, 2021 |url-status=live|title=Desmond Child Special|last=Curtis Child|date=August 15, 2013|website=YouTube|publisher=Google Inc|access-date=January 26, 2015}}{{cbignore}}

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".{{cite web|url=https://abitofpopmusic.com/2020/03/13/single-review-ava-max-kings-queens/|title=Single Review: Ava Max – Kings & Queens|publisher=A Bit of Pop Music|date=March 13, 2020|access-date=April 28, 2020}}

Reception

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."{{cite magazine|title=Single Releases|magazine=Cash Box|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1986/CB-1986-08-23.pdf|date=August 23, 1986|accessdate=August 4, 2022|page=11}} Billboard called it "hard rock, raspy and aggressive."{{cite magazine|magazine=Billboard|date=August 30, 1986|accessdate=August 4, 2022|page=83|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GSQEAAAAMBAJ|title=Reviews}} 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).{{cite web |last1=Molanphy |first1=Chris |title=First Worsts: Remembering When Bon Jovi Gave "Hair Metal" A Bad Name |url=https://www.villagevoice.com/2012/06/04/first-worsts-remembering-when-bon-jovi-gave-hair-metal-a-bad-name/ |website=The Village Voice |access-date=December 6, 2022 |date=June 4, 2012}} 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".{{cite web |last1=Molanphy |first1=Chris |title=If a Hit Had Operatic Drama—From Meat Loaf to Celine Dion—Chances Are, Jim Steinman Made It |url=https://slate.com/podcasts/hit-parade/2020/10/jim-steinman-made-plethora-of-pompous-pop |website=Slate Magazine |access-date=December 6, 2022 |language=en |date=October 16, 2020}} It was placed at No. 20 on VH1's list of the "100 Best Hard Rock Songs".

Music video

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

class="wikitable unsortable plainrowheaders"

! scope="col"| Award

! scope="col"| Nominee/work

! scope="col"| Category

! scope="col"| Result

! scope="col"| {{abbr|Ref.|References}}

rowspan="5"| 1986 Billboard Video Music Conference

| rowspan="5"| Bon Jovi

| Best Overall Video

|{{nom}}

| rowspan="5"| {{cite magazine |title=Billboard Video Music Conference |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1986/BB-1986-11-01.pdf |magazine=Billboard |date=November 1, 1986 |access-date=April 7, 2023}}

Best Performance Group

|{{nom}}

Best Concert Performance

|{{nom}}

Best Audio

|{{nom}}

Best Longform Program

|{{nom}}

Track listings

  • 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

{{col-start}}

{{col-2}}

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (1986–1987)

!Peak
position

scope="row"|Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite web|url=http://i.imgur.com/zib05iv.jpg|title=Australian Top 50 (ARIA) Singles Chart: Week ending 29th March, 1987|via=Imgur|access-date=September 18, 2015}}

|32

{{Single chart|Austria|25|artist=Bon Jovi|song=You Give Love a Bad Name|rowheader=true}}
{{Single chart|Flanders|4|artist=Bon Jovi|song=You Give Love a Bad Name|rowheader=true}}
scope="row"|Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders){{cite web |url= http://www.radio2.be/top-30/1986/12/13 |title= Radio2 top 30: 13 december 1986 |publisher= Top 30 |access-date= November 9, 2015 |language= nl |archive-date= August 26, 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140826192514/http://www.radio2.be/top-30/1986/12/13 |url-status= dead }}

|4

{{Single chart|Canadatopsingles|2|chartid=0759|rowheader=true|access-date=November 26, 2023}}
scope="row"|Europe (European Hot 100 Singles){{cite magazine|title=European Hot 100 Singles|magazine=Music & Media|volume=3|issue=38|page=13|date=September 27, 1986}}

|52

scope=row| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista){{cite book|first= Timo |last= Pennanen |year= 2006 |title= Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 |language= fi |edition= 1st |publisher= Tammi |isbn= 978-951-1-21053-5 |location= Helsinki}}

|6

{{Single chart|Ireland2|21|artist=Bon Jovi|song=You Give Love a Bad Name|rowheader=true|access-date=October 19, 2014}}
{{Single chart|Dutch40|5|artist=Bon Jovi|song=You Give Love a Bad Name|access-date=November 9, 2015|rowheader=true}}
{{Single chart|Dutch100|2|artist=Bon Jovi|song=You Give Love a Bad Name|rowheader=true}}
{{Single chart|New Zealand|7|artist=Bon Jovi|song=You Give Love a Bad Name|rowheader=true}}
scope="row"|South Africa (Springbok Radio){{cite web|title= South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (B) |publisher= Rock.co.za |url= http://www.rock.co.za/files/springbok_top_20_(B).html |access-date= November 9, 2015}}

|15

scope=row|Spain (AFYVE){{cite book|last=Salaverri|first=Fernando|title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002|edition=1st|date=September 2005|publisher=Fundación Autor-SGAE|location=Spain|isbn=84-8048-639-2}}

|31

{{Single chart|Sweden|14|artist=Bon Jovi|song=You Give Love a Bad Name|rowheader=true}}
{{Single chart|UK|14|artist=Bon Jovi|song=You Give Love a Bad Name|date=19860907|rowheader=true}}
{{Single chart|Billboardhot100|1|artist=Bon Jovi|song=You Give Love a Bad Name|rowheader=true}}
{{Single chart|Billboardmainstreamrock|9|artist=Bon Jovi|song=You Give Love a Bad Name|rowheader=true}}
scope="row"|US Cash Box{{cite magazine |url= http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/19861206.html |title= CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending DECEMBER 6, 1986 |magazine= Cash Box |access-date= November 9, 2015 |archive-date= October 2, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121002180947/http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/19861206.html |url-status= dead }}

|1

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
Chart (2017)

