Metal Sludge Gossip Board

I always thought of Bon Jovi as the bigger band of the two, but looking online tells a different story...spotify has Guns at over 32m monthly listeners vs 30m for Bon Jovi.

Bon Jovi has 8.6m youtube subscribers vs GN'R with 12.6m.

I was shocked to see November Rain as the biggest youtube video from either band with over 2bn views...nearly a billion more than Livin On A Prayer.

The fuck is going on? Is this just a recent online thing or was Guns always really the bigger band?

GNR was a bigger draw in the early 90s for live shows.

Bon Jovi was bigger, GnR is bigger. Moving forward, GnR will only get bigger as "Appetite" will forever be a cooler record than "Slippery" as far as 12 year olds are concerned.

BlackieVanHolmes wrote: ↑Tue May 20, 2025 3:21 pm I always thought of Bon Jovi as the bigger band of the two, but looking online tells a different story...spotify has Guns at over 32m monthly listeners vs 30m for Bon Jovi.

Bon Jovi has 8.6m youtube subscribers vs GN'R with 12.6m.

I was shocked to see November Rain as the biggest youtube video from either band with over 2bn views...nearly a billion more than Livin On A Prayer.

The fuck is going on? Is this just a recent online thing or was Guns always really the bigger band?

GNR has always been bigger than Bon Jovi, where have u been?! Must be a millenial or zoomer

Bon Jovi for a longer time, but GNR - hotter at their peak.

Yeah, we forget how quickly Guns just exploded into nothingness by 1994-1995. Easily the biggest band on the planet and then it was just over.

The timespan that they were massive was about 5 years. That’s wild to think about.

(Obviously they’re an iconic band now and still a massive touring act, just talking about the classic era.)

I’m watching “Estranged”—how amazing was this. Giving a mental patient a blank check to really get some shit out. What it was—who knows!

Axl Rose rules!! IT ALL RULES!!!!

Moved onto “November.” It’s honestly incredible that he brought Tom Waits to pop radio via Elton John worship.

And this was a band that two years earlier practically barfed on themselves accepting awards.

JBJ’s ballsiest move was being a cowboy for a minute. It was alright but a vanity project needs the grossest kiss anyone’s ever seen. “November Rain.”

tooth wrote: ↑Tue May 20, 2025 3:36 pm Bon Jovi was bigger, GnR is bigger. Moving forward, GnR will only get bigger as "Appetite" will forever be a cooler record than "Slippery" as far as 12 year olds are concerned.

/thread

Van Ailin' wrote: ↑Tue May 20, 2025 6:03 pm Bon Jovi for a longer time, but GNR - hotter at their peak.

That's a simplified, but accurate way to look at it.

Slippery was magic.

Appetite was magic too, but way more intense.

Bon Jovi managed success better and was more consistent over the long haul. Jon getting a Jennifer Aniston haircut during the Keep The Faith era was the only hard misstep.

Still, I find it hard to accept that "Living On A Prayer" (which is one of those unofficial national anthems) has half the views of the "November Rain" video, which isn't even the biggest or most consequential Gn'R song.

I'm going to blame the Brazilians. They have an irrational love of American music. They're crazy. I'm sure they watch this cinema on repeat.

Mister Freeze wrote: ↑Tue May 20, 2025 9:22 pm

Van Ailin' wrote: ↑Tue May 20, 2025 6:03 pm Bon Jovi for a longer time, but GNR - hotter at their peak.

That's a simplified, but accurate way to look at it.

Slippery was magic.

Appetite was magic too, but way more intense.

Bon Jovi managed success better and was more consistent over the long haul. Jon getting a Jennifer Aniston haircut during the Keep The Faith era was the only hard misstep.

Still, I find it hard to accept that "Living On A Prayer" (which is one of those unofficial national anthems) has half the views of the "November Rain" video, which isn't even the biggest or most consequential Gn'R song.

I'm going to blame the Brazilians. They have an irrational love of American music. They're crazy. I'm sure they watch this cinema on repeat.

It was the other way around. Jennifer got Jon’s haircut.

You are spot on with your first comment how Bon Jovi managed success better over the long haul.

