Released on 18 August 1986, Slippery When Wet is Bon Jovi's third studio album and the record that transformed them from a promising New Jersey rock band into one of the biggest acts on the planet. It has sold over 28 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling rock albums in history. It produced two US number one singles, spent eight weeks at the top of the Billboard 200, and launched a tour that played to millions of fans across the globe.
At Wonderhaul, we carry officially licensed Bon Jovi merchandise celebrating this era. But first — the story of the album.
Background: The Making of Slippery When Wet
By 1985, Bon Jovi had released two albums — Bon Jovi (1984) and 7800° Fahrenheit (1985) — to moderate success. They were a hard-working live band with a growing fanbase, but they hadn't yet broken through to the mainstream.
For their third album, the band made two crucial decisions. First, they brought in Desmond Child as a co-writer — a professional songwriter who had worked with Kiss and Aerosmith and had an instinctive gift for commercial hooks. Second, they enlisted Bruce Fairbairn as producer, a Canadian who had worked with Loverboy and would go on to produce Aerosmith's comeback albums.
The combination was transformative. Child co-wrote You Give Love a Bad Name and Livin' on a Prayer — two of the most commercially successful rock songs of the decade. Fairbairn's production gave the album a polished, radio-ready sheen without sacrificing the band's rock energy.
The album was recorded at Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, in early 1986. Before finalising the tracklist, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora played the songs to fans outside a New Jersey shopping mall to gauge reactions. The songs that got the strongest response made the album. It was an early example of audience testing in rock music — and it worked.
Track by Track
Let It Rock
The album opens with a driving, energetic rocker that sets the tone immediately. It's not the most sophisticated song on the record, but it establishes the band's intent: this is a rock album, and it's going to be loud.
You Give Love a Bad Name
The album's lead single and Bon Jovi's first US number one. The opening guitar shot — a single, ringing chord — is one of the most recognisable sounds in 1980s rock. Desmond Child's co-writing is evident in the song's perfect structure: verse, pre-chorus, chorus, repeat, bridge, chorus. It is a masterclass in commercial songwriting.
Livin' on a Prayer
The album's centrepiece and one of the defining songs of the 1980s. The story of Tommy and Gina — a working-class couple struggling to make ends meet — resonated with millions of listeners who saw their own lives reflected in the lyrics. The key change in the final chorus is one of the great moments in arena rock. It reached number one in the US and remains Bon Jovi's signature song.
Social Disease
A harder-edged rocker that showcases the band's ability to deliver straight-ahead rock without the pop sheen of the singles.
Wanted Dead or Alive
The album's third single and one of its most enduring tracks. A semi-acoustic ballad about life on the road, it became a staple of Bon Jovi's live shows and a fan favourite for decades. The acoustic guitar opening is instantly recognisable.
Raise Your Hands
A pure arena rock anthem — designed to be played live, with the crowd singing along to every word. It became a concert staple.
Without Love
A mid-tempo rocker that provides breathing space in the album's second half.
I'd Die for You
A driving, energetic track that showcases Sambora's guitar work and the band's tight rhythm section.
Never Say Goodbye
A power ballad of genuine emotional weight — one of the album's most affecting moments and a reminder that beneath the arena rock bombast, Bon Jovi could write songs of real tenderness.
Wild in the Streets
The album closes with a rousing, anthemic track that sends the listener out on a high. It is the perfect ending to a record that has delivered everything it promised.
The Slippery When Wet Tour: 1986–1987
The album's accompanying tour ran from August 1986 to March 1987 and played to over 3.5 million fans across North America, Europe, and Japan. It was one of the most successful rock tours of the decade and established Bon Jovi as a genuine global phenomenon.
The tour's production was spectacular for its era — elaborate stage sets, pyrotechnics, and a band that had honed their live show through years of relentless touring. Jon Bon Jovi's stage presence was magnetic, and Richie Sambora's guitar work gave the songs a live energy that matched the studio recordings.
The tour's merchandise — including the iconic tour T-shirts that are now collector's items — became part of the album's cultural legacy. At Wonderhaul, we carry officially licensed reproductions of that era's designs.
Legacy
Slippery When Wet was the best-selling album of 1986 in the United States. It has sold over 28 million copies worldwide and remains one of the best-selling rock albums ever made. Its influence on the hard rock and glam metal genres of the late 1980s was enormous — virtually every arena rock band of the era was chasing the commercial formula that Bon Jovi had perfected.
The album's two number one singles — You Give Love a Bad Name and Livin' on a Prayer — remain among the most-played rock songs on radio worldwide. Wanted Dead or Alive has been covered by dozens of artists and sampled by rappers including Jay-Z and Eminem.
Shop Officially Licensed Bon Jovi Merch at Wonderhaul
Celebrate the Slippery When Wet era with officially licensed merchandise from Wonderhaul.
Bon Jovi: Slippery When Wet '87 Unisex T-Shirt (Black) — The iconic tour design on a premium black tee.
Bon Jovi: Slippery When Wet Tour '86-'87 Unisex T-Shirt (Sand) — Vintage-feeling sand colourway with full tour back-print.
Bon Jovi: Tour '87 Road Sign Unisex T-Shirt (Yellow) — Bold yellow road sign design from the '87 tour.
👉 Browse the full Bon Jovi collection at Wonderhaul
Further Reading
- Bon Jovi Merch Hub — All products, bio, and links in one place
- The Best Bon Jovi Merch to Buy in 2026 — Our complete buying guide
Wear the legends. Keep the music alive.