Bon Jovi, a New Jersey rock band that shot to global fame in the 1980s, is one of the most iconic bands of all time. Their power ballads are on every classic rock playlist and staples of karaoke worldwide. The multi-talented Jon Bon Jovi is a hair-rock heartthrob who has been an icon for countless young men and women throughout the decades. Hulu’s “Thank You, Goodnight: The Story of Bon Jovi” offers an intimate and respectful portrait of the band’s journey from humble beginnings to superstardom.
The show offers a remarkably candid look at the band and their evolution through the years, particularly on their greatest record, These Days, which sounded like a natural extension of their sound and style from Keep the Faith. This is an album where the music easily could have gone overwrought with social commentary but instead the band and producer Peter Collins struck a perfect balance. Bon Jovi and Sambora’s voices blend in a way that brings to mind Steve Van Zandt harmonizing with Bruce Springsteen on some of his best songs.
Though the series does focus a lot on Jon, the other band members are also well represented. Keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, and bassist Hugh McDonald are all featured in their own segments. And while they may not be as famous as the frontman, each contributes an equal amount to the group’s success. The only disappointment is that the documentary spends less time placing the band within a larger cultural context. There are brief sketches of the working-class New Jersey scene that gave rise to both Springsteen and Bon Jovi, and there is a curious omission of discussion about the band’s notoriously loyal fans—the “black t-shirt crowd” who would convey their disapproval of the band’s not-quite metal sound by pelting them with coins.