Bon Jovi’s latest album, Forever, has made an unexpected mark on the charts, and not in a way the iconic band hoped for. As highlighted by Forbes, the album debuted at No. 5 in its first week but then plummeted completely off the Billboard 200 album sales chart the following week. This makes Forever the first Bon Jovi studio album to last only one week in the Top 200.
The band’s previous album, 2020, which was delayed due to the pandemic, managed to stay on the chart for just two weeks. It debuted at No. 19 but then dropped 126 spots in its second week before vanishing from the chart.
Bon Jovi promoted Forever with a robust media campaign, including the documentary series Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story. The series documented Jon Bon Jovi’s struggle with loose vocal cords, his surgery, and the subsequent recovery process. Despite these efforts, the album’s chart performance was disappointing.
Jon Bon Jovi’s ongoing vocal issues have cast doubt on the band’s touring future. Last month, he confirmed he couldn’t commit to a full-scale tour to support Forever. “It’s a work in progress,” he told The Guardian. “There’s no miracle. I just wish there was a light switch. I’m more than capable of singing again. The bar is now: can I do two and a half hours a night, four nights a week? The answer is no.”
Despite these challenges, the band played a surprise five-song set at the opening of Jon Bon Jovi’s new Nashville bar and restaurant, JBJs, on June 7. They performed Forever’s debut single “Legendary” along with classics like “You Give Love a Bad Name” and “Born to Be My Baby.”
While Forever may not have lived up to its name on the charts, Bon Jovi’s legacy as rock legends remains untarnished. Fans can only hope that Jon’s recovery continues and that the band finds a way to navigate these challenging times.
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