Studio Album · No. 4
New Jersey Songwriting Credits by Bon Jovi
Produced by Bruce Fairbairn · Engineered by Bob Rock, Mike Fraser
Mercury Records
Glam MetalHard RockArena Rock
100%
Authorship
Holds writing credit on 12 of 12 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 12 / 12 documented
Who wrote the songs?
Scored across the 12 tracks with documented writers, by whether Bon Jovi carries a lyricist or composer credit.
12 trackswritten by Bon Jovi
0 tracksoutside writers
Bon Jovi's roles on this album
Share of the 12 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
Lyricist100%
Composer100%
Producer0%
Performer100%
By the Numbers
12
Tracks
5
Lyricists
1
Producers
2
No.1 Singles
1988
Released
Data Insight
New Jersey was the follow-up to Bon Jovi's breakthrough Slippery When Wet, again produced by Bruce Fairbairn in Vancouver, with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora writing most of the material alongside Desmond Child. The band originally pitched it as a double album, but Mercury rejected the higher price point and trimmed it to a single LP. It became the only hard rock album to send five singles into the Billboard Hot 100 top ten, led by the number one hits "Bad Medicine" and the ballad "I'll Be There for You." The record topped the Billboard 200 for four weeks and was later issued in the Soviet Union by Melodiya, making it the first American album officially released there.
Ambitious 12-track follow-up produced by Bruce Fairbairn. The writing pool expands significantly: Desmond Child co-writes five tracks, Diane Warren contributes to one ("Wild Is the Wind"), and Holly Knight to one ("Stick to Your Guns").
Track Listing & Credits 12 tracks
Written by the artist
Written by outside writers
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Lay Your Hands on Me
#7
|
Jon Bon JoviRichie Sambora | Jon Bon JoviRichie Sambora | Bruce Fairbairn | Jon Bon Jovi (Vocals) |
| 2 |
Bad Medicine
#1
|
Jon Bon JoviRichie SamboraDesmond Child | Jon Bon JoviRichie SamboraDesmond Child | Bruce Fairbairn | Jon Bon Jovi (Vocals) |
| 3 |
Born to Be My Baby
#3
|
Jon Bon JoviRichie SamboraDesmond Child | Jon Bon JoviRichie SamboraDesmond Child | Bruce Fairbairn | Jon Bon Jovi (Vocals) |
| 4 |
Living in Sin
#9
|
Jon Bon Jovi | Jon Bon Jovi | Bruce Fairbairn | Jon Bon Jovi (Vocals) |
| 5 |
Blood on Blood
|
Jon Bon JoviRichie SamboraDesmond Child | Jon Bon JoviRichie SamboraDesmond Child | Bruce Fairbairn | Jon Bon Jovi (Vocals) |
| 6 |
Homebound Train
|
Jon Bon JoviRichie Sambora | Jon Bon JoviRichie Sambora | Bruce Fairbairn | Jon Bon Jovi (Vocals) |
| 7 |
Wild Is the Wind
|
Jon Bon JoviRichie SamboraDesmond ChildDiane Warren | Jon Bon JoviRichie SamboraDesmond ChildDiane Warren | Bruce Fairbairn | Jon Bon Jovi (Vocals) |
| 8 |
Ride Cowboy Ride
|
Jon Bon JoviRichie Sambora | Jon Bon JoviRichie Sambora | Bruce Fairbairn | Jon Bon Jovi (Vocals) |
| 9 |
Stick to Your Guns
|
Jon Bon JoviRichie SamboraHolly Knight | Jon Bon JoviRichie SamboraHolly Knight | Bruce Fairbairn | Jon Bon Jovi (Vocals) |
| 10 |
I'll Be There for You
#1
|
Jon Bon JoviRichie Sambora | Jon Bon JoviRichie Sambora | Bruce Fairbairn | Jon Bon Jovi (Vocals) |
| 11 |
99 in the Shade
|
Jon Bon JoviRichie Sambora | Jon Bon JoviRichie Sambora | Bruce Fairbairn | Jon Bon Jovi (Vocals) |
| 12 |
Love for Sale
|
Jon Bon JoviRichie Sambora | Jon Bon JoviRichie Sambora | Bruce Fairbairn | Jon Bon Jovi (Vocals) |
Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 6 contributors
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Frequently Asked Questions New Jersey
When was Bon Jovi's New Jersey released and on what label?
New Jersey was released on September 19, 1988, by Mercury Records in North America and Vertigo internationally. It debuted at number eight on the Billboard 200 and then climbed to number one, where it stayed for four weeks.
Who produced New Jersey?
Bruce Fairbairn produced New Jersey at Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver, the same producer and studio behind the band's earlier Slippery When Wet. Bob Rock handled mixing, with engineering work credited to the studio team.
Was New Jersey originally meant to be a double album?
Yes. Bon Jovi initially conceived New Jersey as a double album, but Mercury Records rejected the plan because it was wary of the higher retail price. The label released it as a single LP instead, and the leftover material later surfaced through bootlegs and reissues.
How many hit singles did New Jersey produce?
New Jersey produced five Billboard Hot 100 top ten singles, the most for any hard rock album. "Bad Medicine" and "I'll Be There for You" both reached number one, "Born to Be My Baby" hit number three, "Lay Your Hands on Me" reached number seven, and "Living in Sin" peaked at number nine.
Who wrote the songs on New Jersey?
Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora wrote the bulk of the album together, with several tracks co-written by Desmond Child, including "Bad Medicine," "Born to Be My Baby," and "Blood on Blood." "Living in Sin" stands out as the one song Jon Bon Jovi wrote entirely on his own.
What is "Bad Medicine" about?
"Bad Medicine," written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and Desmond Child, uses sickness and cures as a metaphor for an addictive romance. It opened the album's singles run and became the band's third number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
Why is "I'll Be There for You" significant?
"I'll Be There for You" is the power ballad written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, and it reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1989. It was the album's fourth single and one of two chart-toppers from New Jersey.
Was New Jersey released in the Soviet Union?
Yes. New Jersey was issued by the Soviet state label Melodiya, making it the first American album officially released in the USSR. The move tied into the band's appearance at the 1989 Moscow Music Peace Festival.
How is New Jersey certified by the RIAA?
New Jersey is certified 7x Multi-Platinum by the RIAA in the United States for shipments of seven million copies. It also earned multi-platinum certifications in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, plus Gold in Japan.