Da Jovi's appeal is mostly US, GNR is a lot bigger worldwide.

TheCULTofMANSON wrote: ↑Tue May 20, 2025 4:36 pm

BlackieVanHolmes wrote: ↑Tue May 20, 2025 3:21 pm I always thought of Bon Jovi as the bigger band of the two, but looking online tells a different story...spotify has Guns at over 32m monthly listeners vs 30m for Bon Jovi.

Bon Jovi has 8.6m youtube subscribers vs GN'R with 12.6m.

I was shocked to see November Rain as the biggest youtube video from either band with over 2bn views...nearly a billion more than Livin On A Prayer.

The fuck is going on? Is this just a recent online thing or was Guns always really the bigger band?

GNR has always been bigger than Bon Jovi, where have u been?! Must be a millenial or zoomer

Bon Jovi were still playing stadiums, in the UK and Europe at least, during the period Slash and Duff were out of Guns. Even without Richie.

Guns meanwhile were nowhere near that level for those 15 years.

GNFNRS!!!

jens wrote: ↑Tue May 20, 2025 11:58 pm Da Jovi's appeal is mostly US, GNR is a lot bigger worldwide.

Da Jovi were pretty big in England, 2 nights Wembley Stadium sold out, with a cute lil special guest to entertain the crowd prior!

jens wrote: ↑Tue May 20, 2025 11:58 pm Da Jovi's appeal is mostly US, GNR is a lot bigger worldwide.

That is incorrect. Bon Jovi were massive in Europe. Even in the leaner years in the 90s they were still playing stadiums here. And were able to maintain stadium success for a considerable time well into the 2000s. I saw them in 2006 in a stadium. Terrific show. Saw Guns N'Roses the following year in an arena.

Bon Jovi were able to play stadiums in the UK when they were just playing arenas in the US on some tours.

Both of these bands are A list.

jens wrote: ↑Tue May 20, 2025 11:58 pm Da Jovi's appeal is mostly US, GNR is a lot bigger worldwide.

Nope. At least here Bon Jovi was bigger until maybe Gn'R-comeback and Bon Jovi not releasing anything worth mentioning for some time + losing Sambora.

Jovi was more popular in Europe in the 90s. They didn't start filling arenas in the USA again until It's My Life. We'll never know how big GNR could have been in the 90s if they didn't break up.

The crazy thing about GNR is this.

Their studio albums (not counting the EP or covers album) are as follows:
Appetite - 1987
Use Your Illusions I - 1991
Use Your Illusions II - 1991
Chinese Democracy - 2008

We all know nobody is going to see them for anything off Chinese Democracy, so they're become this massive band based on 3 albums releases between 87-91. That's it. 34 years ago was the last release that anybody really cared about. They've definitely had the biggest career based on the least amount of albums.

This one is a close call.

Both bands were HUGE in their respective period. I'd argue Bon Jovi was even slightly bigger when Slippery really hit its stride, because their appeal was super wide.
But it's neck and neck for Bon Jovi circa 1987 vs. Guns n Roses 1988.

Bon Jovi certainly had a longer run of high success.

And I much prefer GnR btw.

US Albums (RIAA)

(18x Platinum) Guns N' Roses - Appetite for Destruction
(15x Platinum) Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet
(7x Platinum) Bon Jovi - New Jersey
(7x Platinum) Guns N' Roses - Use Your Illusion I
(7x Platinum) Guns N' Roses - Use Your Illusion II
(7x Platinum) Bon Jovi - Cross Road
(5x Platinum) Guns N' Roses - G N' R Lies
(5x Platinum) Guns N' Roses - Greatest Hits
(2x Platinum) Bon Jovi - Keep the Faith
(2x Platinum) Bon Jovi - Crush
(1x Platinum) Bon Jovi - Bon Jovi
(1x Platinum) Bon Jovi - 7800° Fahrenheit
(1x Platinum) Guns N' Roses - "The Spaghetti Incident?"
(1x Platinum) Bon Jovi - These Days
(1x Platinum) Bon Jovi - Have a Nice Day
(1x Platinum) Bon Jovi - Lost Highway
(1x Platinum) Guns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy
(1x Platinum) Bon Jovi - Greatest Hits
(Gold) Guns N' Roses - Live Era '87–'93
(Gold) Bon Jovi - Bounce
(Gold) Bon Jovi - This Left Feels Right
(Gold) Bon Jovi - 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong
(Gold) Bon Jovi - The Circle

