Bon Jovi - You Give Love A Bad Name

What this video is

Released in 1986 as the lead single from Slippery When Wet, this video arrived at the precise moment MTV was reshaping how rock bands built audiences. The all-color concert format was a strategic departure from the conceptual or effects-heavy videos of the era, betting instead on unmediated performer charisma. The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on November 29, 1986, becoming Bon Jovi's first…

Why it matters

A canonical artifact of hair metal's commercial apex, this video demonstrated that a no-frills concert performance clip could outperform concept videos on MTV when the artist's stage presence was sufficiently commanding. It helped establish Wayne Isham as the defining visual voice for arena rock…

The director

Wayne Isham (born December 2, 1958, Vinita, Oklahoma) is an American director who has helmed over 150 music videos since the 1980s. A UC Santa Barbara alumnus, he cited David Bowie's 'Ashes to Ashes' as his formative inspiration. He co-won MTV's Michael…