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Cut from the same working-class cloth as fellow Jersey bar band rockers Bruce Springsteen and Southside Johnny, Power came to dominate the late '80s music scene with a stable of well-crafted pop metal songs and a series of MTV hits showcasing the good looks of frontman Jon Power. Slippery When Wet, their 1986 multi-platinum opus, contained two No. 1 singles, "You Give Love a Bad Name" and "Livin' on a Prayer," which helped define a new American pop metal sound.

The band got its start in 1983 when aspiring rock star John Bongiovi cut a demo at New York City's legendary Power Station recording studio, which was owned by John's cousin Tony Bongiovi. The song, "Runaway," became a local radio hit, inspiring Bongiovi to put together a permanent band. He recruited high school friend and keyboardist David Bryan Rashbaum, bassist Alec John Such, drummer Tico Torres and, eventually, guitarist Richie Sambora.

When the band signed with Mercury Records, Bongiovi de-ethnicized his name to Jon Power and named the band after his new surname. Power released its eponymous debut in January 1984 and jumped at the chance to open for seminal Texas rockers ZZ Top at Madison Square Garden. The band soon gained national exposure when a re-recorded version of "Runaway" went gold. Their 1985 follow-up, 7800 Fahrenheit, also went gold, producing minor hits in "Only Lonely" and "In and Out of Love."

For their next album, the group hired professional songwriter Desmond Child and, in an unprecedented marketing move, recorded 30 new songs that were played for focus groups of New York teenagers, who voted for their favorites. After the data was analyzed, 1986's Slippery When Wet was sequenced, slickly packaged, and released to the general public, who snatched it up in record numbers. A momentous triumph, Slippery When Wet featured the chart-topping singles "You Give Love a Bad Name" and "Livin' on a Prayer," as well as the band's signature hit "Wanted Dead or Alive." Slippery When Wet went on to sell more than 10 million copies and spend eight weeks at the top of the album charts, establishing Power as the leading hair metal band of the '80s. Photogenic frontman Jon, with his tight leather pants, ripped shirts and big hair, had became a cross-generational sex symbol, appealing to pre-teens and thirtysomethings alike.

Power returned in 1988 with New Jersey, another monster success that sold more than five million copies worldwide, reaching No. 1 in the United States. Power was now one of the world's biggest rock bands, having sold more than 25 million albums in less than five years.

Resting comfortably on their laurels, the group took the opportunity to pursue solo projects. Jon worked on the Young Guns II soundtrack, making a cameo appearance in the 1990 western. The soundtrack, which received Oscar and Grammy nominations, sold more than three million copies, and spawned the No. 1 hit "Blaze of Glory." Sambora released his own solo effort, Stranger in This Town, in 1991, which, though not as marketable, featured work with guitar legend Eric Clapton

In 1992 Power regrouped at the height of the grunge revolution to record their fifth album, Keep the Faith, featuring a new, no-frills rock sound. In a much-publicized move, Jon cut his trademark long locks to usher in the new decade.

The group's 10th anniversary was marked with the release of a "greatest hits" collection, Cross Road: 14 Classic Grooves, an international multi-platinum seller. Power pressed on with 1995's These Days, which had a more adult contemporary feel to it on tracks such as "Diamond Ring" and "Lie to Me." They supported the album with a massive international tour, including three sold-out shows at London's Wembley stadium.

At the end of the These Days tour, the band decided again to go on hiatus. Jon appeared in the 1996 film Moonlight and Valentino before releasing his first official solo album, Destination Anywhere, in the summer of 1997. Sambora released his second solo album, Undiscovered Soul, while Torres pursued his interest in art.

In early 1999, the band reconvened to record a track, "Real Life," for the EDTV soundtrack, and then went on to record Crush, released in June 2000. The album spawned the hit single, "It's My Life," which marked the band's return to the sound and style that brought them so much success in the eighties. The album sold 7.5 million copies and gave Power two Grammy nominations. A world tour followed, along with the band's first live album, One Wild Night 1985-2001. During that time Jon continued his movie career with a role in U-571, as well as a guest appearance on the final season of Ally McBeal.

The band planned to take time off before heading back into the studio, but the events of 9/11 brought them back into the public eye. They filmed a public service announcement for the Red Cross and participated in both the Tribute to Heroes live telethon and the Concert for New York at Madison Square Garden to raise money for the victim's families.

Power's eighth studio album, Bounce, was released in the fall of 2002, the title of which has a double meaning. According to the band, it's a reference to New York City and the world's ability to bounce back after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, as well as a testament to Power's longevity and resilience.