UK albums (BPI)

(8x Platinum) Guns N' Roses - Appetite for Destruction
(8x Platinum) Guns N' Roses - Greatest Hits
(6x Platinum) Bon Jovi - Cross Road
(5x Platinum) Bon Jovi - Greatest Hits
(3x Platinum) Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet
(2x Platinum) Bon Jovi - New Jersey
(2x Platinum) Bon Jovi - These Days
(1x Platinum) Guns N' Roses - Use Your Illusion I
(1x Platinum) Guns N' Roses - Use Your Illusion II
(1x Platinum) Bon Jovi - Keep the Faith
(1x Platinum) Bon Jovi - Crush
(1x Platinum) Bon Jovi - One Wild Night Live 1985–2001
(1x Platinum) Bon Jovi - This Left Feels Right
(1x Platinum) Guns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy
(Gold) Guns N' Roses - G N' R Lies
(Gold) Guns N' Roses - Live Era '87–'93
(Gold) Bon Jovi - Bounce
(Gold) Bon Jovi - Have a Nice Day
(Gold) Bon Jovi - Lost Highway
(Gold) Bon Jovi - The Circle
(Silver) Bon Jovi - Bon Jovi
(Silver) Bon Jovi - 7800° Fahrenheit
(Silver) Bon Jovi - What About Now
(Silver) Bon Jovi - This House Is Not for Sale

veritas wrote: ↑Wed May 21, 2025 10:07 am This one is a close call.

Both bands were HUGE in their respective period. I'd argue Bon Jovi was even slightly bigger when Slippery really hit its stride, because their appeal was super wide.
But it's neck and neck for Bon Jovi circa 1987 vs. Guns n Roses 1988.

But 1988 wasn't GN’Rs peak. They were still an opening band with an album that stalled at platinum most of that year. They peaked in 91-93..You could also argue that Bon Jovi peaked after New Jersey but that's less obvious.

Love_Industry wrote: ↑Wed May 21, 2025 1:45 pm

veritas wrote: ↑Wed May 21, 2025 10:07 am This one is a close call.

Both bands were HUGE in their respective period. I'd argue Bon Jovi was even slightly bigger when Slippery really hit its stride, because their appeal was super wide.
But it's neck and neck for Bon Jovi circa 1987 vs. Guns n Roses 1988.

But 1988 wasn't GN’Rs peak. They were still an opening band with an album that stalled at platinum most of that year. They peaked in 91-93..You could also argue that Bon Jovi peaked after New Jersey but that's less obvious.

No, with all due respect, their popularity peaked in late 1988- early 1989, once Paradise City hit its run on MTV and Lies came out. Nothing from UYI had the impact that Sweet Child, Appetite and Paradise City had, or the impact of that album in late 1988-all 1989.

The touring issue is confusing because for some reason they didn't do a true headlining tour in 1989 in the States (opened for Aerosmith in 1988 etc), but they could have filled MULTIPLE arena dates in 1989, maybe even stadiums. The Use Your Illusions were not bigger than Appetite in 1991 and their tour numbers were inflated in 1991 because of the huge pent-up demand of not doing a real heading tour in 1989-90. By 1993, they were playing single arena dates in the US.

veritas wrote: ↑Wed May 21, 2025 3:48 pm

Love_Industry wrote: ↑Wed May 21, 2025 1:45 pm

veritas wrote: ↑Wed May 21, 2025 10:07 am This one is a close call.

Both bands were HUGE in their respective period. I'd argue Bon Jovi was even slightly bigger when Slippery really hit its stride, because their appeal was super wide.
But it's neck and neck for Bon Jovi circa 1987 vs. Guns n Roses 1988.

But 1988 wasn't GN’Rs peak. They were still an opening band with an album that stalled at platinum most of that year. They peaked in 91-93..You could also argue that Bon Jovi peaked after New Jersey but that's less obvious.

