Wow, that's a tough one. And I'm not even from Jersey! Let's weigh the pros and cons.
Bon Jovi
Pros: "Livin' on a Prayer," "Shot Through the Heart," "Bad Medicine," "I'll Be There For You" and pretty much every song on Slippery When Wet and New Jersey. So many songs, all of which I've rocked at karaoke or on Rock Band.
Cons: Can't say I've liked anything they've done in the past twenty years. The last Bon Jovi or Jon Bon Jovi solo song I liked was probably "Blaze of Glory" from the Young Guns II soundtrack.
The Boss
Pros: His many classic albums (Born to Run, Darkness on the Edge of Town, Born in the U.S.A.) produced scores of amazing songs, while the E Street Band produced TV greats Max Weinberg (Late Night with Conan O'Brien) and Sopranos star "Little Stevie" Van Zandt. Plus, Bruce's cameo in High Fidelity is great.
Cons: Again, I can't say I own any Bruce album post-Human Touch. There have been good songs here and there (that "come on rise up" song comes to mind) and it's great that he's still churning out respectable albums, but the most recent Springsteen song I have on my iPod is "Streets of Philadelphia."
Winner: Tie. Both have given us so much greatness, choosing one just seems wrong. If aliens attacked and the fate of human existence lay in my choosing between Bon Jovi and The Boss, I'd probably go Bon Jovi just for the karaoke value. (I'm assuming the fate of the Earth also lies in my ability to out-sing the alien overlord in a karaoke-off.) But I would feel bad about it in the morning.
Who is your pick? This debate is tougher than cake vs. pie. (Though clearly cake is the way to go with that one.)
Bon Jovi
Pros: "Livin' on a Prayer," "Shot Through the Heart," "Bad Medicine," "I'll Be There For You" and pretty much every song on Slippery When Wet and New Jersey. So many songs, all of which I've rocked at karaoke or on Rock Band.
Cons: Can't say I've liked anything they've done in the past twenty years. The last Bon Jovi or Jon Bon Jovi solo song I liked was probably "Blaze of Glory" from the Young Guns II soundtrack.
The Boss
Pros: His many classic albums (Born to Run, Darkness on the Edge of Town, Born in the U.S.A.) produced scores of amazing songs, while the E Street Band produced TV greats Max Weinberg (Late Night with Conan O'Brien) and Sopranos star "Little Stevie" Van Zandt. Plus, Bruce's cameo in High Fidelity is great.
Cons: Again, I can't say I own any Bruce album post-Human Touch. There have been good songs here and there (that "come on rise up" song comes to mind) and it's great that he's still churning out respectable albums, but the most recent Springsteen song I have on my iPod is "Streets of Philadelphia."
Winner: Tie. Both have given us so much greatness, choosing one just seems wrong. If aliens attacked and the fate of human existence lay in my choosing between Bon Jovi and The Boss, I'd probably go Bon Jovi just for the karaoke value. (I'm assuming the fate of the Earth also lies in my ability to out-sing the alien overlord in a karaoke-off.) But I would feel bad about it in the morning.
Who is your pick? This debate is tougher than cake vs. pie. (Though clearly cake is the way to go with that one.)
Bon Jovi. He broke grounds in Asia more than Springsteen did. Makes him more "universal" for karaoke stand-offs.
Are you just trying to be diplomatic, Nick? Because the answer is Springsteen. The Boss has inspired generations of blue-collar underdogs to follow their American dreams, while Bon Jovi is only good at pretending to be Bruce Springsteen (and terrible at pretending to be a cowboy, as cowboys, last I checked, are not from New Jersey). Sure, they have some catchy rock tunes, but hey, so does Loverboy.
PS- perhaps I'm biased, as the only time I've ever been proud to be from Jersey was when Springsteen was on the Daily Show. Jon Stewart told him that it was his music that inspired him to pack up his belongings and move out of his parents' house in Jersey across to New York, to live his dream of being a comedian. But Bon Jovi is just embarrassing.
My head says Springsteen, but my heart says Bon Jovi.
Love High Fidelity. It definitely makes my top 5 movies of all time...
Springsteen all the way!!!
Bon Jovi. Seriously. He is such a badass haha.