Never Say Goodbye (Bon Jovi song)

"Never Say Goodbye"
Single by Bon Jovi
from the album Slippery When Wet
Released	June 15, 1987 (1987-06-15)
Recorded	1986
Genre	Glam metal
Length	4:50 5:27 (DualDisc intro version)
Label	Mercury
Songwriter(s)	Jon Bon Jovi Richie Sambora
Producer(s)	Bruce Fairbairn
Bon Jovi singles chronology
"Wanted Dead or Alive" (1987) "Never Say Goodbye" (1987) "Bad Medicine" (1988)
Music video
"Never Say Goodbye" on YouTube

"Never Say Goodbye" is a song by American rock band Bon Jovi, written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora. It was a track off the band's third album, Slippery When Wet, on June 15, 1987, and reached number 11 on the mainstream rock charts and number 21 on the UK Singles Chart. Because it was not released domestically as a commercially available single, "Never Say Goodbye" was ineligible to chart on the Billboard Hot 100;^[1] Nevertheless, it reached number 28 on the Hot 100 Airplay survey.^[2]

The song was featured on some versions of the band's Cross Road greatest hits album and is still occasionally performed live by the band in concert.

Song style

"Never Say Goodbye" is a power ballad, featuring drawn-out vocals and a slow tempo, in contrast to the other tracks on Slippery When Wet, which is of a much faster, metal pace.

The song is in the key of A major and progresses to C♯ minor, D major, and D minor.

On one of the early demos and alternate takes that were made for this song, Richie Sambora sang lead vocals on only one of them while Jon Bon Jovi sang lead vocals on most of them.^[3]

Track listing

• Original European release (August 13, 1987)

1. "Never Say Goodbye"
2. "Shot Through the Heart" (live)

• US and UK CD re-release

1. "Never Say Goodbye"
2. "Social Disease"
3. "Edge of a Broken Heart"
4. "Raise Your Hands"

Charts

Chart (1987–1988)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[4]	26
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[5]	28
Ireland (IRMA)[6]	4
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[7]	11
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[8]	59
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[9]	38
UK Singles (OCC)[10]	21
US Hot 100 Airplay (Billboard)[2]	28
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[11]	11

References

1. Ellis, Michael (May 23, 1987). "Hot 100 Singles Spotlight" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 99, no. 21. p. 75. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
2. "Hot 100 Sales & Airplay" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 99, no. 25. June 20, 1987. p. 69. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
3. Bon Jovi - Never Say Goodbye (Final Demo - Richie Sambora on Vocals) on YouTube
4. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). Sydney: Australian Chart Book. p. 41. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
5. "Bon Jovi – Never Say Goodbye" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
6. "The Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved October 26, 2012. Insert Never Say Goodbye in the field Search by Song Title, then press Search.
7. "Tipparade-lijst van week 39, 1987". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
8. "Bon Jovi – Never Say Goodbye" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
9. "Bon Jovi – Never Say Goodbye". Top 40 Singles.
10. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
11. "Bon Jovi Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved September 1, 2020.