Over the course of 25-plus years, Bon Jovi has morphed from pop metal also-rans to a Garden State cultural institution. How did it happen? We're still not sure.
Having an underrated catalog helps. So does having a secret weapon frontman like Jon Bon Jovi — it's not for nothing that he's called a hair metal renaissance man.
In honor of the band's mind-boggling two-night stint at Soldier Field in support of its latest disc, "The Circle," we've compiled a decades-spanning guide to the finest and most obscure Bon Jovi facts.
Ahmadinejad, Mahmoud: Iranian president whose re-election was one of the pivotal events inspiring the band's hit "We Weren't Born to Follow."
Axelrod, David: President Barack Obama's political adviser and alleged Bon Jovi fan. According to Jon Bon Jovi, Axelrod has the printed lyrics of the group's "Work for the Working Man" framed on a wall of his West Wing office.
Bono: The politically influential rocker to whom Jon Bon Jovi has been compared, thanks to his friendships with East Coast politicians such as Hillary Clinton, whom Bon Jovi refers to as "Mrs. C."
Costello, Elvis: Once recorded an unreleased cover of "Bad Medicine."
de Soto, Hernando: The Peruvian economist whose theories on poverty and capitalism have been cited by Jon Bon Jovi.
Flockhart, Calista: "Ally McBeal" star and onscreen love interest to Jon Bon Jovi, about whose tonsorial perfection she reportedly once marveled, "Each hair must have its own stylist."
"Guitar Hero 5": The video game in which Kurt Cobain's avatar could be used to sing non- Nirvana songs, including "You Give Love a Bad Name," leading to protests by Courtney Love and ex-Nirvana members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic. "I don't know that I would have wanted it either," Jon Bon Jovi admitted to the BBC.
Hair: It's real, and it's all his, according to Jon Bon Jovi, who once urged a journalist to pull on it. "It's very real and soft," the journalist reported.
"Idol, American": During a Season 6 appearance, Bon Jovi was clearly less than thrilled with contestant Blake Lewis' beatboxing version of "You Give Love a Bad Name." "I don't think Jon Bon Jovi had actually ever seen 'American Idol' or knew what I did," Lewis said afterward.
Lane, Diane: Actress who briefly dated Jon Bon Jovi in the '80s, during a period of semiobscurity for both.
Mijovi: An energy drink whose name and slogan ("itsmilife") attracted the attention of Jon Bon Jovi's lawyers. "We were shocked to see that he would object to a positive beverage," the drink's creator said.
" National Lampoon's Pucked": An '06 hockey comedy so terrible even Jon Bon Jovi complained about its awfulness. And he starred in it.
Robots: Five immense robotic arms hold up onstage video screens during the band's tour. The robots, who move in concert with the music, are similar to those featured in the movie " Terminator Salvation."
Rose, Axl: Guns 'n' Roses frontman and Jon Bon Jovi nemesis of long standing. "That [expletive] hasn't made a record in 13 years and he gets all that attention," Jon Bon Jovi told an interviewer. "You know what I've done in 13 years? A lot."
Scott, Bon: The late AC/DC lead singer reportedly was part of the inspiration for John Bongiovi's early-career name change.
"7800° Fahrenheit": Bon Jovi's second, and likely least favorite, album, about which he once said, "My whole second album I try to avoid."
Springsteen, Bruce: Ranked just above No. 7 Jon Bon Jovi in Billboard magazine's most recent Ten Sexiest Men in Music poll (No. 1? Adam Lambert).
Torres, Tico: Bon Jovi's longtime drummer, and, incredibly, the only band member (formerly) married to a supermodel (Eva Herzigova). Also, one of the band's only members not to get his own 6-inch action figure.
" Vampires: Los Muertos": A pre-"Twilight" popcorn flick in which Jon Bon Jovi played a vampire slayer. Sample dialogue: "The only choice left is how to die — slow and painful, or quick and easy."
"Who Says You Can't Go Home": The Bon Jovi hit appropriated by Sarah Palin during her 2008 campaign rallies, much to the band's public chagrin.
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