No, with all due respect, their popularity peaked in late 1988- early 1989, once Paradise City hit its run on MTV and Lies came out. Nothing from UYI had the impact that Sweet Child, Appetite and Paradise City had, or the impact of that album in late 1988-all 1989.

The touring issue is confusing because for some reason they didn't do a true headlining tour in 1989 in the States (opened for Aerosmith in 1988 etc), but they could have filled MULTIPLE arena dates in 1989, maybe even stadiums. The Use Your Illusions were not bigger than Appetite in 1991 and their tour numbers were inflated in 1991 because of the huge pent-up demand of not doing a real heading tour in 1989-90. By 1993, they were playing single arena dates in the US.

I don’t think you’re remembering that correctly. You Could Be Mine was big, November Rain was HUGE, Don’t Cry was HUGE, LALD was HUGE, Yesterdays was big, Dead Horse was popular, Estranged got respectable air time. They had a big arena tour with Skid Row in spring of 1992 and then did the co-headlining Metallica tour later that summer. They sold about the same amount with UYI as they did AFD.

I would argue that GNR’s big run was from 1988-1992. They started to show some cracks in 1992 and 1993. But they even got ok airtime with SI and Interview With a Vampire on their GH even though they were literally imploding at the time. Had they not been so dysfunctional I think they could have survived the mid 90s. Axl was still able to headline arenas with no names like Richard Fortus, Tommy Stinson and Bumblefoot.

Bon Jovi did better business throughout their (his?) career, there's no doubt.
Records (because they have lots more), touring wise (because they toured almost non stop til 2019) people at shows, being in prime time or having their picture takin with presidents and movie stars and being friends with Springsteen stuff. There's no arguing that no way.

They were filling stadiums in SouthAmerica and Europe the 10 or 15 years that Axl was playing Vegas and starting the shows 2 hours late with DJ Asbha in some random festival in Europe.

GNR is only bigger in the "cool" and nostalgia (boy how have we grown that dirty sleazy rock n roll is now for +45 years old trying to have a night out, sad really) department.
For younger generations, Bon Jovi is paired with musicians so different like Elton John, Sheryl Crow, Bryan Adams and showbiz people like Brad Pitt (in fact, in Argentina many people mistake one from the other).
For younger generations, GNR is like Zeppelin was in the late 80s maybe. Not in the news so much, but just like Metallica, the band that people who don't want to get caught up listening to Marron 5 and Ed Sheeran go to "rock".
Both are way way way waaaaay past their prime with nothing to show except the hits. At least Bon Jovi tries (and fails) to do full new records with serious lyrics.

Pretty sure GNR took makeup tips and fashion from Mr Sambora and Mr Jovi

Slippery & Jersey back to back …way bigger than GNR
Everything after Jersey has basically been trash
MTV Jovi > bigger than MTV GNR

What other hair band had back to back Diamond Award Records

All of those New Jersey videos Gods favorites and MTV era

Kane- Jacob Fatu- Austin Theory all vote Jovi

LAglamrocker wrote: ↑Fri May 23, 2025 8:27 am
What other hair band had back to back Diamond Award Records

Def Leppard.

LitaStrauss wrote: ↑Wed May 21, 2025 9:01 am The crazy thing about GNR is this.

Their studio albums (not counting the EP or covers album) are as follows:
Appetite - 1987
Use Your Illusions I - 1991
Use Your Illusions II - 1991
Chinese Democracy - 2008

We all know nobody is going to see them for anything off Chinese Democracy, so they're become this massive band based on 3 albums releases between 87-91. That's it. 34 years ago was the last release that anybody really cared about. They've definitely had the biggest career based on the least amount of albums.

Really?

How many famous albums did Bon Jovi have?

Two.

They were about the same size. More guys in GNRs fanbase, more girls in Bon Jovi's.

But GNR was almost like a member of the 27 club - by not releasing a bunch of albums flopped, it made their legend grow. They never became "uncool" the way Bon Jovi or really any of those bands from the 80s did, so they stayed cool... like Hendrix and Nirvana.