It’s been a year–time to check in and see what I was actually listening to in 2012. Some are predictable, but things have shaken up a little bit this year.
- Temptation
This is the unshakeable, unsinkable, all time favorite Bon Jovi song of all time. It’s at the top of every one of these lists that I’ve ever done. Every time I go in, I think that this one has to have finally been dethroned, and it never is. Kind of odd, since this sort of song isn’t what originally drew me to the band. But it is the one that sticks with me. - Why Aren’t You Dead?
This one’s moved up a notch over last year’s list, swapping with ‘This Ain’t a Love Song’. I think this one’s been getting more play because it’s different. It’s more what I might have expected from Bon Jovi, but even so, it’s rare to find a breakup song that has this degree of pure sarcasm. - This Ain’t a Love Song
A more conventional breakup song this time. But it’s a great one, and it’s probably my favorite Bon Jovi ballad of all time, and that’s what keeps it in the #3 slot. I know that I seek this one out over and over again. - Out of Bounds
I know I’ve been listening to this one a lot, especially lately. There’s something about the raw sound of this track that just speaks to me right now. That’s one of the things that I love so much about this band–they’ve done so many different things, and most of them have been awesome. There’s always a song that suits my mood–or that talks to me in a different way from before. - Runaway
‘Runaway’ is a solid classic on all counts. I pretty much never skip this song whenever it comes up on shuffle, no matter what kind of mood I’m in, and I think that’s how it’s managed to creep up the top 10 list this year. - Roulette
I had a bad habit of playing this song a lot when I would first fire up Windows Media Player on my computer. Out of all of the Bon Jovi songs that I like more than average, this one shows up first in the list of all the albums, so I tended to start with it. I’ve started making a conscious effort to start somewhere else–I’ve made myself sick of this song. - One Wild Night 2001
This song has actually dropped one slot over its ranking last year. I went through a phase where I really played this song a lot, but I kind of stopped listening to it sometime around April of last year. But it did bring me back to listening to One Wild Night more, which leads to… - Rockin’ in the Free World
I debated whether this song qualified for this list, since it’s a cover. But it’s performed by Jon and the guys, so I figure it counts. It’s a great song, and the Bon Jovi guys do a good job covering it. I wasn’t surprised that this one showed up; this is a song that I know I listen to all the time. - Something for the Pain (live)
This is the third song in a row from One Wild Night. This past year, I’ve really been listening to that particular album a lot. I’ve always liked live albums, but I often listened to other bands’ live albums more than Bon Jovi’s. I kind of rediscovered this album during the last year. This particular song I know I’ve listened to a lot. I always liked the original version, but right now I actually like this one better. - Shot Through the Heart
This one has taken a big drop over last year. It’s a decent ballad, but not one I really think about much. This isn’t a song that I ever seek out on purpose. I just listen to it on shuffle a lot–evidently enough to keep it in the top 10.
This time out, the box set has an even larger presence, and most of These Days has been displaced by One Wild Night. It’s also more dominated by the songs that I remember seeking out to listen to over the last year–way less of a surprise than it’s been in the past.
Related posts:
Interesting list. My favorites change their order every few months.