Studio Album · No. 11
The Circle Songwriting Credits by Bon Jovi
Produced by John Shanks, Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora · Engineered by Jeff Rothschild, Mike Rew, Obie O'Brien, Alex Gibson
Holds writing credit on 12 of 12 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 12 / 12 documented
Scored across the 12 tracks with documented writers, by whether Bon Jovi carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 12 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
The Circle marked Bon Jovi's return to a straight-ahead rock sound after the country detour of Lost Highway, trading pedal steel for big guitars and anthemic choruses. Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora wrote the bulk of the record with producer John Shanks, who again co-produced alongside the band. It debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200, the band's fourth chart-topper, led by the single "We Weren't Born to Follow." Many of its lyrics responded to the economic anxiety of the late-2000s recession.
Back to classic arena rock, co-produced by John Shanks, Jon Bon Jovi, and Richie Sambora. Billy Falcon co-writes three tracks; Desmond Child three tracks; John Shanks and Child jointly contribute on track 8. Darrell Brown appears on track 3.