Songs with the Same Title – Bon Jovi Edition

I started a series back in July, where I talk about songs with the same title, but I only did one so far (Songs with the Same Title – Backstreet Boys Edition). Now I’m bringing it back, and this time, the main focus will be on Bon Jovi. However, I’ll only be focusing on songs leading up to their What About Now (2013) album because Richie Sambora is life! So how this works is, I’ll list two tracks with the same title (one by the respective artist and one by a different artist), then I’ll be giving my opinion and sharing which one I prefer. There will be six rounds, and by the end of it, I’ll decide whose songs I enjoy overall. 

“What About Now” (2008) by Daughtry

“What About Now” (2013) by Bon Jovi

I grew up with Daughtry because American Idol was one of my favorite shows. Their song “What About Now” was featured during season seven’s top 24 results show, and I’ve loved it since. Colton Dixion did a great version of it on the piano during Hollywood Week for season 10; too bad they never showed the full performance. I enjoy Bon Jovi’s “What About Now,” but every time I think of that album overall, I get sad because that was Sambora’s last album with the band. With that in mind, Daughtry wins this round. 

“Story of My Life” (2005) by Bon Jovi

“Story of My Life” (2013) by One Direction

So Bon Jovi’s “Story of My Life” starts with the piano for the first 12 seconds, then the drums and guitar kick in, and for that, I salute Bon Jovi because it is a rocking track. But One Direction is my favorite boyband, and what’s cool about their “Story of My Life” is the boys wrote it, with some help, of course. The music video gets me every time because they do this thing where they show pics from their childhood, then the boys reenact the photos. When it gets to Louis Tomlinson’s picture, that’s where the tears come because his photo featured his grandparents, who were no longer alive; I think he cried while filming his portion. Because of Tomlinson pulling it together and my emotional attachment to One Direction, the boys win the second round!

“This Ain’t a Love Song” (1995) by Bon Jovi

“This Ain’t a Love Song” (2008) by Mötley Crüe

I almost picked Mötley Crüe’s song because of the chorus, haha! That song slaps; Vince Neil’s vocals are great, and the drums get one’s adrenaline pumping! But Bon Jovi’s “This Ain’t a Love Song” has grown on me. Bon Jovi was no longer a glam metal band, and their songwriting has matured since their 80s heyday. Bon Jovi wins this round, but I have one complaint, why does Sambora look like Tony Iommi in the music video? Luckily his guitar playing made up for it, but with the circular sunglasses, the beard, the mustache, and all black, just why Richie Sambora, why?!?!

“Keep the Faith” (1991) by Michael Jackson

“Keep the Faith” (1992) by Bon Jovi

Keep the Faith (1992) is my favorite Bon Jovi album (out of the four I’ve listened to so far), so I’m a bit biased towards Bon Jovi’s “Keep the Faith.” I kind of like Michael Jackson’s “Keep the Faith,” though. Except, I think his song is too long. The whole time I was listening to it, I was like, “How the heck does he remember all those lyrics?” But back to Bon Jovi, I love the approach the band took for that album; they shifted away from the glam metal scene and aimed for a hard rock sound. “Keep the Faith” is a must at their gigs, so Bon Jovi wins the fourth round too.

“It’s My Life” (1965) by The Animals

“It’s My Life” (2000) by Bon Jovi

I liked a few of Bon Jovi’s songs, but I didn’t get into them until Spring 2020. Back in Fall 2019, I watched a documentary about glam metal in the 80s, and there was a clip of a guy named Richie Sambora. My initial thought was, “he’s too pretty to be in a rock band!” Flash forward to January 2020, I watched the music video for “It’s My Life,” and they showed Richie Sambora on the guitar. So then I thought, “THE PRETTY DUDE’S THE GUITAR PLAYER?!?!” Three weeks later, I found out he’s not in Bon Jovi anymore; yeah, that was a sad day for me. “It’s My Life” is my favorite Bon Jovi song because I grew up with it, so they win the fifth round as well. 

“I’ll Be There For You” (1989) by Bon Jovi

“I’ll Be There For You” (1995) by The Rembrandts

The Friends theme song is a classic, and though I don’t watch the show often, I enjoy it every time I do. Except when Joey and Rachel got together, that was weird. Regardless of that, Friends is a great show, and the jokes are still funny today, which says a lot! But Bon Jovi’s “I’ll Be There For You” captured a special place in my heart, and despite Sambora’s dreadful rendition with Orianthi, I still dig that song! That Madison Square Garden concert from 2008, where Sambora sang “I’ll Be There For You,” that’s when I found out he could sing, and he could REALLY sing! With a great chorus and great melody, Bon Jovi wins the final round of this battle.

Out of the six rounds, Bon Jovi won four of them, so they take the win for the overall battle. I’m sure they have more songs with the same title as other artists’ songs, but I only went with six because this post would be way too long if I included them all. I hope you guys enjoyed my little rant of why Richie Sambora is the best, and thank you for sticking around!

Let me know in the comments below which songs you’d prefer from each round! 

Take care and see ya real soon!

Lana