"Always" is a song by American

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band

Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American rock band formed in 1983 in Sayreville, New Jersey. It consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarist Phil X, and bassist Hugh McDonald. Original bassist Alec John such quit t ...

. The

power ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. ...

was released in September 1994 as a single from their second greatest hits album, '' Cross Road'' (1994), and went on to become one of their best-selling singles, with a million copies sold in the US and more than three million worldwide. The song reached number four on the US ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' Hot 100, becoming his 11th and last top 10 hit. It was an international hit, peaking at number one in Belgium, Canada, Ireland and Switzerland, number two in Australia and the United Kingdom, and number four in Germany. "Always" was

Alec John Such Alec John Such (November 14, 1951 – June 5, 2022) was an American musician. He was best known as a founding member of the rock band Bon Jovi. As their bass player from 1983 to 1994, he played on their first five albums. Such started his ...

's final single with the band before he left in late 1994.

Song origin

The song was originally written by

Jon Bon Jovi John Francis Bongiovi Jr. (born March 2, 1962), known professionally as Jon Bon Jovi, is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actor. He is best known as the founder and frontman of the rock band Bon Jovi, which was formed in 1983. He ...

for the soundtrack to the 1993 film ''

Romeo Is Bleeding ''Romeo Is Bleeding'' is a 1993 neo-noir crime thriller film directed by Peter Medak, written and produced by Hilary Henkin, and starring Gary Oldman, Lena Olin, Annabella Sciorra, Juliette Lewis, and Roy Scheider. It follows a psychosexual cat ...

'', starring

Gary Oldman Gary Leonard Oldman (born 21 March 1958) is an English actor and filmmaker. Known for his versatility and intense acting style, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and three British Academy F ...

as a corrupt cop and Mafia aide who is renounced by his wife. After being unimpressed by a preview screening of the movie – which was a critical and box office flop – he decided not to lend "Always" to the producers. Bon Jovi commented, "The script was great: the movie wasn't." He left the track on his shelf and forgot about it until John Kalodner, a friend and A&R executive, found it and convinced him to re-record and release the song.

Critical reception

Larry Flick from ''

'' described "Always" as "a charming new tune that banks on a crisp guitar breeze generated by Richie Sambora and

's familiar rasp." He added, "With lush orchestration by

Michael Kamen Michael Arnold Kamen (April 15, 1948 – November 18, 2003) was an American composer (especially of film scores), orchestral arranger, orchestral conductor, songwriter, and session musician. Biography Early life Michael Arnold Kamen was bor ...

and gradual shifts in tempo, grand track is easily one of the band's most interesting efforts to date. Prepare for deservedly active airplay well into the fall season."

James Masterton James Masterton (born 2 September 1973) is a music writer and columnist, his work focusing on the UK Singles Chart having been an online fixture on various sites since the 1990s. Masterton is also a producer for talkSPORT, and has worked on air ...

wrote in his weekly UK chart commentary, that it "is an epic ballad of the type they are so fond of penning and a bit of judicious promotion smashes it straight into the Top 5." Alan Jones from '' Music Week'' rated it four out of five, naming it Pick of the Week. He wrote, "An intense

rock ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. M. Cu ...

, with strings and piano filling out the group's sound, and Jon Bon Jovi delivering a strong, stylish lead. Shame about the weak bridge. Even so, this is sure to soar with a TOTP appearance already in the bag."

Music video

The accompanying music video for the song was directed by American television director

Marty Callner Marty Callner (born 1950 in Cincinnati, Ohio) is an American television director, who has made music videos, comedy specials, concert specials, and television shows, in a career spanning from 1977 to present day. He is the creator of HBO's '' Ha ...

. It features

Jack Noseworthy Jack Evan Noseworthy Jr. (born December 21, 1964) is an American actor known for his roles in ''Event Horizon'', '' U-571'', ''Barb Wire'' and ''Killing Kennedy''. Early life Noseworthy earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Boston Conse ...

