Good, bad, average or a suitable rock voice?

Definitely above average for his repotoire. Good tone and pretty good range, reduced now but I'm pretty sure he is\was a long time smoker. He completely forgoes the 'raspy' tone when he sings live but there's not a lot of guys who can do that consistenly. His tone gets a bit nasal as he gets into his upper register although his whole voice is very nasal (a common tone for rock singers) it's not unpleasant in his lower and middle. If he has a weakness it's expression\phrasing, it's acceptable for rock but anytime he tries to do 'unplugged'\intimate style performances he's kinda bland (ie 'This Left Feels Right'). Richie Sambora actually has pretty good expression and phrasing. If you're a fan, track down him doing "I'll Be There For You" as a solo acoustic, fairly soulful. His tone isn't as nice as Jon's though, he sounds a bit 'thin', especially fr a Baritone, maybe smoking affected his voice more than Jon's.

I'd say 'Always' is his definitive Vocal Performance, it plays to his strengths of tone and range with a very 'conventional'\straight-forward expression.

I'd guess he's had classical\opera style coaching cause every now and again one of his vowell sounds is kind of 'operatic'. Being Italian, I'd guess he probably started singing in church.

In the demo of 'Always' he actually goes higher than the studio version. As far as I know 'Always' has never been concert staple cause Jon struggles with it, I saw a recent performance on Youtube and he was inaudible at times, that how much of a strain it was to hit those notes.

On a side note, I was surprised how many of their songs Jon wrote, I'd always assumed Richie was the main composer because of his instrumental pedigree... and cause Jon is a 'pretty boy'.

[Edited 10/20/13 5:54am]

Just for the hell for it here's my favourite BJ songs

Someday I'll Be Saturday Night (Consistently my favourite song, one of the few undeniable slam dunk of that sincere 'Heartland America' (re Springstein). Always unplifting... at least for me)

Lie To Me

Hey God (I think the only BJ song with no backing vocals)

Something to Believe in

Something for the Pain (First song of theirs I really loved when I heard it on the radio as a kid. I asked for Crossroads as a birthday present and was really disappointed it wasn't on there, luckily it turned out my sister had got a free promo single from a radio station 'street team'. The only song in their catalogue where Richie takes the lead, for the bridge. Awesome song, pop hooks, some 'twangy' guitar and a couple of memorable lyrics. Supposedly inspired by early 70's T-Rex type stuff but I can't 'hear' it)

Always (Can you believe this song supposedly almost got scrapped, it was intended for a film they ended up not liking and Jon has admitted he would've made a 'terrible A & R man' as he didn't think it was a 'hit')

I'll be there for you

Lay Your hands on me (minus the silly intro)

Keep the Faith (Got a real groove to it, don't know if it's a funk style or another type of groove)

Say it isn't so (very different sort of song for them, at least seems that way to me)

Everyday

Wanted Dead or Alive & Livin on a Prayer (I believe Jon has stated these are BJ's legacy song, ie their most unique and what they'll probably be remembered for. Dead or Alive doesn't really get old for me)

Runaway (The keyboards make the song sound dated by it's still an awesome song, probably inspired by Hanoi Rocks. I'd love to hear a version of it where they tried to 'update' it, change the keyboard tone or something, they've done a slowed down, acoustic, ballad'y version but like I said before that's not Jon's strength)

Flesh and Bone (A rocker left off of These Days, surprisingly they considered it 'too dark', frankly I thought 'Hey God' was noticably darker, what's wrong with dark anyway?)

All I want is everything (left off of These Days)

Only In My Dreams (I believe from the These Days sessions, features the drummer Tico on vocals doing his best Tom Waits impression, a little too 'polished' sounding but still a good song and def a unique part of their catalogue)

Jon's Solo

Blaze of Glory (basically a re-write of 'Wanted Dead or Alive' but a GOOD one)

Midnight In Chelsea (Awesome Chorus)

Overall my favourite period for them was the mid 90's. They took the 'metal' out of their sound and had a more twangy hard rock sound to their rockers (although there weren't enough of these) and more complex ballads. The sound was still a little too 'polished'\not quite as 'organic' as I wanted it to be. The sessions for 'These Days' def seem to be their most fruitful. Unfortunately their commercial stock in the US started to drop with Keep the Faith in 1992 and continued with These Days but they retained their international audience and I believe These Days was a HUGE success in Europe, particularly the UK.

I feel like they lost their way after that. They took a break and by the time they returned they were middle-aged and therefore needed a 'comeback'. It seems each album has got worse, I liked nothing off of Lost Highway and haven't really given any subsequent album a thorough listen.

They're often seen as 'unhip' but I'll always defend them. They've written a few GREAT songs and a fair amount of very good songs. My music library would the poorer without them...

[Edited 10/20/13 5:55am]

[Edited 10/20/13 5:58am]

Come on folks, validate my act of sharing my opinon!

Here's some songs

Flesh and Bone

http://www.youtube.com/wa...zTx8chs8WM

Only in my Dreams

http://www.youtube.com/wa...BFgKh405FM

I can't find that version I mentioned of Richie doing I'll Be There For You, it was from a show in Yokohama they filmed, it's easy to identify as several songs were performed twice in order to get a perfect take. Jon always does 'Always' twice, when the word comes through they'll to do it again after the first one Jon is like, "... Let's move on we'll come back to it" clearly needing time to recover. It must have been a taxing night for Jon, they start 'Runaway' and he stops after the first line and says, "Man... I can barely breathe up here..."

