(These Days)

Serving as a remarkable departure from the massive, party-oriented stadium rock that defined their 1980s peak, the legendary New Jersey band delivered a surprisingly dark, highly introspective album. Jon Bon Jovi's mature, socially conscious lyricism heavily addresses homelessness and fading American dreams over polished, frequently acoustic-driven hard rock arrangements. The remarkably serious, critically praised release became a massive commercial triumph internationally, especially in Europe and Japan.