1987 No. 1 Hit Ranked Among the 'Top Rock Songs' of All Time Became a Timeless Anthem

Despite being 40 years old, Bon Jovi's 1986 song, "Livin' on a Prayer," off the band's third studio album, Slippery When Wet, has remained beloved.

On April 22, Ultimate Classic Rock ranked Bon Jovi's classic hit, which went number 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 in February 1987, as the 78th top rock song of all time.

Jon Bon Jovi Discussed the Lasting Popularity of 'Livin' on a Prayer'

In a 2024 interview with Gold Radio, Bon Jovi's singer and frontman, Jon Bon Jovi, discussed the song's lasting popularity. He said that when he, Richie Sambora, and Desmond Child were first writing "Livin' on a Prayer," he thought it was "just another good song to put on the pile."

Bon Jovi, now 64, said that he realized that he and his bandmates might have a hit on their hands when they began rehearsing it.

"When we went to rehearsal that took on a life of its own. Because we were aware that we needed to develop a line and we were thinking of 'Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch' and like Motown stuff like that," explained Bon Jovi in the 2024 interview.

Bon Jovi then said he believed the band came up with the song's iconic key change during the pre-production rehearsal for "Livin' on a Prayer."

Desmond Child Revealed the Inspiration Behind the Hit Bon Jovi Song

While speaking to Inside Blackbird in 2025, Child shared some insight into how "Livin' on a Prayer" was written. The songwriter said that Bon Jovi had told him he had wanted to "write a song about a working-class couple that's struggling." Child said that when he put pen to paper, he had his relationship with his girlfriend in mind. He explained that for many years, he "would stay home writing songs and she was working as a waitress."

Child also said that Bon Jovi was inspired by "people that he remembered from high school that were married very young and struggled," while Sambora had been thinking about his parents while co-writing the song.

"We brought that all together into this one song that to this day means so much to so many generations of people," said Child in the 2025 interview.

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This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 1:48 PM.