"Slippery When Wet" is the third studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi. It was released on August 18, 1986, by Mercury Records. This groundbreaking album marked a significant artistic jump for the band and was a major commercial success, catapulting Bon Jovi to global popularity. The primary songwriting team for the album consisted of vocalist Jon Bon Jovi, guitarist Richie Sambora, and songwriter Desmond Child.
The album generated several enormous hits, including "You Give Love a Bad Name," "Livin' on a Prayer," and "Wanted Dead or Alive," which have since become staples of the classic rock genre. These three tracks all reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making Bon Jovi the first hard rock band to have three top ten Billboard Hot 100 hits from a single album. Interestingly, both "Livin' on a Prayer" and "You Give Love a Bad Name" were nearly left off the album, but they were persuaded to include them by record executive Derek Shulman.
"Slippery When Wet" is characterized by its blend of pop and hard rock. The music was designed to be accessible and radio-friendly, but still keep a rock 'n' roll edge. The lyrical themes typically revolve around love and life on the road and aspirations of youth.
As for the album's title, it was inspired by a bar in Vancouver where the band saw a poster of a woman in a wet T-shirt contest. The original cover art, featuring a busty woman in a wet T-shirt, was swapped for a simpler design with a wet trash bag due to label fears about potential backlash.
The album catapulted Bon Jovi into the spotlight, receiving both critical and commercial success. It sold over 20 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time. The album's infectious hooks, anthemic choruses, soaring vocals, and vivacious guitar work helped define the 80s rock sound and continues to resonate with fans to this day.
