Song · Bon Jovi
“I'll Be There for You” by Bon Jovi
From the album New Jersey (1988)
“I'll Be There for You” by Bon Jovi appears on 15 radio countdowns from 8 stations between 1990 and 2025. It was first released in 1988 on the album New Jersey. Its best result is #150 on the WMGK Philly 500 (2025). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #1,048 classic rock song of all time.
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"I'll Be There for You" is the big slow dance on Bon Jovi's New Jersey, a 1988 power ballad by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora that became the album's third single in 1989. With the band, and glam metal in general, riding as high as they would ever ride, it went all the way to number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Cash Box Top 100, their fourth chart-topping single, and number five on Album Rock Tracks.
Bruce Fairbairn produced it and Bob Rock engineered and mixed, and they give it arena size without burying the heart-on-sleeve plea at its center. Jon adds harmonica and acoustic guitar, Sambora switches between electric guitar and mandolin, and David Bryan's keyboards hold the whole thing aloft. Wayne Isham's video bathed the band in moody blue stage light, closing in on Jon and Sambora.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Classic Rock
Hard Rock & Metal
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 486 | Z-Rock | Z-Rock Top 1001 Songs of All-Time (1990) | 1000 |
| 2012 | 348 | Big 100 | BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2012) | 500 |
| 2013 | 431 | Big 100 | BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2013) | 500 |
| 2014 | 859 | Big 100 | BIG 1000 New Year's Countdown (2014) | 1000 |
| 2016 | 229 | 103.5 The Fox | The Fox Memorial Day 500 (2016) | 299 |
| 2022 | 174 | WMGK | WMGK Philly 500 (2022) | 500 |
| 2022 | 255 | 99.1 PLR | 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2022) | 500 |
| 2022 | 212 | 97.1 The River | River 500 (2022) | 500 |
| 2023 | 683 | 101.5 WPDH | WPDH Top 1015 (2023) | 1015 |
| 2024 | 797 | Q104.3 | Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2024) | 1043 |
| 2024 | 257 | WMGK | WMGK Philly 500 (2024) | 500 |
| 2024 | 205 | 99.1 PLR | 99.1 PLR Top 400 of the Last 40 Years (2024) | 400 |
| 2025 | 819 | Q104.3 | Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2025) | 1043 |
| 2025 | 150 | WMGK | WMGK Philly 500 (2025) | 500 |
| 2025 | 216 | 99.1 PLR | 99.1 PLR Top 400 of the Last 40 Years (2025) | 400 |
Also listed as: I'll Be There For You; Ill Be There For You.
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