Well, I didn't realize they were doing a more 'faithful' version of 'Runaway' these days, compare this t the slow version for the difference between Jon's vocals I described earlier

http://www.youtube.com/wa...TZ8Ptpgazo - 2013

http://www.youtube.com/wa...XXJdst44Qc - 2000

Here's a 'novel' Heavy Metal cover of 'Runaway' from some Scandinavian Band, complete with 'Cookie Monster' growls...

http://www.youtube.com/wa...mxfU7iENZ8

I don't know their concert history too well, I'd imagine they were a bit more energetic in the 80's playing to teenagers (and probably snorting a line or two) but this performance is considered is a highlight of their career, a packed Wembley Stadium supporting an album which knocked MJ off the top of the charts when they 'underperforming' comercially back home.

http://www.youtube.com/wa...UUHcplVRlM

Excellent singer and a true professional.

Every time I hear "It's My life" I always pretend I'm Jon..He was Gifted with Rocking Pipes..There's nobody like him..

80s studio: recognizable, charismatic, powerful

80s live: weak, moist

90s studio: bland

90s live and beyond: AWFUL

As a singer of Course he's good. He can sing better than 97 percent of humans probably. However, wen compared to other singers he's alright. I love Rock but Way perfer bands like Alice Cooper, Motley Crue, Guns N' Roses, Poison to 80s Bon Jovi. All feel more original and Unique. Saw the dude for free actually in july at soldier field. 2hrs prior to the concert I was at another concert for Free and saw Robert Plant. Even Though Jovi had a better stage show and maybe 50,000 more people. He couldn't compete with Plant In any fashion ahahha.

I don't..

rainman1985 said:

Just for the hell for it here's my favourite BJ songs

Someday I'll Be Saturday Night (Consistently my favourite song, one of the few undeniable slam dunk of that sincere 'Heartland America' (re Springstein). Always unplifting... at least for me)

Lie To Me

Hey God (I think the only BJ song with no backing vocals)

Something to Believe in

Something for the Pain (First song of theirs I really loved when I heard it on the radio as a kid. I asked for Crossroads as a birthday present and was really disappointed it wasn't on there, luckily it turned out my sister had got a free promo single from a radio station 'street team'. The only song in their catalogue where Richie takes the lead, for the bridge. Awesome song, pop hooks, some 'twangy' guitar and a couple of memorable lyrics. Supposedly inspired by early 70's T-Rex type stuff but I can't 'hear' it)

Always (Can you believe this song supposedly almost got scrapped, it was intended for a film they ended up not liking and Jon has admitted he would've made a 'terrible A & R man' as he didn't think it was a 'hit')

I'll be there for you

Lay Your hands on me (minus the silly intro)

Keep the Faith (Got a real groove to it, don't know if it's a funk style or another type of groove)

Say it isn't so (very different sort of song for them, at least seems that way to me)

Everyday

Wanted Dead or Alive & Livin on a Prayer (I believe Jon has stated these are BJ's legacy song, ie their most unique and what they'll probably be remembered for. Dead or Alive doesn't really get old for me)

Runaway (The keyboards make the song sound dated by it's still an awesome song, probably inspired by Hanoi Rocks. I'd love to hear a version of it where they tried to 'update' it, change the keyboard tone or something, they've done a slowed down, acoustic, ballad'y version but like I said before that's not Jon's strength)

Flesh and Bone (A rocker left off of These Days, surprisingly they considered it 'too dark', frankly I thought 'Hey God' was noticably darker, what's wrong with dark anyway?)

All I want is everything (left off of These Days)

Only In My Dreams (I believe from the These Days sessions, features the drummer Tico on vocals doing his best Tom Waits impression, a little too 'polished' sounding but still a good song and def a unique part of their catalogue)

Jon's Solo

Blaze of Glory (basically a re-write of 'Wanted Dead or Alive' but a GOOD one)

Midnight In Chelsea (Awesome Chorus)

Overall my favourite period for them was the mid 90's. They took the 'metal' out of their sound and had a more twangy hard rock sound to their rockers (although there weren't enough of these) and more complex ballads. The sound was still a little too 'polished'\not quite as 'organic' as I wanted it to be. The sessions for 'These Days' def seem to be their most fruitful. Unfortunately their commercial stock in the US started to drop with Keep the Faith in 1992 and continued with These Days but they retained their international audience and I believe These Days was a HUGE success in Europe, particularly the UK.

I feel like they lost their way after that. They took a break and by the time they returned they were middle-aged and therefore needed a 'comeback'. It seems each album has got worse, I liked nothing off of Lost Highway and haven't really given any subsequent album a thorough listen.

They're often seen as 'unhip' but I'll always defend them. They've written a few GREAT songs and a fair amount of very good songs. My music library would the poorer without them...

[Edited 10/20/13 5:55am]

[Edited 10/20/13 5:58am]

Funny you mention a song being inspired by T Rex. I don't like 90's Bon Jovi, but "I'll sleep when I'm dead" has a UK 70 glam feel to it. Particually in it's production. I really like that song. Never heard the album it came off though, is it any good? I can't stand "always" bytheway LOL.