! Peak
position

{{single chart|Poland|69|chartid=2319|year=2017|rowheader=true|access-date=May 29, 2017}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
Chart (2025)

! Peak
position

scope="row"| Norway Airplay (VG-lista){{Cite web|url=https://topplista.no/charts/radio/2025-w15/|title=Radio 2025 uke 15|lang=no|publisher=VG-lista|access-date=April 14, 2025}}

| 95

{{col-2}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
Chart (1986)

!Position

scope="row"|Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders){{cite web|url= http://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1986 |title= Jaaroverzichten 1986 (Flanders) |publisher= Ultratop |access-date= October 13, 2015 |language= nl}}

|69

scope="row"|Canada Top Singles (RPM){{cite web | url = https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.0760&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.0760.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.0760 | magazine = RPM | via = Library and Archives Canada | access-date = November 26, 2023 | title = Top 100 Singles of '86| date = July 17, 2013 }}

|88

scope="row"|Netherlands (Dutch Top 40){{cite web|url= http://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/top-100-jaaroverzichten/1986 |title= Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1986 |access-date= November 9, 2015 |language= nl}}

|75

scope="row"|Netherlands (Single Top 100){{cite web|url= http://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1986&cat=s |title= Jaaroverzichten – Single 1986 |publisher= Single Top 100 |access-date= October 13, 2015 |language= nl}}

|46

scope="row"|US Billboard Hot 100{{cite magazine | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=tiQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA9 | magazine = Billboard | access-date = October 7, 2012 | title = Top Pop Singles | page = Y-21 | date = December 27, 1986}}

|30

scope="row"|US Cash Box{{cite magazine|url=http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/1986YESP.html|title=The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1986 – TOP 100 POP SINGLES (As published in the December 27, 1986, issue)|magazine=Cash Box magazine|access-date=November 11, 2015|archive-date=October 2, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121002181319/http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/1986YESP.html|url-status=dead}}

|30

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
Chart (1987)

!Position

scope="row"|Canada Top Singles (RPM){{cite web | url = https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.0920&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.0920.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.0920 | magazine = RPM | via = Library and Archives Canada | access-date = November 26, 2023 | title = Top 100 Singles of '87| date = July 17, 2013 }}

|55

{{col-end}}

Certifications

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|type=single|artist=Bon Jovi|title=You Give Love a Bad Name|award=Platinum|number=5|relyear=1986|certyear=2023}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Brazil|title=You Give Love a Bad Name|artist=Bon Jovi|type=single|award=Gold|relyear=1986|certyear=2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|title=You Give Love a Bad Name|artist=Bon Jovi|type=single|award=Gold|relyear=1986|certyear=1987}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Denmark|title=You Give Love a Bad Name|artist=Bon Jovi|type=single|award=Platinum|relyear=1986|certyear=2023|id=12587|access-date=August 2, 2023}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|title=You Give Love a Bad Name|artist=Bon Jovi|type=single|award=Gold|relyear=1986|certyear=2023|access-date=April 10, 2023}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Italy|title=You Give Love a Bad Name|artist=Bon Jovi|type=single|award=Platinum|relyear=1986|certyear=2023|access-date=July 3, 2023|id=11066}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|title=You Give Love a Bad Name|artist=Bon Jovi|type=single|award=Platinum|number=3|certyear=2024|accessdate=December 17, 2024|source=radioscope}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|title=You Give Love a Bad Name|artist=Bon Jovi|type=single|award=Platinum|certyear=2024|accessdate=May 7, 2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|title=You Give Love a Bad Name|artist=Bon Jovi|type=single|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=2004|certyear=2024|id=13606-2213-1|access-date=February 9, 2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|title=You Give Love a Bad Name|artist=Bon Jovi|type=single|award=Platinum|number=5|relyear=1986|certyear=2024|access-date=July 23, 2024}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|streaming=true}}

See also

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Bon Jovi}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Bon Jovi songs

Category:1986 singles

Category:1986 songs

Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles

Category:Cashbox number-one singles

Category:Mandaryna songs

Category:Songs written by Desmond Child

Category:Songs written by Richie Sambora

Category:Songs written by Jon Bon Jovi

Category:Music videos directed by Wayne Isham

Category:Song recordings produced by Bruce Fairbairn

Category:Song recordings with Wall of Sound arrangements

Category:Mercury Records singles