Host A Listening Party

Written By Jeremy Utley

Love this story of early stage product testing from the music industry. Thanks to my friend Perry Klebahn for the fantastic tip.

“Flashback to 1986… Bon Jovi had formed three years earlier and recorded two albums, yet real breakthrough success continued to elude them.  After recording songs for six months in Vancouver for their third album, it came time to choose which tracks would make the cut.  Among the songs possibly on the chopping block? “Livin’ on a Prayer,” an arena rock anthem the band co-wrote with songwriter Desmond Child.  While Child and guitarist Richie Sambora wanted to include the song, lead singer Jon Bon Jovi wasn’t yet sold. So… the band held an event (at a local pizzeria called Enzo’s), playing all the songs in contention to go on the new album for a crowd of mostly high school fans…

“In a 2006 interview with Classic Rock Magazine, Jon Bon Jovi recounted the event…

‘After we wrote all the songs for the album, we put them on a cassette and went down to the local pizza place, hung out with the kids, and got their opinions. The reaction was phenomenal. Honestly, the fans were excited by what we were doing – and these are the people who will finally judge, by either buying the album, or not.’

Jon Bon Jovi, Classic Rock Magazine

Reposted from heyporter.com

As a lifelong music fan, I’ve often felt that if I don’t like a song, perhaps there’s something wrong with me… the sense that the artist knows something I don’t. I’ve talked myself into giving many songs more leash that way, and have seen the benefits of “stretching” my taste as a fan.

But I thought this was a great example of influence going the other way, from fan to performer, and a great example of early stage product development: put the product out there, and see what people resonate with.

Related: William Hardaway’s recent guest post: Don’t Wait To Write This Idea

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