Carla Gugino Carla Gugino (; born August 29, 1971) is an American actress. After appearing in ''Troop Beverly Hills'' (1989) and ''This Boy's Life'' (1993), she received recognition for her starring roles as Ingrid Cortez in the ''Spy Kids'' trilogy (2001� ...

Jason Wiles Jason Austin Wiles (born April 25, 1970) is an American actor known for his role in the NBC procedural drama series ''Third Watch'' from 1999 to 2005. Early life Wiles was born in Kansas City, Missouri, U.S., and raised in Lenexa, Kansas, where ...

and

Keri Russell Keri Lynn Russell (born March 23, 1976) is an American actress. She portrayed the titular character on the drama series '' Felicity'' (1998–2002), which won her a Golden Globe Award, and Elizabeth Jennings on the FX spy thriller series ''The ...

. There is also an alternate version of the video that is just the band performing the song. "Always" was published on YouTube in June 2009. It has amassed over 813 million views as of March 2022.

Live performances

The song's powerful lyrics and power ballad sound made "Always" an instant hit at live concerts, but the high demand on

's vocals have seen it rarely performed in concert following the band's 1995–1996

These Days Tour These Days Tour was Bon Jovi's concert tour during 1995-96. Van Halen opened as a special guest for Bon Jovi on twenty of the European stadium dates during the second leg promoting their album '' Balance''. The last of the three Wembley Stadium g ...

. The song is featured on the band's '' Live From London'' video. During the 2005–2006

Have a Nice Day Tour The Have a Nice Day Tour was a worldwide concert tour by American rock band Bon Jovi. It took place between November 2005 and July 2006. The tour supported their ninth studio album ''Have a Nice Day''. The tour was a significant commercial succ ...

it was occasionally performed in the acoustic style heard on the band's 2003 ''

This Left Feels Right ''This Left Feels Right'' is an album featuring new versions of Bon Jovi songs from previous albums. It was released in 2003 and charted at No. 14 on The Billboard 200. It's a "trip down memory lane" as Jon Bon Jovi described the album. It featu ...

'' album. The band performed the original version on their

Lost Highway Tour The Lost Highway Tour was a worldwide concert tour by American rock band Bon Jovi in support of their 10th studio album, '' Lost Highway''. It took place from October 2007 to July 2008. Originally planned as a 2008 greatest hits tour, the tour w ...

, particularly in the UK leg. A live version performed on the final night of the Lost Highway Tour was included on the concert DVD '' Live at Madison Square Garden''. Since then, the song in its original version has been occasionally performed during every tour.

Track listings

* US 7-inch single :A. "Always" (single edit) – 4:52 :B. " Living in Sin" – 4:37 * US CD and cassette single # "Always" (edit) – 4:52 # "Never Say Goodbye" – 4:49 # " Edge of a Broken Heart" – 4:33 * US maxi-CD single # "Always" (single edit) – 4:52 # "I Wish Everyday Could Be Like Christmas" – 4:25 # "Living in Sin" – 4:37 # "

Please Come Home for Christmas "Please Come Home for Christmas" is a Christmas song, written in 1960 and released the same year by American blues singer and pianist Charles Brown. Hitting the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in December 1961, the tune, which Brown co-wrote with ...

" – 2:53 * European and Australasian CD single # "Always" (edit) – 4:52 # "Edge of a Broken Heart" – 4:33 * UK CD1 # "Always" (edit) # "Always" # "Edge of a Broken Heart" * UK CD2 # "Always" (edit) # "Always" # "Edge of a Broken Heart" # "Prayer '94" * UK cassette single # "Always" (edit) # "Always"

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Decade-end charts

All-time charts

Certifications

References

{{Authority control 1994 songs 1994 singles 1990s ballads American soft rock songs Bon Jovi songs European Hot 100 Singles number-one singles Irish Singles Chart number-one singles Mercury Records singles Number-one singles in Switzerland Rock ballads RPM Top Singles number-one singles Songs written by Jon Bon Jovi Ultratop 50 Singles (Flanders) number-one singles