Jon Bon Jovi Says Taylor Swift Kept His Album From Being No. 1

Bon Jovi recently put out a new album, Forever, which made it to No. 5 in its first week of release. But as Jon Bon Jovi sees it, it could have been No. 1 had it not been for global superstar Taylor Swift.

At the time Forever was released, Swift’s 2024 album The Tortured Poets Department held the No. 1 spot.

“If it weren’t for that pesky Taylor [Swift] girl, we would have been No. 1 everywhere!” Bon Jovi recently joked to Audacy. “But isn’t [it] fantastic that, on our 18th album, we’re still having big hit successes? So, it’s knock on wood, and why not be joyful?”

Jon Bon Jovi’s Other Thoughts on Taylor Swift

Bon Jovi’s comment should not be confused for any sort of ill will toward Swift — he’s  praised her and her accomplishments in multiple interviews.

“She created an industry. She utilized what she does best,” he told Variety in June. “She sings like Taylor Swift. She plays guitar like Taylor Swift. She’s not trying to be something that she’s not, and it is connected with an audience that is unique.”

READ MORE: All 359 Bon Jovi Songs Ranked Worst to Best

And even though Forever didn’t stay near the top of the chart for very long, Bon Jovi still feels grateful for the success and support from the band’s fans.

“When you’re in good health, and you’ve written songs that people remember for all these years, we didn’t even dip our toe into the catalog of hits today,” he told Audacy. “It’s astounding the relationship that we’ve had with this audience by and large for four decades.”